Al-Anba, Kuwait, Originally posted in Arabic on March 20
Kuwaiti media revealed yesterday a secret request sent by the Kuwaiti government to the Iranian regime, asking the latter to promote an initiative that would end hostilities in the region.
According to the proposal, Tehran would set forth a plan to restore friendly relations between the countries of the region, in order ensure that no foreign powers – including the United States or Russia – intervene to change the status quo. In return for its leadership role, Iran would be expected to take confidence-building measures and stop its armed intervention in Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. All of these obstructions led to a loss of Arab consensus and to a growing rift between Sunni and Shiite states.
With this new plan, all sides would put aside their past hatreds and come together to prevent the region from falling into complete turmoil. There is no doubt that among the biggest benefactors of such a plan would be the Iranian people themselves, who will be able to restore their old ties with their Arab brothers. The flow of tourists, commodities, culture, and businesses can only bode well with the Iranian economy.
The proposal is also very logical: each state should devote its resources to improving its own civil society, instead of weakening that of others. This way, Arab governments can also address the growing demands and needs of their people. An old Arabic proverb says that “what happened is already in the past.” This is the logic that Kuwait hopes to deploy here: the Arab world has already suffered enough destruction, sectarianism, and racism.
There is nothing we can do about what has already been done. Instead, it is time to look to the future, and ensure that we have in store for tomorrow is better. –Sami al-Nassaf