In the science fiction film ‘Men in Black’, secret agents erase people’s recent memories with a supernatural device. It seems we have similar men in Kuwait, but they wear black bishts and carry much more powerful devices.
Kuwaiti ‘Men in Bisht’ erase the memory of generations and an entire country spanning years in an instant. Their device is incomprehensible decisions to the average person that cannot be prevented or persuaded to be reconsidered.
They do not possess an appreciation for the relationship between humans, urban development, life, and memories. They also do not feel the importance of urban identity, the symbolism of the landscape, the aesthetics of old architecture, and the passage of years upon them.
They are completely oblivious to the connection between architecture, places, and events and the existence of the individual and society, and to the knowledge and bond that, through these, ties individuals to themselves, their community, the land, and the homeland.
However, they possess a strange degree of disregard for landmarks that play a significant role in shaping the present, history, and future of people and the country, any country.
Many buildings and projects that were neglected, intentionally or unintentionally, until they were removed, and those for which stories and excuses are fabricated to demolish and remove them, were sturdy and capable of being used, restored, or continued. After demolition, their land often becomes empty, collecting garbage and vehicles, or a building with no moral value is erected.
No one objects to renovation and change if it is inevitable and necessary, with finding a suitable alternative in its place. But have we reached a stage where buildings that possess all the elements of operation and sustainability are closed, abandoned, and demolished just because there is no private company or bank to manage them?
In a country where children and senior officials echo words of love, loyalty, and service to the homeland. In a country that perhaps produces and broadcasts more national anthems and songs with every sunrise than any other, this zeal for erasing memory appears even stranger and more disconnected from words and actions.
Either tone down the songs or leave the buildings alone.
