Armenians in Kuwait
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The Armenians in Kuwait are people of Armenian descent living in Kuwait. None of the Armenians in Kuwait is however a Kuwaiti citizen. The first known Armenian presence in Kuwait came immediately after the rise of Arab nationalism in Syria and Egypt in 1958 which paved the way for the formation of the United Arab Republic. The first wave of Armenian immigrants to Kuwait were people looking to escape the turmoil in other Arab states. They were mainly skilled craftsmen who found work in Kuwait’s light industry, auto repair, auto body, plumbing, electrical and service sector.
By the mid-1980s, this Armenian population of Kuwait reached its peak of 12,000. During and after Operation Desert Storm, the population diminished as Armenians immigrated to North America. As of 2007, there are roughly 5,000 Armenians in Kuwait.
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[edit] Rise of Arab Nationalism
As a result of the Armenian Genocide, many survivors were forced to first settle in the Levant and other Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Iraq. In 1958, the first wave of Arab nationalism appeared in Syria and Egypt with the formation of the United Arab Republic, which was the brainchild of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The UAR, as it was known, brought wide scale nationalization and compulsory military service — measures which did not sit well with the large Armenian communities in Syria and Egypt. The establishment of the UAR also triggered a mass exodus of Armenians to Lebanon from Syria and to Canada and the United States from Egypt. A few Syrian-Armenians immigrated to Kuwait, a British mandate back then.
The first settlers in Kuwait were skilled craftsmen who found work in Kuwait’s light industry, auto repair, auto body, plumbing, electrical and service sector. The settlers thrived in Kuwait and soon, more and more Armenians immigrated to Kuwait. A new influx of young Armenians created the need to establish an Armenian school in Kuwait. In 1960, the Armenian community opened its first Armenian kindergarten and church in Kuwait. By the mid-1980s, the Armenian community of Kuwait numbered 12,000 people.
[edit] Iraqi invasion and Operation Desert Storm
In August of 1990, Iraq declared war on Kuwait and invaded its tiny neighbour. During this time, many Kuwaiti-Armenians had already gone on vacation to visit their families in neighbouring Arab countries such as Syria and Lebanon. Other Armenians fled to Baghdad by car, from where they fled to Syria. The remaining Armenians were mostly workers. During the invasion, the Armenian school and church were shut down and guarded in order to stop looters from attacking the institutions. The Armenian institutions remained unscathed during the war.
After the Iraqis were driven out of Kuwait by the coalition forces, the Armenian community had largesly diminished to about 500 Armenians. The war also paved the way for a mass exodus of Kuwaiti-Armenians to North American countries such as Canada and the United States.
[edit] Today
The Armenian population of Kuwait has slowly grown since the end of the First Gulf War. The population now numbers around 5,000 Armenians. Today, the Armenian school in Kuwait has room for Armenian children from kindergarten to 12 grade. The school, the only foreign institution which is allowed to incorporate religion into its curriculum, now has nearly 300 students, and a staff of 25 full time teachers, including 17 Armenians. This is not close to pre-war levels which had enrollment numbers up to 700 students. The Armenian community is slowly rebuilding to try and bring back its "glory days" of the mid-1980s.
[edit] References
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