The largest comic convention in Kuwait, COMFEST starts today but sadly yesterday it was announced that cosplayers would no longer be allowed at the event.
Cosplaying is when people dress up as characters from a film, book, or video game and is a huge part of comic conventions (pictured above). But, due to pressure from an official, they were told not to allow cosplaying since it went against sharia law, public morals, and local customs.
So now we can add cosplay to the growing list of things banned in Kuwait.
40 replies on “Cosplay is Now Banned in Kuwait”
There’s a missing link between this nutjob MP foaming at the mouth and the organizers banning the Cosplay. Where’s the order from the authorities??
Ban toys and action figures too. They can be used for [redacted].
Also, I’m going to cosplay as myself and show up to the venue. Checkmate MP.
Another expression of creativity banned. What’s next? Art exhibitions?
All we will be left with is restaurants.
If they have guidelines on what people can cosplay, then what’s the harm? People have cosplayed before! 😓
We continue to regress as the rest of the world moves ahead notably in the vicinity. The announcement on restaurants during Ramadan are another example.
What’s the announcement regarding restaurants?
yeah that was what I was wondering about too…
The announcement on the restaurants were only the same rules that have been in place for a very long time, not new rules.
When you think we couldn’t get any worse
I called the arena and it’s still on.
Nobody said COMFEST was canceled…
“So now we can add cosplay to the growing list of things banned in Kuwait.”
I misread
You know, what’s funny is that no one has stood up against all these stupid regulations that benefit no one.
The problem is that we are all conditioned to keep all the fun we want to partake in outside of Kuwait. You want to dance? Sorry not allowed. You want to do yoga? Sorry not allowed. What’s next? In gonna need a permit for me to walk around the neighborhood? Or am I going to need a permit to talk to a women that doesn’t relate to me?
All these regulations are not for the best interest of anyone in Kuwait. All I see is these MPs overstepping in to people’s personal lives and them not held accountable for all of it.
I wish people would demonstrate or something, but no one will stand up to them because it would seem like we are acting immorally.
And for those who say if you want your freedom to do what you want go out of Kuwait, I’d say go screw yourself. I’d like to live in my own country.
Only nationals can and should stand up against these shit rules because if expats do it, it will cost them their livelihood and put them at risk of being deported so we can’t blame them for their inaction.
Obviously, but the problem is that no one has the balls to stand up, organize and try to tackle these social issues that Kuwait is facing. Because the moment religion is mentioned everyone is cautious and doesn’t want to touch the issue with a 10 foot pole.
FFS Saudi had a damn EDM fest, and over here people start dancing at a concert and that company got their license revoked for 6 months.
Like really?
lol yes
*deep rooted issue exists*
Us: ok let’s try to fix it
MP: religion.
Us: understandable have a nice day.
Incoming —“If you don’t like it – leave”
🙁
Surprising, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Halloween and New Years is welcomed and celebrated openly each year, what makes this any different? They pick and choose what they want, maybe they are mad they aren’t making any money from it so they banned it.
Instead of being keyboard warriors, my local folks, please go speak to your uncles and wastas in Parliament,
that might make some difference….
no wasta, we need to organize and mobilize like you said. Somethings need to be talked about in public, not behind closed doors.
this would be hilarious. Maids and workers have been abused for three generations at least – we’re talking murder and rape… but if cosplay and yoga are what get Kuwaitis mobilised that.. is just priceless, and equally indicative of the protester as it is any foaming at the mouth MP
When did a maid get murdered and rape and the employers face no consequences? They are always publicly shamed & persecuted by law. People are always outraged by it and MANY speak against it! Laws changed because of it! Don’t start talking bullshit and saying nothing happens to bring justice for these victims, because it DOES.
If you’re talking about the crime occurring in the first place, well crime happens in EVERY country. Tell me ONE country that faces 0 rapes and murders? Bad people exist everywhere.
so true….i still cannot believe that if you are caught eating (a fundamental right of a human being) during ramadan you can be put into jail. This is the worst form of atrocity. Is there no conscience in this society?
Much more unfortunate thing most of my muslim friends don’t even regret, even privately, that a such thing is the law.
At some point this has to be introspected.
Cosplaying with a set of defined rules shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t understand what is so wrong in this that it should be banned. I enjoyed the cosplay during Comic cons, this is the one way we know the creativity of people. Banning it such close to an event is surreal!
Using liberal values to make sense of these decisions and pointing out Islamist hypocrisy is a futile exercise.
Islamist political power thrives on a base of having a monopoly on invented fiction (nonsense) in society. Once you understand that, you can see why any human personal interests that take away from Islamist “mind share” of the average person threatens them. From their perspective, if humans have any interest in ideas or derive any pleasure outside of Islamist-endorsed channels that they control or have influence on, it threatens the underlying ideologies in society from which their (very large) cult derives its power. In an ideal scenario for them, misery promotes existential angst, and ignorance allows the solution they sell to be most appealing (if not the only game in town).
Once you understand that, you understand where the seemingly petty focus on “banning everything” comes from. Its not about comic books, its about interest in comics, and indulging one’s imagination or creativity. Its not about hating women, its about fearing the independence of thought that would come along with women being financially independent and intellectually free. Women are important because they imbue their own children with values, who are the next generation Islamists “sell records” to. Its not about hating the English language and the west for ethnocentric reasons, its recognizing that they have more of an edge in spreading their propaganda in the Arabic language. Statistically, one is less likely to be exposed to critical thinking skills in the local public education system, which is taught in Arabic. They go together. Not a coincidence all of confusion over the “nonsensical” decision in the above comments is in English. In network theory, analogous to malware (mind virus) proliferating more on a particular protocol (Arabic language).
