Talk:Kuwait

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Kuwait article.
Article policies
This article is supported by the WikiProject on Countries, which collaborates on nations and related subjects on Wikipedia. Please participate by editing the article Kuwait, or visit the project page for more details.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on its quality.
Kuwait is included in the 2007 Wikipedia for Schools, or is a candidate for inclusion in future versions. Please maintain high quality standards, and make an extra effort to include free images, because non-free images cannot be used on the CDs.
Peer review This Geography article has been selected for Version 0.5 and subsequent release versions of Wikipedia. It has been rated Start-Class on the assessment scale (comments).
Western Asia This article is within the scope of the WikiProject Western Asia, which collaborates on articles related to Western Asia. To participate, you can edit this article or visit the project page for more details.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.
High This article has been rated as High-importance on the importance scale.
This article is within the scope of the Arab world WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale.

Contents

[edit] Unsigned edits

"formerly, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were the only remaining Middle Eastern countries without women's suffrage." Er, should this be 'the only remaing Middle Eastern countries with male-only suffrage', or something similar but less unwieldy? So far as I know in the UAE there is no suffrage at all, which presumably means that the UAE has no women's suffrage.

I slightly expanded the paragraph on the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries of Kuwait. I know that one sentence is out of chronological order. Some help in organization would be great. Maybe that's too much information and should be moved the main article?

Kuwait has a rich cultural history that is not being reflected.

Hello,

Im a kuwaiti, i have edited this article to say that Kuwait has been part of the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th centuΉ NOT TRUE! I'm a kuwaiti myself, name for me the book that stated kuwait as part of the Ottoman Empire! if you really were a kuwaiti, then you would've least studied that in school. Kuwait never was part of the Ottoman Empire. check travellers' maps and you would see Kuwait as Kuwait, part of nothing!

Alright. Calm down buddy. The article itself doesn't have anything about the Ottomans. And trust me, the schools in Kuwait don't do too good of a job in teaching history unfortunately. Just because it was never taught doesn't meen it never happened. On the other hand, until theres a legitimate source which says so, the article will probably never state that Kuwait was part of the ottoman empire. -Zer0fighta 18:43, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

no one speaks the whole truth. nt schools, nt governments nor wise ppl! that i'm 100% sure of. however, we were given reasons to believe it was not part of the Ottomans, and those reasons made sense! such reasons include signing a deal with the English East India Company back in the 18th century. that was never bound to happen if Kuwait was part of the Ottmans. furthermore, that was part of Iraq's claim when Gulf War happened back in 1990, that Kuwait is part of the ottmans thus part of Iraq. and that was denied by the world nations.


Alright, who added the comment that closes the history portion-"Kuwait is a great country and people there are nice!"? (205.250.167.76 02:43, 6 April 2007 (UTC))

Why whats the problem with that, not that i added it-but i find that statement very true. Do you have a linked source that states otherwise?-aalsaleh
We're not supposed to write such emotional sentiment on wikipedia. (205.250.167.76 01:50, 12 April 2007 (UTC))

[edit] Demography

Does anybody have a source for the notion that 35% of the citizen population is Shi'i? That contnow their children are Kuwaiti. Non-Kuwaiti men who marry Kuwaiti women are not given citizenship, unless something has changed recently.

Yes they can. They can apply for citizenship after three years of marriage. And mostly its easy to get it as long you're not from a previous enemy country. [[User::NameIess|NameIess]] 23:44, 17 January 2007 (KWT)

Hmm. very interesting point. I remember that many Kuwaiti men were marrieiti citizens. Nice edits --Deepak|वार्ता 20:23, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

YES, Non Kuwaiti women can recieve citizenship through Kuwaiti husbands but there is a certain time befor being able to do so, this is not vice/versa though. My cousin just became a Kuwaiti citizen through her husband and funnily enough i know a kuwaiti man ino wife who became Kuwaiti, wish i could give a source. 71.55.169.217 07:01, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

I've actually heard that there are more Kuwaiti Shiites than the semi-official number of 35%, but that the Sunni monarchy has tried to suppress the data. Could this be anything other than rumor/conspiracy theory? User:Proon9288 00:03, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

Actually every source I find puts the number at less than 30% but having lived in Kuwait for more than 5 years, even 30% seems way to high.I would have said more like 15%69.170.228.36 22:43, 13 February 2007 (UTC)


