On May 12, 2024, Islamist and former Member of Parliament Waleed Tabtabaie was arrested by Kuwaiti authorities after he published a post on X implying that foreign countries are responsible for the dissolution of Kuwait's National Assembly and the announced formation of a new government.[1]
Tabtabaie's tweet from May 11, 2024[2]
The following are archival MEMRI TV clips of Waleed Tabtabaie:
Kuwaiti MP Waleed Tabtabaie: Israel Runs The World, Coordinates With The U.S., Russia, And Iran To Destroy Syria, 2016
Kuwaiti MP Waleed Tabtabaie recently said that the problem of the Syrian revolution was "the Zionist entity, which runs the world" and "does not want the Al-Assad regime to fall." Tabtabaie further said that "Israel – or rather, the Zionist entity – is one of the causes of the crisis of the Syrian people. It protects the Bashar regime, and is coordinated with the U.S., Russia, and Iran, in order to destroy [Syria]." The interview aired on the Kuwaiti Al-Majlis TV channel on December 24, 2016.
Interviewer: "Chemical weapons and poisonous gases were used, especially in East Ghouta. Why do you think the world failed to intervene militarily in order to protect the Syrian people?
Waleed Tabtabaie: "There is no doubt that the problem of the Syrian revolution is that Syria is a neighbor of occupied Palestine, of the Zionist entity. It is the Zionist entity that runs the world. It does not want the Al-Assad regime to fall, because although this regime purports to be a part of the resistance, it is, in fact, the protector of the borders of Palestine... of Israel... of the Zionist entity. The fall of this regime would be a blow to Israel. Therefore, Israel is exercising its influence on the Americans to protect this regime."
[...]
Interviewer: "If it is an issue of the borders and of Syria being adjacent to Israel, things will not change and the world will not intervene, because the borders will not change, and Syria and Israel will remain neighbors."
Tabtabaie: "But the will of the Syrian people and the will of Allah will continue to trump everything else. We expect the destruction of Israel, Allah willing. The day before yesterday, there was a significant change in the United Nations, when Israel was denounced for the first time in 26 years..."
Interviewer: "In order to stop the settlements..."
Tabtabaie: "[The UN] denounced the settlements. So while it is true that Israel leads America and America leads the world, the Syrian people is steadfast. The Syrians toppled the regime in two years, fought Iran in the subsequent two years, and are now facing Russia... "
Interviewer: "Considering the UN resolution you just mentioned – won't the UNSC make a similar resolution with regard to Syria and intervene there? After all, you can see that the world intervened with regard to Israel. You cannot pin your hopes on the Security Council."
Tabtabaie: "Israel – or rather, the Zionist entity – is one of the causes of the crisis of the Syrian people. It protects that Bashar regime, and it is coordinated with the U.S., Russia, and Iran, in order to destroy [Syria]. But, Allah willing, the Syrian people will emerge victorious."
Kuwaiti MP Waleed Tabtabaie And Colleagues Demonstrate Opposite Russian Embassy: We Spit On Putin And The Russian Ambassador, 2016
Waleed Tabtabaie and other Kuwaiti MPs led a demonstration opposite the Russian embassy in Kuwait. In his speech, MP Tabtabaei accused the Arab and Muslims of forsaking the people of Aleppo. MP Tabtabaei threatened to “trample underfoot” rival MP Khalid Al-Shatti – whom he did not name, but referred to as “that purple insect.” Tabtabaie then sent a message to the Russian ambassador and to President Putin: “We spit on you! Ptui!” The video was posted on YouTube and aired by several Kuwaiti online outlets.
Kuwaiti MP Waleed Tabtabaie: "Aleppo did not fall! Aleppo did not fall! Aleppo did not fall! Aleppo will not fall! It is us who have fallen. The Arabs have fallen. The Muslims have fallen. Our rulers have fallen. Aleppo did not fall! In Aleppo, there are children who are like men, women who are heroes, and men who are like mountains. We are the ones who have fallen. Aleppo did not fall!
"Aleppo has committed no treachery. Aleppo has not surrendered. We are the ones who have surrendered. We are the ones who have committed treachery. We have forsaken them. They held steadfast for six years. They held steadfast facing the regime of the criminal Bashar for two years and defeated it. They held steadfast facing Iran and its militias and defeated them. They held steadfast facing Russia and defeated it.