The Islamists are endorsed by the government because the Islamists have have political power, and in their value system also promote respect for authority (طاعة ولاية الأمر ). It is also worth noting that the government also derives its legitimacy from tradition and the past (not selling future plans), which dovetails with Islamist philosophy of emphasizing customs and tradition. The “ban everything” attitude is simply a consequence of trying to maintain a ripe environment for their ideology to be appealing, which is again the source of their power. They are a fact on the ground the government has to deal with.
You English-speaking liberals are the minority, and you’re not a “crazy” minority that would mobilize the way the Islamist crazies in Iran (for example) would to support that Islamist theocracy. Politicians know a slacktivist gets their frustration out of their system by commenting on social media and getting to travel somewhere more “civilized” once in a while to smell the roses. And ironically, because you have interests other than the local circus, you’re not going to escalate the way the Islamists do. Again, that’s why they want to be the only game in town in the minds of their flock. That’s why no costume role-playing.
This is ultimately about power, and from a local politics perspective, you’re not negotiating from a position of strength.
Very insightful, thank you.
We must stop fearing religion and learn how to say “no”.
Start within your family. Say “no” or “I don’t want to” when asked to perform a religious duty or ritual. It feels very good: the look on their face, and the fact that they can’t really do anything about it.
You will have closeted people watching you, then the flood gates will slowly open.
True, it can start on an individual level within the family, and to a large extent it already is, but for it to be a movement beyond the confines/privacy of people’s homes people need to be able to speak openly about it. Beyond being critical of religion not being within the Overton window, today in Kuwait there are laws against insulting religion + prophets, so nobody can openly question the ideas that Islamists purport to rest on. Against the threat of state violence (being incarcerated), nobody wants to tread on that water where you’re engaging in a debate over what you may have meant when criticizing “Islamic” ideas. Separately, they have billions of dinars (budget of ministry of awqaf + ministry of education) and years of a head start in spreading their ideas in the population. The real solution would be a top down (Emir level) decision to change the education system and defund the awqaf ministry and reduce is relevance. This is for example happening with the MbS regime in Saudi Arabia.
Being critical of religion is illegal, but declining to follow its teaching is not (for the time being).
My approach within my circle is to simply not argue and acknowledge that X, Y and Z is part of Islam (no matter how ridiculous X and Y and Z is), and then simply say that I don’t want to do it. I give no reasons other than being an adult with free will.
From my experience, this sows doubt in the mind of the recipient (and listeners). Instead of expending energy to argue with you, their mind starts to argue within themselves.
+1
Wow reading this was amazing. I feel like you really have a good understanding of the problem in Kuwait. You are saying a lot of the same things I think, but you articulate it in a way I never could. I wish we were free, honestly. I know wishing does nothing, but like you said in other comments, we fear persecution, I don’t know how we could move forward as a minority group. I don’t know what to do but I know my unhappiness here grows everyday.
Very well said@ Ahmad.
Just a minute observation – these so called ‘English speaking liberals’ are not even all Kuwaitis. They are mostly expat transplants to and explants from Kuwait.
On a somewhat different note, have a strong feeling that perhaps Arabic speaking liberals do and can exist – they may just not be into Comfest, alcohol, public dancing, rock concerts and other arenas of Western entertainment enough to make them want to rebel against their prohibition or to feel a fight grow inside them.
I agree, Arabic speaking liberals can and do exist. But remember disinformation works within audience spaces. Regimes typically start within the local language/audience information space and work out from there. My point is, if there’s English speaking liberals the state largely ignores them because they’re aware that the ideas won’t spread widely within a native Arabic-speaking population. The moment there’s a code-switch to Arabic the state pays attention, and uses its (legal) tools to enforce censorship. There’s a recent notable example of a Kuwaiti sheikh who ran a very anti-establishment English political blog that espoused liberal ideas. He was largely ignored by the state until some locals started translating his writings and disseminating in Arabic.
What blog is this? I’m curious to read it.
Well articulated ….
Their country , their rules , if we dont like it leave it. Nobody is forcing us to stay .
The actual issue is that west is becoming extra liberal in accepting everything to be opened as one feels like and the right the practice any religon or custom one likes. Dear Westies ,Start upholding your customs and values and restrict others to do whatever they want in your country. automatically things will fall in place.
Can’t believe you’re actually calling on a government to restrict your rights. Who the fuck complains about having rights and freedom?
Changing views specially when religon is always tagged to it is like moving mountains. Its impossible .
After living in a place of 40 years this is what i feel. The world is open to you and we can go anywhere.
The west should learn from such things and also start to restrict others coming and doing whatever they feel like. Then only the other side of the world would get a hang of it.
You have no right, to stop the regulations even from other Kuwaiti nationals. We were the ones who made these game events. Who are you to stop people to enjoy and have fun just by cosplaying their favorite characters. If you have a problem you don’t attend the events. I’m 36 years old and I Remember we made the first event in Kuwait and it was in 2010 and I was 24 years old. What have you ever done for this community instead just ruining it for others.
I Remember the good old days me and my friends were the ones who created the first game events made by white tower in 2010. I connected japan to Kuwait by tougeki and by this white tower made more game events as well as FIKRA, Yousef Al Roumi. Back and fourth they competed and created events and came Q8comic con and many events and even cosplays. We are happy we created something. Sadly, Kuwait is moving backwards as how Saudi was, and look at how progressed Saudi Arabia is.
I used to remeber that the game and anime events in Kuwait were number 1 in all the Middle East. Best events, best tournaments, everything. Kuwait was the first and the best and we created it. Sadly, it’s being ruined. People have to speak up about this.