I have noticed that the recent change I had made to the Demographics section, pertinent to the Sunni-Shia distribution, has been altered. First of all, I am a Kuwait citizen, and I can more than assure you that Shias are far less than the 30% mentioned. In Kuwait's Pariliamen, for instance, there are only four Shia representatives/senators. The latter fact contradicts the 30% mentioned in the article, obviously. It is true that this number was cited from the CIA Factobook; however, CIA Factbook does not neccessarily provide accurate figures, neither does it mean anything mentiioned there, we can cite it as a fact blindly--we have to be sure and a citation from presumabley reliable source does not fulfill that. In fact, it is estimates that Shias, in the most case, constitute about only 20% of the population; other sources, however, estimate them as low as 15%, or even a little bit less. This sharply contrasts with the 30% given. Most sources that back my claim are, unfortunately, in Arabic; I cannot find any english source, neither can I find a Kuwait's-Goverment source since it does conduct such statistics. At least, if someone may think that mentioning what is mentioned in the CIA Factbook is sufficient, don't even talk about the Sunni-Shia distribution, because, simply, it is impossible this myth to be believed as true by any Kuwaiti, either Sunni or Shia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kuwaiti87 (talk • contribs) 08:12, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

To cut this short - give us a reliable source which says 20% Shi'a and I will have no objections to changing the figure. You can be the Emir of Kuwait himself for all I care but till you provide a source it counts as original research. Green Giant (talk) 12:46, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Gulf War I

One author's recent additions seem an attempt to make it sound as though Kuwait was utterly razed after Gulf War I.

  • I would like to inform you that my sources are BBC and Britannia Website . The bombings and destruction of Kuwait Intl. Airport and Main Harbour (not aware of the name - think Shuwaik Port) and also that of the Royal Palace prove it . One can also visit Encarta site to check how notable my claims are . My own house in Kuwait was looted and fired at .Please sign your comments . thanks . --IncMan 15:40, May 19, 2005 (UTC)
  • I am not sure what you're talking about. I think you're mistaking the 2nd Gulf War with the first. There has been a Gulf War I which was between Iraq and Iran. Kuwait also got involved and it had its only offshore oil refinery destroyed, the late emir -sheik jaber- had a failed assassination attempt, several local cafes were blown up and other bombs were defused on the last minute.

--Abdulaziz 22:48, January 17, 2007 (KWT)

[edit] User:Guptadeepak

Taken from history summary: "My own house in Kuwait was looted and fired at."

Gupta, let's not even try playing the "one-up real life qualifications" game, please. I'm sorry your house was one of many which caught bullets during the war, but your personal experience in Kuwait can't dictate the tone of (or violate the historical accuracy of) this entire article.

  • All I can say is please visit Encarta and britannia site to see how notable my claims are . I haven't written this out of my own personal experience . Its a plain simple fact .--IncMan 15:45, May 19, 2005 (UTC)

To imply that Kuwait was utterly razed during Iraq's retreat is a distortion. The oil fires set by Iraqi forces were the most notable destruction, and a building-by-building list of facilities which took damage is not appropriate for this article. You distance yourself from personal experience now, but you've twice now brought up the personal experience of having had bullets hit your house.

Perhaps it would be better suited in Gulf War?

  • First of all , tell me one sentence which indicates Kuwait was RAZED . Secondly , Kuwait's infrastructure was destroyed severely . I can give you several proofs for that . Go to UN's official site and see . And even if that doesn't seem notable to you , read Facts About Kuwait ,a book published by the Kuwaiti Govt . Thirdly , nobody is trying to mention the list of all the buildings destroyed by Iraqis . Thanks --IncMan 16:03, May 19, 2005 (UTC)

You claim that "much" of Kuwait's buildings were destroyed?

"Much of Kuwait’s industry, infrastructure, and buildings were destroyed. Among the most heavily damaged were palaces of the royal family, government and other public buildings, oil wells, and roads."

That, Gupta, is a list; one that paints an inaccurate picture, to boot. It's also more than the history section of a main aritcle warrants; again, perhaps you would prefer editing Gulf War or History of Kuwait? I've made note of the Kuwaiti oil fires, including reconstruction costs.

And for the record, I will not take books issued by the Kuwaiti government in good faith, so long as Kuwait is governed by the Emir.

  • Well I always thought that Kuwaitis had a lot of faith in their Emir . Anyways , thanks for the grammer corrections . I think I should write more carefully now . By buldings ,I meant the prominent structures in Kuwait . Moreover , if I had individually mentioned all the govt. and public buildings bombed during the war , you could have rightfully called it a list . And finally , its easy to argue . Will it be hard to have an endless discussion on why Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall ? --IncMan 17:09, May 19, 2005 (UTC)

I agree. Apologies for my earlier argumentative tone, but I do hold the Emir to be a dictator (which he is, politically), and Kuwait's current "democracy" to be extremely lacking.

