Niqashna is a platform for open debates that was launched early last year. Every few weeks they discuss an interesting subject and tomorrow night they’re debating the subject of Christmas and other foreign holidays and their effect on Kuwait’s identity.
The debate is in Arabic but the Q&A will be in both Arabic and English. If you’re interested in attending (its free), you can get more details [Here]
33 replies on “Niqashna – Merry Christmas: Are foreign holidays endangering our identity?”
There’s a sizable Christian Kuwaiti community here, most of them are of Palestinian origin, and they’re all upstanding, highly respected members of this society.
So how could their main holiday, Christmas be foreign? I’m a little confused.
Jesus himself was born in modern-day Palestine.
I hope no one brings up Yuletide. Let’s not go there.
No most were aren’t Palestinians, they are equally distributed between Iraqi, irani, ottoman and Palestinian Kuwaiti Christians. Jesus was an Israelite, a native of the kingdom/confideration of ancient Israel.
Jesus was an Israelite but he was born in Bethlehem which is part of modern day Palestine.
I said he was and I quote, “born in modern day Palestine”.
What part of that was factually incorrect?
Stop instigating shit. Not everything has to be turned into an argument.
Oi oi calm those tits. I don’t loose my shit at you talking out your ass about a Kuwaiti Christians which you most probably ain’t part of so don’t get up at me for correcting you about Jesus. It says where he is born in the bible the modern day country which it is in is completely irrelevant. You saying “Jesus was born in modern day Palestine” will bring people with absolutely no knowledge of Christianity to say “oh Jesus was from Palestine”.
Jesus was an Israelite but he is the founder of Christianity which is being practiced by Palestinian and Arab Christians.
I was trying to link Christmas with Arab culture and say that its not a foreign holiday because it’s been a part of Palestinian and Arab culture for centuries.
I’m sure you didn’t see the dots I was trying to connect because all you want to do is say something you think is provocative like “I DRINK ALCOHOL DURING RAMADAN! LOOK AT ME!!” or “I’M WISHING JEWS HAPPY HANNUKAH! LOOK AT ME!”
This is the last time I respond to attention seekers.
You’re right, he’s all: look at me I’m controversial and non-typical.
Meanwhile, you’re all: look at me, I’m mr. Americana
You’re both douchebags…. that is all.
I write about the Hindi film industry and my comments here were squarely about Palestinians (my family is Palestinian) and Kuwait.
How the fuck is Bollywood and Palestine linked to America?
Go on. Explain karo.
Woooow chip, don’t put urself under too much pressure or you might snap :3. 1. I have a british education and I’m nowhere near American. 2. We are not controversial, we ain’t saying the moon landing was a hoax or debating your superiority over the human race :3, we are talking about plain, hard (something you hardly ever experience) facts. Jesus was Jewish, Christians ACTUALLY EXIST despite what you heard in what ever hole you crawled out of. Lastly I AM A CATHOLIC, my family are and so were their parents (both sides). You are just bitter and a hypocrite calling ur “mr. Americana” (which btw is a food company so it wants smart) when you yourself read an English blog and replied in English.
Oi oi, you used an American term “douchebag” that’s so bloody American, I didn’t think anyone else but Americans used it. “That’s all” from devil wears prada an American film. YOU ARE A BLOODY HYPOCRITE
yeah man!
We’ll I compare kuwait to Singapore, Kuwait has to “pure and original” culture except for a few bits and pieces, kuwait is a melting pot of endless cultures which over the past century caused our identity. To say that anyone threatens Kuwaiti identity is impossible, Kuwait’s identity (atleast back in the day) is it’s puzzle like society which requires endless different, unique and colourful pieces, from all walks of life, which form the bigger picture. I’d also like to wish Kuwaiti Jews or atleast those who were originally Kuwaiti but had to flee due to circumstances that were beyond their doing a happy Hanukkah, I hope one day you can be able to (and want to) come home so the puzzle can be complete again.
Chanukah was two weeks ago. But I’m sure they’ll appreciate the sentiment.
And Kuwait’s Jews identify much more with their Iraqi roots than their Kuwaiti ones. If you meet one of them abroad, they’ll say their Iraqi, not Kuwaiti.
Well it ended last week today. Most are Israeli as they were expelled or forced to convert however it’s their right to deny ever being Kuwaiti both due to how little time they spent as Kuwaitis and in being expelled.
That’s nice. Let me wish all my Christian friends a “Merry Christmas” the first week of January.
January 6th is the Armenian Christmas
I don’t know how to reply to that.
It doesn’t effect our identity, but it does effect our wallets.
+1
I trust that all you keyboard warriors will be attending the Niqashna event tomorrow?
No I can’t that’s why I started a niqash on here. 😀
zaddy Mark… there’s a typo in the title 🙂
Good catch !
You’re the catch =)
I think this issue is raised and discussed every year. It’s a bit tiring actually.
The religion of allah is islam, merry christmas? no thanks. and kids are getting affected by western way of life and they try to be them in any way… yes our identity is getting wiped slowly by this intellectual invasion…
we have our ways of life and they have theirs.
Although Christmas is a Christian event I don’t think it’s very Christianey today. It’s become commercialized, even Santa Claus is basically the invention of Coca Cola. In one of the previous companies I used to work at, we had a very conservative and religious employee who was Muslim. When December would come he’d put up Christmas decorations around his desk, cover his car headrests with Santa hats and celebrated Christmas with his kids. It’s just a fun time of the year to buy gifts and spend it with family and less a religious thing today just like Valentines and Halloween.
If you are allowed to celebrate eid in Christian countries then have the decency to allow them to do the same in your country.
They call for freedom and liberty, they walk naked in their own countries some of them dont even have such human dignity, they dont have rules for religions in their countries but we do have rules for religions, with that being said the church in kuwait dont have cross above it, i believe that means practice your relligion and dont take your practicing any further.
They can walk naked because they have clean minds, they feel safe enough to walk naked here women are covered from head to toe nail and get eyed by men. I’d love to see the look on your face when you get treated the same way one day when your in a foreign land where your passport no matter what it may be won’t save you. Tbh people like you are quickly going extinct, won’t be long till most of us Kuwaitis are clinking glasses of alcohol at clubs in boubyan, your invited btw some cognac could bring some much needed hair to your chest.
“The religion of allah is islam”.
That is your personal belief and that’s fine, but not everyone may share the same belief.
“we have our ways of life and they have theirs.”
You mean to say, “I have my own way of life and everyone else has their own”. Just because you personally feel affected by western culture doesn’t mean someone else can’t celebrate it.
I guess within the context of Christian celebrations a more interesting discussion would be about the transformation (or decline) of local Middle Eastern rituals of Christmas in the face of overwhelming American cultural output.
I don’t think that Christmas in itself threatens “our identity” (whatever that means), but I do think hyperconsumerism does threaten us.