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The worst newspaper article on Kuwait by the Kuwait Times

A commenter posted a link to a Kuwait Times article entitled “What not to do in Kuwait”. K.thekuwaiti replied back to the commenter telling him the article was retarded because every piece of advice ends with a warning that you would be raped if you don’t do this.

I decided to check out the article myself and its true what K.thekuwaiti said. The article is giving the worst impression on Kuwait and a lot of things are really taken to the extreme. Here are some examples from the article:

Avoid starting friendly conversations with taxi drivers. This would give him the impression that you want him to have sex with you and of course, he would ask you if you are married and if your husband is with you. Never admit to be single and alone or even to confess that you are a runaway maid or employee. Many of them would not hesitate to rape you and leave you empty handed and get you pregnant.

So tip #1, don’t talk to taxi drivers or they will rape you.

Avoid accepting gifts or laughing over sexual jokes with your boss unless it is really okay with you and this is what you want .If you came from an environment where you are very open with the opposite gender, then you might think that such jokes are okay but here, it is not. This would give men a hint that you are ready to have sex with him and you could find yourself a rape victim. Besides, accepting someone’s gifts means approval.

So tip #2, don’t be friendly with your boss or he will rape you.

Avoid trying to look sexy by showing the sexiest parts of your body. You may think that you have a sexy body and want the world to see that because it is okay for you, but do not do that here. Lots of men here would think of you as a prostitute and may try to reach or touch you by any means. You may not mean it but this would be hard to convince them because they came from a different culture. The culture here associates clothes with manners. The more you cover yourself, the more respected you will be.

Tip #3, if you are hot people will think you are a prostitute and you will get raped.

Avoid fighting with a Kuwaiti. He simply wouldn’t hesitate to use any wasta to make you the wrong person of the dispute and make you take the blame. You might end up begging to him just to let you go!!!!

Tip #4, don’t fight with a Kuwaiti or he will rape you.

You can check out the full article on the Kuwait Times website but in case they decide to remove it you can grab a copy from [here]. The writer of the article is Muna Al-Fuzai. [Link]

80 replies on “The worst newspaper article on Kuwait by the Kuwait Times”

That article is by far the most warped and slanted article about life in Kuwait. And the worst part about it is the fact that it is directed towards foreigners.

I would probably be the first person in line to openly criticize my countries shortcomings (read: wtfq8.com). However, telling foreigners that they will be raped by taxi drivers and bosses if they say anything is just ludicrous.

I honestly hope the article was written as a joke to see if anyone reads the Kuwait-Times. This style of writing is more suited for The Onion (with a little less sarcasm).

I’ll skip #1 cos it’s not even worth addressing and go straight to #2… WTF??? Your boss shouldn’t be making sexual jokes at work in the presence of female colleagues!! It’s unprofessional and borders on sexual harassment!

#3 OK dressing sexy MIGHT attract some unwanted attention, but I assume ladies who do that know what they are doing and can handle themselves in any sticky situation. But what the hell does it have to with prostitution??

#4 Unfortunately the cases in which this turns out to be true are quite high, especially among the less cultured segment of society

and i thought Egypt was bad :)) , but by the way #1 and # 4 applies there ,as for # 3 yah they’ll think that way but would never touch .# 2 yah u have to tell ur boss sex jokes but not infront of females but it’s a must !!

My favorite one was the one that Mark left out: “Avoid the use of the term why?” I mean it’s one thing to advise foreigners that in life shit happens, but to avoid using the term why? Why would we want that? Oops. I think I’ve sinned.