  • Which country's "democracy" isn't lacking? There isn't a single country which is not lacking a proper democracy. I slightly find your comments to be quite ignorant, no offense. The Emir is a monarch, yes, but in no way a dictator. The constitution of Kuwait has removed most of the power from the Emir and the rest of the royal family. Of course they still have an influence, but no official power. I see no reason to not accept a book published by the Kuwaiti government as a reliable source, especially if it is written in english. Zer0fighta 20:42, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Independence

The date of independance from Iraq should be added.

Not in CIA factbook, so it must not be that important------Cameron5dollarsuser:cameron5dollars 19:40 EST 6/1/06

Yes. I agree. And for that reason, we should remove all significant content from wikipedia that cannot be found in the CIA factbook. -Zer0fighta 00:01, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

The issue of independance from Iraq was said to have been the basis for the "re-unification" of the principaility to within the borders of modern day Iraq; this contended by the Hussein government. As such, it is a leading influence in Gulf War 1 and therefore, for historical significance and accuracy, it should be added onto the listing. There are clear grounds for asserting that the province of Kuwait was governed from Basra and was part of the wider Ottoman Empire.

If we do not reflect factually based and accurate representations, then Wikipedia merely becomes and extension of the CIA factbook.

Avenger786 14:13, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Note on Infrastructure

Not much attentioned is paid on information about Kuwait's Infrastructure. Shouldn't we have a new catigory?

[edit] Kuwaiti Hostility to the U.S.

  • I read in "National Review" I believe, or some other Conservative periodical back in the late 80's, that, in the 1970's, I believe, or the early 80's, that Kuwait "tried to get the U.S. currency to collapse, by with-drawing all of their oil-money from the U.S. economy all at once". Doesn't sound too friendly to me. And supposedly, since the U.S. "rescued" Kuwait after the First Gulf War, the Kuwaitis are now practically "floating in oil", and have become "so lazy, that they depend on 'domestic workers' to get anything done, and have cut their work-days to around four or five hours a day". And supposedly, they have already forgotten any feelings of gratitude they may have had for us (you know, like the French. After all, we only saved them from the Germans in Two World Wars). (Oct.)
    • And your point is? If you're just going to criticise other countries, complain in a blog or something. Zer0fighta 05:29, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

You don't know anything you are talking about. You should go there for yourself and speak your own words before quoting some bitter person who wrote that. American private schools and the American University thrive in Kuwait. Majority of the population attend those schools. America has base established in the north and is the gate way used for everything done in Iraq. If everything is as was said I'm sure this would all be a different story.

I doubt that Kuwait would withdraw their investments in the U.S. to try and make the economy collapse. They would know they could not achieve because the U.S. is so much bigger than any other economy in the world. In regards to graditude they paid for the cost of the war and if you remember the French or any other U.S. ally did not pay for their liberation. Also, President Bush went back to Kuwait twice so that people could thank him. They named a street after him. Please remember, people in Kuwait are free to express their opinions and there is as much diversity in Kuwait as there is in the United States, both ethnically and politically. The relationship between the U.S. and Kuwait continues because Kuwait gave $10 million to the Katrina recovery. That does not sound ungrateful to me.

It is true that life style of Kuwaitis depends on domestic helpers, but that is also true of South America and many other countries in the Middle East and Far East. Here in the U.S. you have domestic help as well and just because you have domestic help does not mean you do not work. You just choose to work at something else. The workdays being cut to 4 or 5 hours a day is just not true. Work hours remain the same as always.

[edit] Pages on Kuwait to be created

I think the following should have pages created for them.

Banks:

Telecom Companies:

Schools:

Scientific Institues:

Hosptials and Medical Centres:

  • Farwaniya Hospital
  • Jahra Hospital
  • Sabah Hospital
  • Adan Hospital
  • Amiri Hospital
  • Kuwait Gastroenterology Centre
  • Islamic Medicine Centre
  • Kuwait Kidney Centre
  • Kuwait Psychiatric Center
  • Kuwait Transplant Centre
  • Sulaibikhat Orthopedic
  • Kuwait Sanatorium for Women

--Ahmed 09:47, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pages to be added

I agree. Along with the following:

  • Fanar Mall
  • Mohalleb Mall
  • Souq Sharq

Its quite frustrating. I feel that im the only one creating pages in the Category:Kuwait category. Zer0fighta 05:15, 13 October 2005 (UTC)


Zer0fighta.... Show some democracy and listen to other opinions to have people help you. You can not clap hands using one!

  • First of all, I don't completely agree with democracy. I agree with team effort though. The above comment was placed over 6 months ago when no one was editing pages. I appreciate your work to help, but at the same time Wikipedia does have rules and regulations in certain areas.

