RIP Julie Khamis

This text is a commentary on the recent incident that involved the Khamis family and is based on the limited information found: here.
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The other day, for the first time, I ended up on and reading alwatan daily, an online Kuwaiti newspaper in English. Fate had it, that I'd read about a news piece on a recent incident that sadly, and I truly mean sadly, had unraveled in Kuwait.
I had the urging feeling to write about this, spread the word, because such a thing shouldn't be buried. I wasn't disappointed today, as the Kuwaiti media has taken a special interest in the topic. I hope it leads to some good.

So it goes like this, a series of events on a roundabout - renowned for it's Bermuda like nature, always troubling - lead to a man, not a policeman, but still under the general umbrella of the Ministry of Interior, taking a girl into custody after she honked at him for stopping mid-roundabout.

Looking at the situation, it involved the daughter of an English teacher and a Kuwaiti man, Dana.
Dana is not perfectly fluent with the Kuwaiti accent, as I'm sure the officer isn't fluent in anything English. I say that, seeing as this world was not made for one type of people. As Muslims we know that, and as rational beings we know that.
Given the factors and possible types of mentalities at offer in such a situation, I will tell you I am not at all surprised at what happened. I am sickened, but not surprised. I'm not slating every policeman, officer or person of authority out there, they are our brothers and sons, what I am saying is that when we get a bad one on our hands we get them rotten.

What I don't understand is why didn't the officer drop the charges, or was even strongly advised by a superior to do so? In a society like ours, we are prized for having healthy social values that have meant profuse number of cases to be settled outside police stations. Especially when it comes to non-physical charges. A honk? An alleged hand gesture? Really?

All I know is that as Kuwaiti citizens, we are all entitled to the same protection and liberties. The common citizen is responsible in knowing their rights, just as much as the authoritative figures are responsible in making it well known how citizens should be treated.

This case is still under investigation, and with the heartbreaking news that Dana's mother had passed away, the judicial process will be put on the back-burner.

My heart goes out to Sulaiman, who lost the love of his life, his wife of 27 years, and to Dana and her two sisters (T. and H.) who lost the most precious person anyone can have, their mother.

Just know that it is only after your heartache as a family, will we have a change for a more aware future against situations like this. Keep your fingers in a crescent.

RIP Julie Khamis