1) Ban Taxi drivers – no rape
2) Piss your boss – no rape
3) Wear an onion sack – no rape
4) Only fight with Kuwaiti women – no rape

KtheKuwaiti Kuwait = Bizarro world , i’m starting to realise it some how from what i observe ,i’ve been here for only 9 months ,still not used to the place but it’s not that “Bizarro world “unless i have not seen all what u mean

The funny part about dressing is that western girls who show some skin (shorts, etc) look more respectable than most Arab chicks who cover it all but put tons of slutty makeup and tight flashy/vulgar clothing. It’s about the attitude people!

well the point is they can’t always pick up on Arab girls ,but it’s much easier if u pick up on a western that’s from their point of view and it’s not everyone’s point of view .

Whoa. This article bears some truth actually. Its not all kuwaitis/Arabs but i have one here to share. “Dont show your watch or you will be raped”.. a few months ago, i was walking along Eureka at Salmiya when 1 fat arab guy approached me and asked for the time. so i said it was 9:30am and seems like he didnt understand until he came closer, held my hand and at the same time touched himself, and asking me if we could go somewhere. I said to myself WHAT THE F@#$!! whats wrong with this man.. i wanted to kick his ass but knowing im an expat here it left me no choice but to run/stay out of trouble. it was amazing..broad day light and the fu@#% pervert wanted some MAN to MAN sex. WTF! anyways, i know its not all people here but during that event, it somehow changed the way i look at this place now.. hope i didnt offend anyone..

it has some truth in it…..!!!

but over all, it’s childish, and lacks objectivity…..!!!

whats funny is the letters the newspaper choose to back up the story, about a guy who’s lost his parking space because of an american school, and how the drivers were rude to him and slapped the “haris” because they “work in a Kuwaiti house”, which is plain bullshit, and a guy who left Kuwait 25 years ago but still search and read the Kuwaiti media looking for progress…..!!!

he actually over cries every expat to change the Kuwaiti mentality even by force, and shock us, be an example……!!!

“Having said this, I believe the only way in the long-term effort to change, is by every individual who is unhappy with the situation to envision what he or she would like Kuwaitis and Arabs to be like and to start role-modelling it, even to a degree that might shock others. Go out and be a role model and take personal responsibility and action instead of complaining about the government and the West.”

I don’t know about you but this one was funny too….!!!

“envision what he or she would like Kuwaitis and Arabs to be like and to start role-modelling it”

what if people took his word for a fact and started acting accordingly……?!?!

I want to see that someday….!!!

Is that for real?

One thing I can say: That’s a very fucked up article to write and she needs an intensive journalism course given by a rapist. It’s one thing to write out of perspective, but it’s totally warped beyond all recognition. FUBAR.

That’s taking it to a very serious extreme. Some of the issues have some meaning but they’ve been taken of proportion – way out!

As an expat, I make it a rule to minimize my dealings with the locals as much as I can. But then again; the locals I end up having to deal with are usually the govt. officials and they aren’t that friendly in most places around the world anyway.

A poor reflection on a poor newspaper to begin with.

KtheKuwaiti :
maybe cuz kuwait is small any abnormal attitude is crystal clear ,not saying it’s not like that else where ,i believe that any place in the world has it’s pros and cons ,maybe those are the cons ,and if some didn’t like it then they should simply leave !

was this written by a kuwaiti…ehhehe..its the stupidest thing i’ve ever read!!

how did they publish this in the paper? dont they have someone who checks what goes inthe paper….!!….

seriously no comment!

Shady: Nobody likes cons and that is not reason enough to GTFO (or ‘leave’ as you politely put it).

If the pros outweight the con, you stay. If you don’t have a better option, you still stay. But neither of the above conditions is reason enough to shut up and not complain. On the other hand, whining like a baby all the time is also a pretty useless activity.

I actually took the time to write the woman an e-mail:

Dear Muna,

I am writing you in response to your article “What not to do in Kuwait”, published on June 2nd.

I personally found this article to be EXTREMELY insulting, both to expatriates as well as locals. Your content has little factual basis, and your tone is extremely derogatory. I have read the article again and again, and i am astounded that the editorial staff at the Kuwait Times allowed you to publish it.
In summary, your article basically states that anything you do in Kuwait will either get you raped or deported. This is ludicrous!

