Kuwait’s Struggle to Create a Modern State

With a free press, active parliament and dynamic political system, Kuwait is the most liberal member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. But its reputation as an open society masks the country’s abysmal human rights record and underlying social tensions. It’s a small, oil-rich country with a relatively prosperous population whose economic wealth far exceeds its level of social and political development. Its deficiencies in this regard are best seen in the treatment of nonnationals – including both foreign laborers and those considered stateless people who have roots in the country extending centuries. Origins Kuwait’s modern history began in 1716 when three tribes from north-central Arabia – al-Sabah, al-Khalifa and al-Jalahima, which together formed the al-Utub confederation – immigrated to Kadima on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. In 1775, the Persian Zand dynasty seized Basra in southern Iraq, turning Kuwait’s port into a vital lifeline in the Persian Gulf’s northwest. But as the turmoil in Persia and Iraq persisted, wariness of foreigners grew and helped shape government decisions. Adverse local and regional conditions helped further divide Kuwaiti society along tribal, religious and sectarian lines. (click to enlarge) Thus, throughout Kuwait’s history, citizenship has had little meaning other than entitlement […]