KUWAIT CITY: Chanting "No Sunni, No Shiite, Unity, Unity, National Unity," thousands of mourners -- Shiites and Sunnis, men and women -- flocked towards 'Jafary' cemetery to attend the funeral of their lost loved ones, wrapped with the Kuwaiti flag and buried as such.
The burial ceremony was a clear message to those who wish harm on the State of Kuwait, stating that its people will stand strong. Even non-Muslim expatriates were reported to have attended the funeral in respect of the martyrs and to demonstrate their support for the country which they consider as home. The area surrounding the cemetery was congested with cars, the large number of mourners attending the funeral and high security presence were evident.
The Grand Mosque was also fully prepared to receive mourners after the burial. Kuwait Municipality's Funeral Affairs Department took charge and transported the martyrs to the cemetery for their funeral later in the afternoon, while the venue was organized in order to receive the expected large number of mourners.
The praying hall was not enough to accommodate the huge number of mourners, so a nearby lot was prepared for this purpose as well. Assistant General Manager of Municipality Services Fahad Al- Musabahi stated that 30 graves were prepared Saturday morning. He added the required number of morticians was made available, while security around the cemetery was tightened in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.
Criticisms, condemnations and disapprovals over the horrific incident that struck the State of Kuwait on Friday at the Al-Sadiq Shiite Mosque continue to storm in as more MPs and other political bodies issued their statements.
MPs asserted the people of Kuwait will not be divided by this act of terror. Even numerous political bodies with significant differences in directives such as the Salafi Islamic Alliance, National Democratic Alliance and the Association of Justice and Peace have come together to issue a statement, officially condemning this "cowardly act of terror" and extending condolences to the families of victims who were buried Saturday afternoon.
Repercussions
On the other hand, the executive authority headed by the prime minister met with its legislative counterpart on the same day at the National Assembly building in order to continue discussion over the repercussions of the terrorist act and necessary steps and countermeasures which need to be taken.
Thirty-four MPs and seven ministers, who attended the meeting, all headed to the cemetery to attend the funeral afterwards. Before heading out to the cemetery, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah disclosed the government has presented all its plans in terms of dealing with the incident at the Al-Sadiq Mosque.
He added all aspects of the situation were addressed including the transportation of some of the victims to the Shiite Holy City of Najaf, Iraq. He revealed an agreement between the concerned authorities has been reached to take precautionary measures and further steps in accordance with reports submitted by the authorities "in order to avoid leaking sensitive information to the enemy." During the meeting, the executive and legislative authorities asserted that the interior structure of the country must be reinforced and the unity of the people must be strengthened.
They also agreed that the government will update the Parliaments on a daily basis regarding the investigation. Furthermore, Sheikh Mohammed Al- Abdullah said the Ministry of Interior will later issue a statement updating the public on the ongoing investigations. He urged the public to refrain from spreading speculations and rumors through social media sites, as it will only slow down investigations by forcing concerned authorities to investigate additional threads only to be proven false.
Meanwhile, MP Sadoun Al-Otaibi stressed the Assembly fully supports the government regarding their legislative needs, disclosing the session slated for Tuesday will address this subject. In the joint statement issued by a number of political bodies, it was asserted that the goal of such a monstrous and cowardly act was not achieved, for the people of Kuwait have stood together as one.
They pointed out this is clearly manifested in the sheer number of blood donors who stormed the Blood Bank Friday night, in addition to the presence of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah at the scene moments after the bombing. They urged the government, headed by the ministries of Interior, Information and Education to focus on the situation. They said these institutions should not be satisfied with heightened security as this "act is considered a declaration of war against the State of Kuwait and its people."
© Arab Times 2015