Your “tips for survival”, so to speak, paint expatriates as moronic individuals who have no common sense, and portrays Kuwait as a backward sex-crazed society. This is not so.

“Avoid the use of the term why? In your stay here in Kuwait, you will experience a lot of things that you could never imagine to experience.”

Culture shock is a normal part of any expatriate’s life, this is a given. Certainly, coming to Kuwait from a western society is a slightly more jarring experience than if the expat were to come from a neighboring Arab country. But the “use of the term why” is a necessary part of every society on the planet. All of us MUST question things in order to make our society a better and more comfortable place to live in, in all aspects of life. This must apply to expatriates as well, as they are an integral part of the society in Kuwait. While they may not have the power to vote, the alternative should not be “if you don’t like it then get out”. This is not a healthy attitude to have, and certainly not the government’s stance.

“Avoid showing dissatisfaction about the country’s work laws — the country’s regulations such as requirements of visa entry, or obtaining driving license, the corruption, the abuse of housemaids and etc. It implies that you do not appreciate how lucky you are for the gift of being in Kuwait and that you deserve to be deported or jailed for being ungrateful. ”

Showing dissatisfaction to who?
It is true that there are certain procedures in Kuwait are difficult, such as visa requirements and driving licenses. This is also true of almost all Arab countries, and there is nothing we can do about it. Of course we will show dissatisfaction, it is only human nature. But to imply that we live in a country where we will be deported or jailed for being “ungrateful” is a joke, and most of all an insult to the Kuwaiti constitution and people. You imply that there are secret police lurking around street corners looking for people who show signs of “dissatisfaction” and “ungratefulness”. We are not in Nazi Germany, nor in Communist Russia. Your claims are absurd!

“Avoid making complaints against your superiors. Your residency in Kuwait will be a threat if you complain or if you make fake cases such as a false absence report.”

While this may have been true in certain instances, it is most definitely a generalization, and does not happen often.

“Avoid fighting with a Kuwaiti. He simply wouldn’t hesitate to use any wasta to make you the wrong person of the dispute and make you take the blame. You might end up begging to him just to let you go!!!!”

“Avoid trusting any unbelievable Kuwaiti promises with quick wealth and success. Some Kuwaitis may use your daydreams as a tool to make some money by doing illicit activities. You would be the criminal, while he will be set free.”

This point, i believe, is a grave insult to the Kuwaiti people. Again, it may be true in some instances, but it is certainly NOT what happens the majority of the time. It seems the recurring theme in your article is that Kuwaiti people are backward monsters whose only agenda is deporting expats and getting them into trouble! That is a disgraceful implication, and one that is not at all true.

“Avoid saying yes all the time especially when you do not want to. Although it shows the objectivity in ones personality, it doesn’t make sense for someone to like everything he sees or hears with no reaction, especially in Kuwait. Always saying yes can lead to lots of problems such as sexual harassment or abuse or rape, this can even can encourage others to think you are weak and easy. This can cause real troubles for anyone specifically for women.”

Words fail me when responding to this point. I do not see any meaning whatsoever in what you have written. Avoid saying “yes” all the time?
Human beings have opinions, likes and dislikes. I am pretty sure that no one wants to be raped. But i fail to see how saying “yes” all the time, unless you are some kind of machine, will lead you to be raped? The expatriate community are not idiots, Muna, and you cannot presume under ANY circumstances that they are. Your claims are unbelievably demeaning.

“Avoid starting friendly conversations with taxi drivers. This would give him the impression that you want him to have sex with you..”

“Avoid accepting gifts or laughing over sexual jokes with your boss unless it is really okay with you and this is what you want..”

“Avoid trying to look sexy by showing the sexiest parts of your body. You may think that you have a sexy body and want the world to see that because it is okay for you, but do not do that here. Lots of men here would think of you as a prostitute..”