[edit] Iranian Kuwaitis

Someone does not like was added earlier. Are we in war here? I guess it is a fact that the following is true! Or are we living in denial?

""During the same period, many merchants from Persia/Iran, who are referred to as Iranian Kuwaitis, have settled down in the peaceful coastal area as well.""

  • Its not so much a "war", but it isn't a significant piece of information. A lot of people migrated to Kuwait. My family was orignially from saudi arabia, my grandmother originally from yemen, a lot of my friends were originally iranian, or iraqi, or from some other country/region surrounding the area. Its not denial, its just something repetetive that is not entirely important. This article is just an overview about the country, if you wanted to write more detailed articles and comments, then create another article about "ethnicities of kuwait" or something. I feel this shouldn't be something that belongs on the main page. -Zer0fighta 02:31, 30 April 2006 (UTC)


    • If you think that it is irrelevant to the History page, then I advice you to remove the Eniza Part. I will not do it, I will ask you to do it. Isn’t it a piece of information about ethnicity of people who formed Kuwait? We are not in war here, but I really suggest you consult your father and grandfathers. And ask them about the role that people from Iran played in ESTABLISHING Kuwait; their role is not a small role. It is a MAJOR one. Their role should be in the main pages of Kuwait’s history, not in the footers! They were merchants and the country’s economy, back then, was shaped and affected by the goods they possessed from the eastern states, Iran and India. If you think that it is irrelevant, this is your opinion. But, please respect the opinion(s) of the others, and let’s play music together like Kuwaitis from Different ethnicity groups. Deal? I know you are not a racist, neither am I. I respect where you came from, and it is a CROWN on my head, as we say in Arabic. Do I expect the same from your side? :) you can add what you erased, It is highly appreciated. I suggest, it should be mentioned in the history part as ""Kuwait was established by Arabs (from Arabian Peninsula), Assyrians (from Iraq), and Persians (from Iran)""; any other information about origins should not be mentioned in the main part. This would cover 99.99% of people who formed Kuwait. Details about those should be created in different categories. This way you can talk about your origin part (Najd), Iraqis would talk about theirs, and I would take the responsibility to start expanding the topics about Persian / Iranian Kuwaitis. What do you think? You will get knowing me more. I really believe in democracy and team-work! How is C++? Thank you,,, Zal 08:51, 30 April 2006 (UTC)
      • Alright. do as you wish. I honestly don't feel like repetetively trying to revert pages because its a pain. If you feel its that important then go ahead. -Zer0fighta 08:55, 30 April 2006 (UTC)
        • I will not do that alone. I need your help in this. OK? Zal 09:05, 30 April 2006 (UTC)
  • Sure thing. Just let me know what you need help with. I suggest we talk on each other's talk pages btw. -Zer0fighta 09:26, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reverted links

Hello. I added some links that were deleted by User:Zer0fighta. I don't know why they were. They were all relevant links. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kuwait&oldid=52170504. --80.63.213.182 15:26, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Hello. Your relevant links were random wikilinks to words such as "fish", "water", "week" and "north". We appreciate your work but please read the Wikipedia:Manual of style. -Zer0fighta 19:41, 9 May 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Official Language

The table at the top of the article states that English is an official language of Kuwait, with the parenthesised addition "widely spoken". However, the body text seems to indicate that Arabic is the only official language, with English also widely understood by the population. If the latter is the case, I believe it should not be included under "official languages". Could someone clarify? Jochietoch 12:36, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Women's suffrage

Hi, I am not trying to edit, but I do not understand this sentence:

"On May 16, 2005, Parliament permitted women's suffrage by a 35-23 vote, subject to Islamic law and effective for the 2006 Parliamentary Election."

How is women's suffrage subject to Islamic Law? I went to the Islamic Law entry and I couldn't figure out the relationship with women's suffrage and Islamic Law. Are women guaranteed the right to vote under Islamic Law? Or are women subject to certain voting stipulations under Islamic Law?

Well, from what I saw in the last elections, basically the voting booths are separate. -Zer0fighta 23:39, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Someone has added "misconcepted" to Islamic Law, since the first posting in the Women's Suffrage section. That single word seems to be poorly spelled and counter-productive. I tagged it as such. Segregating voting booths, as suggested above, seems not to impede one's suffrage so "subject to Islamic Law" seems to be an unnecessary addition. If women's votes were perhaps counted with less value than men's, that would be sufficient reasoning. Otherwise, segregated voting booths at most impose heteronormativity, as segregated sporting events, classes, prayer groups, clothing stores, salons, toilets, societies, &c. do, as long as facilities are equal. Thecurran 20:53, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] No natural lake?

