Sheikha Latifa stresses belonging to Kuwait, forefathers

KUWAIT, May 4 (KUNA) -- Sheikha Latifa Al-Fahad Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Chairperson of the Women's Affairs Committee of the Kuwaiti Cabinet Sheikha Latifa Al-Fahad Al-Salem Al-Sabah asserted here Wednesday the important sense of belonging to Kuwait, "whose soil contains the remains of our forefathers." Sheikha Latifa, also Chairperson of the Kuwait Women's Voluntary Association for Community Service, and President of the Kuwaiti Federation for Women's Association, referred at the cultural forum held by the Kuwaiti Women's Association and entitled "fostering loyalty in the souls of young generations," to the difference between loyalty and belonging, noting that, "they are two words with deep meanings related to one's homeland, and the relations among its people, and we canno t reduce these meanings to a word or an expression." Sheikha Latifa added that, "homeland represents everything to human beings, and if any human being is asked about his belonging, he ascribes it to his own country because a human being without homeland equals a human being without history, but loyalty is to the Almighty God." She also said that, "Islam permitted immigration in order to seek one's livelihood, but when human beings immigrate they feel homesickness, and wish to return to their original countries, and this is the sense of belonging." Further, she set two examples for the sense of belonging to one's country; the first when the Prophet, peace be upon him, set off immigrating from Mecca, his birthplace, to Madinah, he addressed Mecca, saying: "You are the most cherished country to me; unless your people drove me out from you, I would not come out," and the second the famous line of poetry by well-versed modern Arab poet Ahmad Shawqi, "homeland, I yearn for you ev en when I get infatuated with a Shangri-La life, myself still argues about my country love." Thus Sheikha Latifa said that any Kuwaiti citizen feels homesickness when he or she travels abroad in spite of the rigorus weather conditions in Kuwait.
Sheikha Latifa concluded by saying that loyalty should be to the Almighty God because He is the Superb Creator, and the Provider of Sustenance, in addition to the necessary obedience of rulers, particularly when they are compassionate, merciful and champion the cause of truth as God, be exalted, says in the Ever-Honorable Qur'an, "O believers, obey God and obey Messenger, and the powers that be," (end) yt.rf.aff KUNA 042012 May 11NNNN