I'm writing this post in English in the hopes that someone will pass the message to the US Embassy, and specifically its very socially active Ambassador Deborah Jones.
Your Excellency... Kuwait's National Independence Day and Liberation Day fall on February 25 and 26 respectively. I understand that your embassy is hosting a reception to commemorate these events on March 10, 2010.
It is already bad enough - and deeply insulting to the Kuwaiti people - that our entire government choses to "skip town" every year during our national holidays instead of staying in Kuwait to commemorate with official events and celebrations, leaving the streets to be overrun by hordes of foam-spraying hyenas. We certainly don't need the US Embassy encouraging this shameful practice and legitimizing it further by holding its own celebration of Kuwait's independence and liberation almost 2 weeks after their official dates; an irony, considering the huge role the USA played in Kuwait's liberation from the Iraqi occupation.
Since it is too late to do anything about it now, and invitations have already been sent out, we'll let it slide this year but please - PLEASE! - reconsider for next year. And since our government will most likely be AWOL next Independence and Liberation Days, how about taking the initiative and celebrating your own contribution to our liberation by hosting a big party on February 26 2011 complete with fireworks, barbecues and rock bands.... you know, like the 4th of July?!
Well Said...
ReplyDeleteThe embassy did release a video on the 24th in which Secretary Clinton "Extends her congratulations to the people of Kuwait"... beats anything our top officials have done, which literally is nothing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP4MdXCFSOg
Still, they shouldn't encourage them!
And Thank You Zaydoun!
so should we attend or not?
ReplyDeletewhat do you think?
I somehow got a personal invitation, no idea how or why.... But I'm not going mainly because I never liked embassy functions to begin, and I'm boycotting this one on principle!
ReplyDeletewhat i understood is that the celebration on the 10th of march is an alternative to 4th of july , sine july weather is very bad
ReplyDelete:)
Ma6goog is right, it says : "invites you to attend our independence day celebration"
ReplyDeleteI don't plan to attend it alone, so if you guys won't attend it I won't, just keep me updated!
cheers
No it says National Day... and usually they do theirs in May
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I just realized next year will be Kuwait's GOLDEN JUBILEE of Independence!!!
If the government ignores this too, it will be a huge international embarrassment!!
Please write more often in English and add accomplished provocateur to your list :O)
ReplyDeleteYou & I know very well they do not need any encouragement to ignore the national celebrations or ditch them like every year for a while now. They are doing just fine by themselves. One must respect himself before he can expect others to respect him, & our problem is internal my friend.
ReplyDelete...But I must admit it is a little strange the Americans are doing the same. We'll consider this normal on their part if they celebrate the 4th of July on the 3rd week of August.
Thanks for voicing out. They, us not them, are not only ruining the country in terms of facilities and standards of service only but lately even the social, economic, and "identity" principles. Very disrespectful and intended to be so.
Corruption is what we truly share with other 3rd world countries. Our corruption is fed by oil money. It what lubricates their greed.
You & I know very well they do not need any encouragement to ignore the national celebrations or ditch them like every year for a while now. They are doing just fine by themselves. One must respect himself before he can expect others to respect him, & our problem is internal my friend.
ReplyDelete...But I must admit it is a little strange the Americans are doing the same. We'll consider this normal on their part if they celebrate the 4th of July on the 3rd week of August.
Thanks for voicing out. They, us not them, are not only ruining the country in terms of facilities and standards of service only but lately even the social, economic, and "identity" principles. Very disrespectful and intended to be so.
Corruption is what we truly share with other 3rd world countries. Our corruption is fed by oil money. It what lubricates their greed.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Zaydoun, Exzombie is right, The American Embassy in Kuwait is celebrating THEIR independence day in March 10th of every year, since its very hard to hold a ceremony out doors during July, so most of the abroad embassy's celebrates in different dates.
ReplyDeleteIts been couple of years they do celebrate on March 10th, since its Pres. Lincoln's Memorial day, and I'm sure a 110%.
Mr. Z
ReplyDeleteضحكتني والله
باربيكيو وألعاب نارية
إحنا صابون و13 حالة وفيات وستمية بالمستشفى، هالمرة ألعاب نارية
Good Post though
فرمت
ReplyDeleteOk then, my bad! But I still have a point!
esetch
ReplyDeleteألعاب نارية عندهم بالسفارة في بيان وبس
Regardless of which independence day will they celebrating next week... all you lads got an invitation huh?