While i understand the underlying message in your article, which is to give tips to expatriates so that they can avoid trouble, i think you have failed miserably. Again, i will tell you that you have painted expats as clueless, idiotic people with no common sense, the Kuwaiti people as sex-crazed monsters, and the country as some kind of backwards, lawless, dangerous, miserable place.
If I was a western expat new to Kuwait, having read your article, i would pack my bags and leave as it would seem that i would not be able to do anything without fear of being deported, jailed, raped or abused somehow.

I do not blame you for this article, but i blame the editorial staff for not guiding you properly while writing it. The result is that your article is the butt of many, many jokes across blogs in the country. And people are insulted.

I hope you acknowledge my comments as constructive criticism – i do appreciate your efforts in guiding the expatriate community in Kuwait, as guidance is indeed required, especially for the new ones. But your article was totally over the top, misguided, ripe for misinterpretation, and insulting to ALL members of society.

this is nothing new… i wrote countless emails to that same bitch… she once wrote an article about devil worshipping in kuwait and soap that brings ur virginity back… i think ppl should spam her email inbox..

I think she was raped from some one…but she didn’t tell anyone…it shows here in her article !

Well, as a kuwaities and expats…we all have sisters ,daughters and Girl friends…and no boss or taxi driver or whoever Raped the writer dared to touch them !!

Go to the right places with the right dress…and no one will dare to do anything to you !

The writer is Kuwaiti and very nationalistic. But she is not blind to the problems expats face here and worse, the negative image Kuwait has in the eyes of the rest of the world. The article is meant to be satire and to encourage a debate by both expats and Kuwaitis about what’s wrong with this country and how to fix it.
Kuwait Times has for some time promoted dialogue between Kuwaitis and expatriates as a means of improving the country’s international image and helping the country develop its potential. Even the Amir is saying Kuwait has fallen behind the rest of the Gulf.
Rather than being offended. Why not help put a stop to abuses and make this country great as it should be. It was once the pearl of the gulf, and could be again if people – both citizens and expats – worked together to build it up.

I would sorta agree with Q8ty, the article does cover some important issues. However it was not exactly well written. And the main cause is not due to kuwaiti nor arab culture. It has nothing to do with religion. I would make an assumption and say that it is much easier to break the law here (on any scale) and get away with it, (comparing to Austria and Germany) I strongly believe that the root of most problems in kuwait is the lax attitude towards our legal system. In any society and any culture people will always take advantage of the legal loop holes. Kuwait is just starting to get good at it.

good point kismat. but how to change the laws or how to hold people more accountable if there is no discussion? i hate the constant comparisons between kuwait and dubai but the fact of the matter is that even cops in dubai are put in jail if they do something wrong. here the law is used as a weapon of the powerful and the rest – including citizens – are just screwed. forget expats. most just leave the country cause they know they seldom have enough wasta to fight for their rights.

im just excited about the fact that the word “sex” was allowed to be published in Kuwait in a local newspaper.

LOL from #37-39 guys just ignore, its either a lesbian couple.. or one person paid by kuwait times

that’s what i love. the rational discourse of the masses. lets just forget about making this country great…better than our wildest dreams and instead focus on calling each other names, putting the blame for our troubles on anyone else’s shoulders but our own and focus on our glorious past. i say let’s hit andalusi, have some bahraini and fk the future. (mark, forgive my French, yeah?)

darn..i forgot andalusi probably won’t have power in the summer time. just forget it..i’ll go to london or spain.

umm i think you should cut down on the pipe…ur giving a lovely rimjob in terms of excusing u for u “french”

Ok, I think im gonna b the devil’s advocate on this one and see if wht muna al-fuzai had to say complements not all but atleast a percentage of the women in kuwait.
Here we go…

Friendly conversations with taxi drivers cud get u raped. So…no one’s read abt gals getting raped by cab drivers or ppl offering rides?? ive got friends who’ve gone through similar situations but managed to get away from it. My sister, in fact was once in a very similar situation. Now, it dnt mean all cab drivers are that way but I tell my sister, my gf and any other girl friends – just before u get in a cab, check the cab’s plates.

