Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah - a man the size of a homeland
By Mubarak Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah
You were Kuwait, originality and civilization and Arab virtues and roots
The sea is you... overflowing with its shores - the great are destined to remain great
Two stances written by my dear mother Dr Suad Al-Sabah, may Allah make her live long in His Obedience, in which she describes a homeland, a man, a time, culture and commitment. Kuwait with its originality and its prestigious culture, and its move towards civilized development, adds to its moral civilization and its Arab virtues.
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That was a period of senior Kuwait personalities and its wise leaders, with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah in the lead, the last and youngest son of modern Kuwait's founder Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah. My father, from whom I learnt a lot, as of those who lived with him, of virtues.
The two stances are part of a long poem titled 'The Last of Swords', in which she laments a man who closed his eyes for the last time on this date in 1991, months after liberation, after being sure about Kuwait, as its people returned to it after a bitter occupation.
His homeland he built with his own hands, and spent his life in its service, defending it and sacrificing for it, and he was in the center of the ruling circle as a deputy ruler, and when he noticed some differences that threaten the country's stability and reached a dead end, he had to decide between Kuwait's interests or his personal interests. He decided to sacrifice his own in exchange of maintaining Kuwait's interest, as foreign pressure wanted him to give up his convictions to spread differences and strife inside the decision-making circle, but he decided to block these attempts and sacrifice his stability and that of his family.
He resigned all his posts and decided to live in self-exile, living in the shadows, away from politics. He left with his family for Beirut, and put an end to all rumors, and followed the affairs of his country from a distance. After being sure that he laid all bases of growth, stability and power, and what was left was the courage of decision (opinion comes ahead of the courage of the courageous). For that he embraced the family's youth, trained and taught them, pushed them in front and qualified them to be up to the major responsibility to lead the country.
All that was after laying the blocks of political stability and achieving Kuwait's belonging to Arabism. He established the army and police, launched the radio, formed literary and football clubs, encouraged equestrian sport, sponsored camel races, laid the basics of aviation, sent students on scholarships abroad for the first time in the history of Kuwait and encouraged oil investment in every direction, when he was an aide to the late Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber when he was the ruler. He was along his side during the launch of the first oil shipment in the history of Kuwait. He was the launcher of the batch of desalinated water in a Kuwaiti plant. He travelled to the developed world in order to realize this in reality, to meet Kuwait's need for freshwater.
He also laid down the foundations of education as the chief of the higher education council from 1947 until the start of the sixties, and when he chaired the council's sessions, very important decisions were taken in the history of Kuwait education, most notably the decision to establish Kuwait University. He announced in Kuwait Al-Youm magazine, through the education department, the preparation of a historical register for Kuwait in which he encouraged citizens to collect all documents on the country's history. He encouraged boy scouts among school students and was present with them, sponsoring their events.
When he used to visit Britain and other countries, he used to allocate some time to visit Kuwaiti students on scholarships to make sure about their conditions and academic progress, listen to their views and learn about their needs, and this is what he instilled in me, and made me care for outstanding students and encourage them.
He supported the literary movement and journalism, be it in Kuwait or abroad. He established the "Humat Al-Watan" magazine, and made top Arab writers contribute in it. He was one of the most important sponsors of the fourth Arab writers conference that was held in Kuwait in 1957, and he hosted the top writers who came to Kuwait at Mishref Palace on that occasion, as he sought to keep Kuwait a destination for the most notable scientists and writers come to, to a point that Kuwait journalism became a model, headed by Al-Arabi magazine.
He encouraged girls' education, and stood beside the woman's right to education and decision making, besides participating in the society's renaissance. He remained out of politics for 30 years, and did not give even one statement that can be used by some who waited for one word or sentence to shake Kuwait's stability, be it about his family in particular or Kuwait in general, and they could not get any expression of anger or criticism from him!
He had a dignified silence and wise patience. He was a man of patience when the situation required, and became angry when the situation warranted, and did not choose absence when the situation required his presence. Despite him leaving his posts as a deputy ruler, and despite his lack of response to all attempts by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem to make him change his decision. He sent delegations to Beirut and Geneva to convince him to withdraw his resignation, yet when he believed that the situation required his presence, as when the King of Saudi Arabia Saud bin Abdulaziz decided to visit Kuwait and sought him to lead those receiving the king, he came and supervised the reception ceremony and the visit's agenda, and as soon as the mission was over, he turned the page and returned to the shadows.
While abroad, he found respect and honor at the highest level, and despite leaving his post, Arab leaderships treated him like a president and leader, and received him like a ruler, including President Gamal Abdel Nasser, President Anwar Sadat, King Hussein, King Al-Hassan II and many others. He was, at the family level, a security umbrella for us, a teacher, leader and a generous and kind father.
Abdullah Al-Mubarak was a sword among the swords of this country, and this is the way swords are always. May Allah bestow his mercy on you, a father and inspiration, in the memory of your absence on this day (June 15).