ReplyDeleteErm... Suddenly I feel like I'm not where I should be...
just kidding ;o)
Watch out for those new scanning devices though... they can be pretty "detailed"!
Hello. This is the notoriously social (ouch!) American Ambassador, Deborah Jones. Just wanted to clarify for the record that the March 10 celebration is of our Independence Day -- normally celebrated on July 4th but given weather conditions in the Gulf, we celebrate traditionally closer to our President's Day at the end of February. This year I will accept blame for the delay: we are expanding the area in which we celebrate on our beautiful 20+ acre compound (a gift from the people of Kuwait following the Liberation in 1991) and it required adding water and electrical hook-ups, which could not be accomplished earlier. I can assure you that we will be celebrating our national independence and political journey, and also promise you that next year -- which will be the 20th anniversary of the 1991 liberation, we will be celebrating IN A BIG WAY our important and lasting partnership with Kuwait, and on/about our own February President's Day holiday, which will be much closer to Kuwait's own national and liberation days. Meanwhile, I hope you caught my February 22 interviews in KUNA and my radio greetings throughout last week, in addition to the Secretary's message referenced above. And meanwhile... I hope you will not boycott our March 10 event, but join us in celebrating our Independence, as good friends. Best, Deborah Jones (and keep the blogs coming!)
ReplyDeleteHello. This is the notoriously social (ouch!) American Ambassador Deborah Jones responding to your fascinating blog to clarify that our March 10 event is indeed in celebration of our own Independence Day, normally celebrated on July 4 in cooler climes. Since we are unlikely to have a crowd in July, given the heat and humidity and local penchant for travel you have already noted, we traditionally host this event nearer to the US President's Day holiday, at the end of February (closer to your own National and Liberation Days). I shall take the blame for the delay in this year's event since it followed my decision to open up another section of our beautiful Embassy compound (a gift from the people of Kuwait following the Liberation in 1991) and this required installing addiitonal water and electrical hookups that could not be accomplished earlier. That said, I can assure you that the March 10 celebration will be about America's Independence and political history and that next year's celebration, on the 20th anniversary of Kuwait's Liberation, will indeed be closer to the end of February and will indeed be a BIG CELEBRATION of that seminal event in our countries' bilateral relationship as well. Meanwhile, I hope you did see my February 22 interview with KUNA and also heard my various radio greetings on the occasion of your own national and liberation days, and I hope you will not boycott our March 10 event but choose to join and celebrate together as the friends and close partners we are. 'Nuff said? And keep the blogs coming... Best, Deborah Jones, US Ambassador to the State of Kuwait
ReplyDeleteThank you Ambassador Jones... that certainly clears things up!
ReplyDeletePS: I stand corrected!
ReplyDeleteerr.. so.. are you going?
ReplyDeleteFoot. Meet mouth. :) lol
ReplyDeleteSeriously though,
1- It was a valid point you made about our side of the disrespectful lack of official celebration and personal disregard of the event.
2- It takes a classy individual on behalf of the ambassador, even more rare being a politician, to speak directly and openly and take criticism this well. Transparency at it's best. Refreshing considering where we are.
3- It takes a big man to admit fault and stand proudly corrected. Good on you Z.
exzombie... probably not, embassy functions in general bore me to death
ReplyDeleteكويتي لايعة كبده
Thanks, and yes I'm sticking tenaciously to my point about our AWOL government!
Unfortunately ... this is common practice in this country ... national holidays given prior or after the actual holiday (be it new years or something else) just to get a longer weekend...
ReplyDeleteI hope we will ... oneday ... bring bak the old celebration rituals ... the fireworks ... the music ... the fun ... wish to see a big parade like the thanksgiving one in NYC ... Inshalla Ya Kuwait ...
Congratulations Ambassador Jones you really are everywhere! And thank you for supporting my request that Zaydoun should blog more often in English. Happy Independance Day when ever you celebrate it :O)
ReplyDeleteOr even Happy Independence Day as well...I hate typos!!
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me from this post was how you note the fact that your government is AWOL during national holidays (and so are many nationals) but then proceed to ask an embassy to change the date of their celebration, and all this while you thought they *were* celebrating your national holiday, which was at least more than what you acknowledged the government was doing. I don't get your sense of logic. It feels a bit hypocritical and arrogant, no?
ReplyDelete