Kuwait: R.I.P Ahmad AlRubi'e

Dr Ahmad AlRubi'e Kuwaiti bloggers lament the death of leading intellectual and politician
Dr Ahmad AlRubi'e. Many bloggers posted condolences to his family on their blogs and some others wrote passionately about how connected to him they were.

Krakatoa q8 talks about AlRubi'e in this post:

لازلت اتذكر عندما كنا معاً وكانت معنا ثلة من الشباب المثقف..حين تسامرنا حول دفىء النار في ذلك المكان المعزول..ولا زلت اتذكر كلماتك..ونصائحك لنا..انصاتك..لطيشنا..وحرقة قلبنا على الكويت..كنت تستمع وتبعث الامل فينا..تجعلنا نرى التفائل يحيط بنا
I still remember when we were together, along with a gathering of cultured youth, as we sat around a camp fire, in that distant place. I still remember your words, and your advice for us. You listened to our words which were filled with recklessness and sorrow for Kuwait; you listened and gave us hope; and you made us see optimism around us.
لازلت اتذكر مشاحناتي معك..وغضبي عليك واختلافي معك ولازلت اتذكر كيف كنت تحاول ان تهدئني..ولكن لا فائده..تركتك..وباعدت بيننا السنون..والظروف..وكنت ولا ازال واقرا ما تكتب..نعم اراقب ولكن بحسرة على تلك الايام الجميلة..ولكن تبقى في القلب يا دكتور..يا ابا قتيبة..يا احمد الربعي.
I still remember my fights with you and my anger towards you and I still remember how you tried to clam me down with no use. I left you, and the years and circumstances took us further away from each other. I still followed you from afar and read what you wrote. Yes, I was observing but with sadness on those beautiful days.. but you remain in my heart Dr Abu Qutaiba, Ahmad AlRubi'e

Enter-q8 too writes about his relationship with Dr AlRubi'e. He says:

كل منا يحب الكويت وكل منا يحبها بطريقته ولكن بالاخر يجمعنا حبها
عندما تعشق فأنك تعشق اسم أو طبع أو كلمات
كلمات تقف عند هذه الكلمات و تقرئها حرف حرف كلمة كلمة جملة جملة
و تقف بالاخير عند من سطرها وهو كاتبها
خطأ نعم خطأ
هذا ما علمنا أياه هذا الشخص الكبير
All of us love Kuwait. Everyone loves it in his won way, but in the end its love unites us all. When you love something, you love a name or print or words – words you stop at and read letter by letter, word by word, and sentence by sentence. At the end, you stop and ask who penned those words. Wrong, yes, it's wrong. This is what this great man taught us.
فقد تختلف مع كاتبها لطبع او سلوك او انتماء او حتى مذهب
هكذا قالها بو قتيبه
كما قال الكثير مما لا ينسى
عملت معه بعد أول انتخابات بعد تحرير الكويت
كلنا للكويت فلتكن الكويت لنا كلنا
You may disagree with their author because of habit, conduct, affiliation, or even doctrine. This is how Abu Qutaiba said it and he has said a lot which can not be forgotten. I worked with him during the first election after the liberation of Kuwait. We are all for Kuwait, let Kuwait be for us all.
عندما كنا نتحرك بمشرف و نركب الهاف لوري مع العمال و نروح نوزع اللفتات الانتخابية
ليست شركة دعاية او اعلان
بل نحن شباب كويتييون
و بوقتيبة معانا
و داق التلثومه
و تمر سيارات عند الاشارة و بعلو صوتهم ناجح يا بوقتيبة ناجح
ما زلت اتذكر المراه العجوز البدوية بصوتها
ونحن نخرج من الديوانية بمشرف
والله يا (توكتور) دكتور لو ان نصوت محنا مخلينك
باختصار
رجل أحبته الكويت
أحبه شيعة و سنة بدو حضر
و ايضا حكومة و معارضة
أحبته الكويت
من القلب و داعا بو قتيبة
When we moved in Mishref (the constituency in which AlRubi'e ran for elections), we rode the back of a truck with the workers, delivering election leaflets. We were not an advertising agency but simply Kuwaiti youth, and Abu Qutaiba was with us. Cars would pass by us at traffic lights and their drivers would shout: “You are a winner Abu Qutaiba! A winner!” I still remember that old bedouin lady that shouted while we were exiting a dewaniya (gathering hall) in Kuwait:
“Dr, if we could vote, we would vote for you!” she said.
In short, he is a man loved by everyone in Kuwait – by the Shiites, Sunnis, bedouins and city dwellers as well as the government and opposition.
From the heart, Goodbye Abu Qutaiba.

Ansam over at Gather ye rosebuds while ye may posts some information about Dr Ahmad AlRubi'e. She writes:

Last night, Kuwait lost one of its prominent men! A politician, an educator, an academic, a mentor, an amazing writer, and a dear friend to many people. A man loved by a large number of people! He died but did not leave us! He will always be remembered by many of us!

• Born in 1949.
• Graduated in 1976 from Kuwait University – Philosophy.
• PhD in 1984 – Harvard.
• Member in the Council 1985.
• Member in the Council 1992.
• Minister of Education and Higher Education – 1992 – 1996.
• Member in the Council 1999.
• Active member in the Press – Al Seyasa – Al-Watan – Al-Qabas – Middle East

Picture Credit : Shurouq

1 comment

  • Sylva Portoian- Shuhaiber

    I E-mailed My Sons
    They Treasured Rubie the Human

    I e-mailed my sons, to tell, your parson passed away
    Rubie passed away! Passed! Kuwait is silent sad,
    Still we smell his written roses from everywhere
    Handling breezes that says will stay always dear.

    His humid winds blowing from his grave
    Telling us awake! You’re riding on a mad horse
    Can take you to hit camels of deserts, unrosed!
    Suddenly, you can lose your speedy force!

    If you stay in desert, no one will supply
    Waters from far marshes, sea is full of salts.
    You will remain thirsty, hungry, starving
    With out camels, yet, viewing their bones.

    Awake to see the blue sky…
    Even if still clouded by dust, but still stays blue.
    I wish I am with you, to tell what I feel…!
    Awake read my ‘soulful book’*with my fingers grew.

    Teach your students to speak my voice.
    I learned lots through all my life, by shots.
    You are all in my heart I remain on your site.
    As far as you know what means human right.

    Sylva Portoian-Shuhaiber MD
    March 13, 2008
    * Arbaaeyat- press by alQabas

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