Topic: Rising Nationalism and Political Extremism
Country: Kuwait
Delegate Name: Kyle Korte
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Kuwait position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Nationalism is perhaps one of the greatest forces in the world; it has the ability to unite millions of people under a common set of ideas or goals. Nationalism transcends loyalty to one’s country, it is the belief that one’s country is inherently superior to all other countries. This extreme form of patriotism was, in part, responsible for starting World War I (WW1) as many European citizens not only believed in their countries superiority to other European nations, but they also came to despise their enemies, thereby escalating tensions. In recent years, American President Donald Trump openly admitted to being a nationalist and European nations are showing signs of nationalism similar to those present before the outbreak of WW1 as many far-right group begin to gain traction in numerous European Union countries such as Italy’s anti-immigrant Lega and Germany’s Alternativ fur Deutschland (AfD). In the Middle East, many extremist groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Hezbollah, are pushing for political reform in violent manners.
While the State of Kuwait does not recognize political parties, political extremism has been a historically challenging issue. Since 1952, the Muslim Brotherhood has sought to instate hardline Sharia law through electing members of the Islamic Constitutional Movement to parliament, though they have never been able to win a majority, and in recent years, groups inside of Kuwait have worked to raise and funnel funds to terrorist organizations and the country has been used as a transit point by jihadists to other Gulf countries. However, since a mosque bombing carried out by an ISIS suicide bomber killed 27 and injured 227 in 2015, Kuwait has escalated efforts to eradicate extremist ideology, including arresting and convicting members of jihadist groups and passing legislation to reduce the threat of terrorist activity, including criminalizing fundraising and propagandizing for terrorist groups. To further combat terrorist fundraising, Kuwait participates in the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFACTF) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Additionally, Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MOSAL) monitors charities and has, on occasion, dissolved charities that were illegally fundraising. The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and the Kuwait National Guard are the primary counterterrorism agencies; additionally, the Kuwait government authorized many countering violent extremism (CVE) programs that provide alternative messages to extremist ideas. The Kuwait government has also begun monitoring sermons delivered by Kuwaiti clerics in order to prevent the dissemination of extremist ideology. Kuwait participates in many counter terrorism initiatives on the international level, chief among these are the Global Counterterrorism Forum. Kuwait has pledged at least $200 million to the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Counter ISIS that it participates in. Kuwait is dedicated to the fight against political extremism and the rising nationalist sentiments, specifically fighting terrorist groups in the Middle East that are an immediate threat to not only Kuwait but all Gulf countries and the world at large.
The State of Kuwait recommends that the Special Political committee take immediate action to address the current threats to political stability that nationalism and extremism have proven to be. In pursuance of the goals of the UN Charter, the Special Political committee must reaffirm actions of the UN and the former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Plan of Actions to Prevent Violent Extremism, which “takes a practical and comprehensive approach to address the drivers of violent extremism.” These measures, however, are not enough. It is necessary to combat not only violent extremism but also radicalization as that often leads to violent extremism. Kuwait has taken pertinent steps to prevent extremist ideology that uses violence as a catalyst for change, specifically through monitoring sermons, and it is time for the UN to do the same. Kuwait believes that it is necessary for the UN to create a body, with representation from all regions of the world, that is tasked with closely monitoring platforms for extremism in their respective regions and reporting it back to the body. It is then the job of the Special Political committee determine and deter threats of extremism through providing alternate messages to extremist ideologies. The creation of an international forum for politics may provide another solution, one in which open conversation, mediated by a neutral party, will allow for political groups to become more open-minded and aware of other points of view.
