KUWAIT: Author Abdullah Buwair in a group photo with the families of martyrs.

KUWAIT: Author
Abdullah Buwair held an awards ceremony for the families of martyrs and
distributed a book of photos and documents of His Highness the Amir Sheikh
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in
Farwaniya. Farwaniya Governor Sheikh Faisal Al-Hamoud Al-Malik Al-Sabah praised
the efforts by Buwair every year to honor the families and the memory of the
martyrs of Kuwait. "I pray to God to rest the souls of our martyrs in
peace and sustain the wellbeing of our beloved homeland under the leadership of
HH the Amir," he said in a phoned speech during the ceremony.

"We have the
honor to meet with our families - the families of the honored martyrs. Without
the sacrifices of your relatives, we would not have been in this place enjoying
the freedom of security and safety of Kuwait," Buwair said. He noted that
the invasion of Kuwait by the Saddam Hussein regime is an unforgivable crime.
"While people were sleeping, they were killing and stealing.

Saddam's regime
did not consider the rights of neighbors. In the past he always said he is the
sword of the Arabs and the protector of Arab countries, but what we saw was
quite far from it," he said. "History tells us that this event was a
page among the brightest pages of the Kuwaiti people. Our history is full of
wonderful examples that reveal the depth of values in the conscience and
thinking of the Kuwaiti citizen. There is evidence of their courage to always
defend their homeland."

Buwair hailed the
heroic acts of the martyrs and the perpetuation of their heroism and sacrifices
in the defense of the homeland and its dignity, as well as the honorable care
of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for their families. This
honor is not for Kuwaitis only, but includes all those who sacrificed their
lives and blood for the independence of the soil of this country. The Office of
Martyrs under the auspices of HH the Amir has sponsored families from 15
different nationalities among the expatriates and residents of Kuwait.

After the
ceremony, a short documentary about the Iraqi invasion and the liberation of
Kuwait was presented. Also, poems were read and presented by poet Musaad
Al-Sawarj and student Orad Abdullah Buwair. This was followed by honoring the
martyrs and awarding certificates and valuable gifts to their families.

By Faten Omar