Kuwait is the only country in the world with no natural lake or water reservoir

Can this be sourced? Are we sure that Vatican City has a lake? And Monaco? --Bletch 23:59, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

I would also wonder about Western Sahara, the Maldives, the Federated States of Micronesia, Andorra, Singapore, San Marino, Kiribati, Tokelau, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, the Gambia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Equatorial Guinea, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Cape Verde Islands, and other countries geographically dominated by rivers or composed of small islands, or other micro-states. Thecurran 21:03, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Timezone

Timezone of Kuwait +4 on summers? No way.

[edit] Government Stipend

I've heard that all Kuwaiti citizens, who can trace their Kuwaiti lineage back several generations, receive a very large government stipend as a dividend for the nation's oil revenues. Is this true? This would help explain why over 80% of the work force in Kuwait are not Kuwaiti citizens.

Na. Unfortunately thats not true. We do benefit from not having any taxes, and low gas prices etc. though. Actually, I appologize, members of the Al-Sabah family does have such a stipend. I do not know the exact ammount that is received but members of the Al-Sabah family do receive such a stipend. -Zer0fighta 19:29, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/OWMC

Could you please take a look at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/OWMC? The article OWMC will probably be deleted unless the facts in it can be confirmed. The Older Women's Muslim Community (Arabic: مكان الاجتماع لأجل نساء مسلمة أرشدة. ) is a health club for older Muslim women. --TruthbringerToronto (Talk | contribs) 03:04, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Motto

Is anyone able to provide a reference for the motto "For Kuwait"? Google didn't give me anything, and I think that the Arabic Wikipedia doesn't list a motto. Pruneautalk 19:08, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] per capita gdp

In the infobox, it is said that kwait's gdp per capita is $16,300. Later in the article, a figure of $22,800 is given. The CIA World Factbook claims $20,300.

What is the correct one? If different calculations are used (like ppp/not ppp) are used, it should be explicitly said. Jorge Peixoto 03:36, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Proposed WikiProject

In my ongoing efforts to try to include every country on the planet included in the scope of a WikiProject, I have proposed a new project on Western Asia at Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals#Western Asia whose scope would include Kuwait. Any interested parties are more than welcome to add their names there, so we can see if there is enough interest to start such a project. Thank you for your attention. Badbilltucker 16:48, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "constitutional monarchy"

Is it right to refer to Kuwait as a, without qualification, "constitutional monarchy." I know that it's not an absolute monarchy like Saudi Arabia or Oman, but I feel like the term "constitutional monarchy," in the contemporary world, implies something like the UK or Belgium, not the kind of state like Kuwait, where the executive is still basically controlled by the monarch with almost no democratic input. Calling such a state a "constitutional monarchy" was already dubious back a century ago when Germany or Russia were examples. Isn't it all the more so now? john k 06:49, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Educational System

Can we please stop changing the page everytime a school feels the need to 'shine' above others, lets be fair and sensible, rather than desperate and pathetic. Thanks.

[edit] Other discussion/Questions and requests

It would be interesting to know the percentage of Kuwaitis that are Shi'ites and Sunnis. The statistic given of percentage Sunnis/Shi'ites on the current page takes includes expat Arabs. This is important to know whether the government is fairly represented by both sects and does not discriminate.


[edit] Assyrians in kuwait

I think the claim that there is a large group of expatriates of Assyrians in Kuwait is not correct at all. --Wisamzaqoot 16:13, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Demographics

There is some confusion regarding the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. According to Kuwait Embassy, New Delhi website, Indians form the largest expatriate community. This info might be wrong, but I was not able to find any Kuwaiti official source saying that Egyptians formed the bulk of the community. And please add sources to back figures. Somebody changed Shia/Sunni ratio to 9:1 (!) and it went unnoticed. This article needs some patrolling. --Grubb 07:15, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Improvement

Only the demographics sections was readable. I improved lead-in paras, Economy and History. Needs a lot of work. --RajatKansal (talk) 18:51, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fourth richest country in the world?

I'm not sure about this. Might it be appropriate to mention that this is calculated from PPP per capita, rather than any other means of identifying a nation's wealth? When relatively small countries such as Luxembourg and Qatar are listed at the top, it pretty much negates the idea that this is a list of the richest countries in the world... Just my thoughts.. Headbeater (talk) 14:09, 23 April 2008 (UTC) Insert non-formatted text here

[edit] hey

i love kuwait lol —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.250.136.225 (talk) 21:39, 15 May 2008 (UTC)