Though Kuwait is a modern and prosperous country, it is Islamic, and its traditions are rubbing against a younger generation of Kuwaitis who, if not quite Westernized, are Americanized and itching to let everyone know. The protests are as much a plea on behalf of the Mubarak brothers as they are a declaration of freedom of expression, says Quraishi, the Kuwaiti editor.
He recalls seeing a young woman on the fifteen-member demonstration organizing committee coming to meetings wearing a black veil. "To her, she'd never met these two boys. She said that before this case, she was leading a normal life. Now she found something she could put her energies in. I'm sure the same goes for the rest. Since there's no precedent where a younger generation came out so openly for something, their frustration is resonant." He says the response by e-mail and fax to the paper's article on the brothers has been "tremendous."
Mark Andresen
Related Content
More About
And not just to Rai-Alaam. Andrew Hudson, the spokesman for Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, says that when he returned from a city trip to London, there were 2,400 e-mails jamming the mayor's mailbox -- the most he had ever received on one subject. All told, Hudson estimates that he received between 4,000 and 5,000 messages from angry Kuwaitis. "The mayor has no control over this," he says, referring to the adjudication of the case. "As well-intentioned as it is, it is unfortunately not effective."
There are three distinct reactions in Kuwait to the boys' situation, he continues. Some folks believe the Mubaraks, especially mothers. A small minority of people don't support the brothers and figure the whole matter should be left to the justice system here, which they trust. Lastly, the majority don't necessarily believe the entire story but feel they should support the Mubaraks because they are Kuwaiti.
"They feel this is sort of a nationalist obligation," Quraishi explains. "This younger generation is willing to stand by a cause like this, even though it seems on the surface like it's against the United States. These kids are not your typical Arab nationalist demonstrators, anti-American, anti-imperialist. These people are not politicized."
Quraishi doesn't know how long the protests will last. "They'll stay the course for the time being," he says. "I don't know if all of them understand this is a lengthy case. But if they do, hooray. This gives them a longer period of time to continue with their noise and merrymaking. It's great."
Raed Mubarak's next court date is April 28, and although his grades at Arapahoe Community College have plummeted and the charges he is facing are serious, he doesn't want to return to Kuwait.
"I'm staying here in Denver," he says. "I love it here, other than what happened."