So tip #1, dn’t go on a friendly – hey, hows it goin?- trip with the cabbies cos sometimes they cud misunderstand & sometimes, they cud b shitheads and in some rare cases, yes….a gal can get raped.

Avoiding gifts and crackin sexual jokes with yr boss….this problem isnt just for the kuwaiti population but generally anywhere in the world.

So tip #2, be friendly with yr boss, no problem. Just dn’t be accepting gifts unless it’s a key chain or a mousepad or something . a ‘nasty’ boss wnt necessarily rape u as opposed to say a pat in the butt?? Tht wud b kewl if she was family??….i think not.

Well, im all for women looking sexy and I totally disagree with women having to control wht they wish to wear. But the bottom line is….in kuwait, u dress to look sexy, u do manage to get 4 cars on yr tail. Well, I cud b exaggerating the number as an average but I have seen 4 cars tail a couple of dem sistahs.

Tip #3, if you are hot, some people will think you are a prostitute and they would ask u for the price or just treat u like one. i say, thts their problem 🙂

As in any country, you dnt mess with the locals. The same with kuwait. Kuwaiti bumps into u frm behind and he aint kewl, u know forsure, it’s gonna b yr fault. I aint sayin its wrong to behave that way – am just sayin thts just how it goes. Try taking the piss out of a lebanese in lebanon or a filipina in the phillipines.

Tip #4, don’t fight with a locals. Period. Especially if yr not.

Holllllllahhhhhhhhhh 🙂

yeah I read that article, Muna is one of the few Kuwaitis who actually write about life as seen from an expat’s perspective. but I’m sure she was being sarcastic in this article. 😉

RAPE is a major problem in Kuwait.

Men rape boys
Boys rape boys
Woman rape Woman
Men rape Woman
Woman rape Men

Rape is when a person makes sexual advances towards someone else (usually weaker or smaller or less influential), it doesn’t necessarily mean intercourse.

This happens in Kuwait within all communities. The problem is the Ministry of Interior would not discuss these crimes on record, just off the record. We need to recognize the problem in order to solve it.

Women in general should NOT be raped period total disrespect and cowardness only a REAL LOOSER would have the ordasity to rape .
a preditor who is Messed up in the Mind .One who has know Scrupples or values , Morals for others and LIFE

a question for u all if she’s some how right to a certain percent ,why do most of u attack her though she’s a Kuwaiti and most of u are expats,some even gave her credit to be honest and have enough courage to say it ,why do u want the article to be censored??? why!!!… to feel ur home??cuz most of our home countries have censorship on press do u all feel comfy to hear the lies ???!!!!!!!

am down with shady on his point of view. as for nxman and johnnie blues, (i thought this site was moderated), you guys sound like moronic dumbwitz 🙂 read wht sws had to say 🙂 peace to the nayshuns 🙂

u kno…as any blind person can c this article is obviously exaggerated…i think it was taken out of context

i think what the writer meant to do (in a sarcastic way) is warn people by exagerrating things and making people laugh… for instance, avoid asking why..well, in a way i think its because so many small frustrating things that happen here are so annoying and we keep saying why does it happen? yet really theres no answer…

what the writer is doing is being sarcastic..about the things that happen in kuwait but is taking them to the next level and exaggerating the outcomes in an attempt to be “funny” (maybe?)

although i must admit i see that it was written and the task was completed poorly…by including rape in every tip shes losing all credibility of her “opinions”

where are the kuwait times people who “edited” the article and published it?!?

Her whole article is false because it’s not based on real life facts or evidence that doing that would get you raped. Rape cases in Kuwait are caused by meeting strangers in their apartments or, going out alone after midnight, which is normal in any country.

