Monday 6 June 2011

Minister Safar dismissed us from Qurain: Kuwaiti women

KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaiti women who are small investors within the Qurain Markets appealed to His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah to interfere and serve justice to them after the Minister of Municipality Affairs Dr. Fadhil Safar issued a decision to evacuate the shops and transfer them from shops allocated for commercial purposes to shops allocated for craftsmen. They threatened to go the Prime Minister's office to file a complaint against Safar. This came during a meeting held by small number of female investors on Sunday in the presence of female activist Najlaa Al-Niqi, lawyer Laila Al-Rashid, female activist Latifa Razihan and female investor Mona Al-Zayer and dozens of other women who were keen on attending the meeting in order to appeal to the political leadership to protect their rights. Fatma Al-Ali said that their appeal is within the framework of law, adding that they have the documents which support their claims. For her part, Razihan said that she is facing troubles because of the minister's decision. She added that she possesses documents from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Municipality which prove that she owns four shops in Qurain Markets. Razihan highlighted that a large number of male and female investors lost money and are deprived from their basic rights and called on Minister Safar to apply the law on other places where the law is not applied because of influential people. Lawyer Al-Rashid said that Kuwaiti women have got their political rights but they are still demanding their civil, social and economic rights. She added that the government should encourage them instead of confronting them. She added that women in Kuwait are the victims of bureaucracy and improper laws. Addressing Minister Safar, Al-Rashid said, "Don't you know about the procedures followed by the investors? Didn't you read the newspapers or watch the ads? Didn't you see the licenses of the shops?" She added, "There is no power that can deprive Kuwaiti citizens from practicing their legitimate rights". Al-Zayer wondered, "Is it a crime to run small investments to earn our living?" She said that she invested in Qurain Markets after she saw the ads in newspapers and streets urging the citizens to invest in the markets. She said that she had a license and renewed it. Al-Niqi spoke about the tragedy of Kuwaiti women who were victims of improper decisions by the Municipality. She appealed to the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser to stand with Kuwaiti women.

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