"We are sending a message to the insects in the Kuwaiti parliament. We shall trample that purple insect [MP Khalid Al-Shatti] underfoot. As for the crow cawing from abroad – we will get him through the Interpol, and then, finish off... his voice."
"Our message to the ambassador of the great republic of Russia, the message of the people who have gathered here to the ambassador who hides over there (in the Russian Embassy), is that we spit on you! Ptui! Our message to your president Putin is: We spit on you, Putin! Ptui! That is our message. We have gathered here to convey this message to Putin and to his ambassador."
Kuwaiti MP Dr. Walid Tabtabai: I Don't Think It Is True That The Iranian Nuclear Project Is For Energy Purposes, 2006
Following are excerpts from an interview with Kuwaiti MP Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabai, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on August 30, 2006:
Dr. Walid Tabtabai: "Kuwait suffered from the former Iraqi regime in the days of Saddam – and everybody knows what the Saddam invasion caused. There was hope that the regime change would lead to regional stability, but I believe that this hope is misplaced. We were happy about the regime change, but things have gotten worse, and the chaos in Iraq will affect Kuwait, especially the sectarian zeal, the sectarianism in Iraq. I think that Iran is the cause. I hold the Arab countries responsible too, because they abandoned Iraq, and did not support the moderates in Iraq, and especially the minority... or rather, the Sunni Arabs. What is necessary is to guide the Iraqi resistance. It needs a clear political plan. In addition, the focus should be on the crimes of annihilation, especially those perpetrated by Iranian-backed militias. I say to my Arab Shiite brothers that there is an Iranian Safavid1 plot to take revenge upon Iraq, as a state and a regime, because of its war against Iran.
[...]
"If Iran develops a military nuclear project – against whom will it direct it? According to the Iranian president's statement, it is not directed against Israel, but is for peaceful purposes, for energy. Iran has oil and gas reserves that will last it for dozens, if not hundreds, of years. I don't think it's true that this project is for energy purposes. If only this nuclear project were directed against Israel, but it isn't. We have experience with this kind of regime - whether the former Iraqi regime, or the totalitarian regimes in Iran and elsewhere. They want to intimidate their neighbors."
Interviewer: "But Israel thinks Iran is its number one enemy in the world these days."
Dr. Walid Tabtabaie: "I really do not think Iran is Israel's number one enemy. The most important thing for Iran is its national interests, followed by the Islamic interests, and only then the Shiite interests.
[...]
"I don't think Iran is an enemy of America. It's all propaganda for local and external consumption. Under the table, Iran is cooperating definitely with America, and maybe [even] with Israel."
Kuwaiti MP: Preventing Women From Voting Reflects The Will Of The Public, 2005
The following are excerpts from an interview with Kuwaiti MP Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabaie, aired by Dubai TV on April 29, 2005.
Interviewer: "Kuwait is the first country in the region to have an elected parliament, civil liberties, and a free press. By the standard set by the Gulf countries, and even most Arab countries, Kuwaiti society is very open. How come women's rights have been delayed so much?"
Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabaie: "Since the parliament has a lot of freedom and could even be called democratic, the so-called women's political rights have been delayed. If the Arab peoples had the opportunity to express their opinion, they would object to the woman being shoved into politics, into the democratic game, and into elections, because this is not appropriate to women's role in Arab societies. However, if the decision is imposed from above, like in some countries, such as Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, it would be accepted, since the order would come from above. But if they leave it to the people or to public opinion, or even to the women would themselves, they would refuse to be shoved into politics.
"The Kuwaiti woman has many opportunities and much freedom. She is appointed to many positions, and we have no problem with this."
Interviewer: "What's your problem then?"
Tabtabaie: "We are afraid that if women get the opportunity to vote, the elections would be run in an undisciplined manner."
Interviewer: "So demand that the elections be run in a disciplined manner."
Tabtabaie: "We have no objection. The municipal elections will be held in two weeks, and we will set such a condition…"
Interviewer: "You mean you will separate men and women in voting."
Tabtabaie: "Yes, these are religious restrictions. If the government accepts this condition we will pass the bill granting women's suffrage."