But saying that we are people that would rape women because they look good and blame it on our culture is absurd, she must be punished for her disrespect to the country and it’s people, the substance of her article is lies and extremism.

Is this so called writer a rape victim? If not I really wonder why the editor allowed such dillusional writer to publish in this newspaper anyways. If yes, then she should be admitted for therapy.

The way I see it.. everything she mentioned in her article is found everywhere in the world, rape in all its forms, abuse of power in all its forms, and everything else.. the only reason there are lots of things obvious in Kuwait is because this is a small country, and ppl know what’s happening around them. ppl will be astounded to the crap that goes around in some of the bigger and more developed countries. hell i’ve seen more weird shit go on in the U.S. during spring break in terms of rape and sexual harrasment. and i’m not talking about wet T-shirt contests and girls running around naked.

and please that boss thing is so over-rated, she writes about it as if it was only in Kuwait.. and God forbid maybe invented by Kuwaitis.. should i even bring up Billy and his wild Willy.. if he wasn’t president.. monica wouldn’t be honkin’ his horn. The boss and secretary sex relationship is something made up in the west.. (watch a couple Porn movies and you’ll see what i mean)

the things she mentioned are magnified, but in some way or form they are floating around.. the only thing she needs to understand is IT IS DONE ALL OVER THE WORLD.. HELLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.. maybe she needs to visit Guatemala for one day.. where everything she talked about will be performed on her in one day.. then let’s see how bad Kuwait is.. Grrrrrrrrr….

To the commenter’s who are stating that this article was over exaggerated as a form of sarcastic-comey are dillusional. You can not use sarcasm and comedy when inciting that rape is commonplace in Kuwait; and then have the article printed in a newspaper.

Newspapers are held to a certain standard to provide its readers with credible news backed by evidence. Writing a ‘comedic’ view on rape and being a foreigner in Kuwait in a sarcastic tone is not acceptable by any standards.

yawn….kthekuwaiti….dude, u work for a newspaper or something? involved in the ministry of information?? the view was not comedic…it looks like a reporter frustrated by the number of rapes occurrin in the country…yaawwnnn….also, isnt the reporter kuwaiti? snore…snore…

and if you read the rest of my comment you would see that i said it was done in poor taste….

i didnt say oh it was hilarious..i said it seems to me thats wat she thought she was doing..because i dont believe anyone person can seriously believe they will be raped in every situation..

and in no way in my comment did i say it was executed…if u DID read my comment…u would also see that i wondered where the newspaper publishers were and how they allowed this to be published..

Tweez, according to british law ; it’s sex without consent.

basically if a woman (or a guy in some cases) doesn’t say I want this to happen, it is classified as rape…. or I guess that’s how they see it..

kinda stuuupid if u ask me. . . not rape… but the whole consent thing..
like your gonna say;Oh….. I would like you to have sex with me now……pffff

Rape is an accusation easily to be made, hard to be proved, and harder yet to be defended by the party accused.. i guess the laws are the same all over the world.. but yeah I think this woman was takin the piss .. or else she’s stupid as fuck

Born and raised in Kuwait, and lived in Kuwait for over 18 yrs, both before the gulf and just recently, I do not see how any of this is wrong? She is completely right in her article… maybe it is not something to talk about since everyone is OVER SENSITIVE about been critisized especially in Kuwait.. there is sooo much bizarre shit.. however Kuwaitis do not like to be critisied.. but it is all true.. the taxi thing, I have been hearing alot in the news about it.. so it’s not bullshit.. the Boss/work thing is sooo true.. and definitly the gifts thing anywhere in the world should not be accepted unless you want something more .. and yes… the dressing sexy thing is definitly right.. go drive on the Gulf Road on a weekend night and see how many guys follow ANYTHING with long hair.. let alone a girl who looks good and is dressed sexy.. they will eat her alive..

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