(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) One day after the terrorist attack on Al-Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque that meant to pit Kuwaitis against each other, Kuwaitis came together Saturday in a vivid show of unity to bury the victims and to demonstrate their unity in face of the scourge of terrorism. In Al-Sulaibikhat cemetery, huge crowds of mourners, both Kuwaitis and expatriates of all walks of life, converged to bury the dead from the terrorist blast which left 27 worshipers dead and 227 others injured.
These massive throngs of mourners is a vivid testimony to the unity and cohesiveness of the people of Kuwait at times of crises, said Speaker of the Parliament Marzouq Al-Ghanim said after participating in the funeral service.
The objective of the criminal terrorist act failed miserably, he said, since it sought to sow the seeds of division and sectarian strife among the society, but as the huge turnout of mourners shows today, this society rejects all divisions and sectarian rifts.
In the meantime, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said that the security agencies would not let the perpetrators beat the rap.
"We will cut the evil hand that fiddles with our homeland's security. Kuwait will always be an oasis of safety under our wise leadership," Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled said in an expanding security meeting on the incident Saturday.
The Ministry of Interior announced it had found the car the terrorist bomber used to get to the Imam Al-Sadiq mosque and arrested the car's owner.
Following the funeral, large numbers of citizens and expatriates flocked to the Grand Mosque to pay respect to families of martyrs at the forefront of the attendants were His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim.
Also paying respect were His Highness Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Minister of Amiri Diwan Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, senior state officials, commanders of army, police and national guard, and citizens.
His Highness the Amir praised Allah to bestow the martyrs with his mercy and a speedy recovery for the injured.
Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah mourned the victims of the blast and called on all Kuwaitis to be aware of the sedition that targets the country's stability, unity and security, and seeks to drive a wedge among all segments.
Moreover, the administration of Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque, the target of the attack, emphasized Saturday the unity of all Kuwaitis in face of the terrorists.
Those who sought to incite sedition and foment discords among Kuwaitis through the odious terrorist act were failure and disappointed, it said in a statement.
The statement highlighted the immediate visit to the scene in the aftermath of the terrorist blast by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The Friday criminal incident will never weaken Kuwaitis or foment discords among them, but will, instead, consolidate national unity, and make them more persistent to preserve their dear nation, and defeat attempts seeking to sow seeds of sedition, it emphasized.
Kuwait's traditional gathering lounges, Diwaniyahs, across the country have expressed sadness and shock over the huge tally of innocent lives lost as a result of Friday's terrorist attack.
After expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and wishing a safe recovery for those injured in the attack, the group of Diwaniyahs, in a joint statement, said that "the people of Kuwait together stand together in shock and dismay," describing the attack as "criminal and treacherous.
"These acts are fiercely condemned and rejected. The people of Kuwait are unaccustomed to these acts, which will not affect the unity of the Kuwaiti society." The statement went on to mention that the suicide bomber's motives were not simply to bomb a mosque, but rather for the larger goal of causing damage to national unity through "unleashing a sense of division and sectarian tension amongst the Kuwaiti society." But the action will instead usher the Kuwaiti people towards uniting together, under their leadership, they added.
"The Kuwaiti people, known for their spirit of devotion, cooperation and togetherness at times of crisis, acknowledge that that this cowardly act is a part of an evil devilish project that targets the region as a whole.
They went to add that unity amongst the society in the face of this dangerous fundamentalist ideology is needed at this troubled time.
Moreover, considerable numbers from all walks of the Kuwaiti society queued for donating blood at the blood bank after the deadly attack.
Some 1,250 blood donors have been recorded since yesterday, said Dr. Rana Abdulrazzaq, the Director of Medical and Donor Affairs in Kuwait Blood Bank on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the popular cafes management declared cancelling "Girgiaan"
celebrations for three days due to the distressing event.
Grigiaan is a traditional Kuwaiti celebration, observed during the fasting month of Ramadan. Festivities involve children in particular.
Meanwhile, several Kuwaiti nationals amongst the hundreds who were paying their respects at the Grand Mosque, in remarks to KUNA, expressed their commitment to the nation's solidarity and unity during these troubled times.
"We have all come to express condolences over our fathers, our brothers, our neighbours, our colleagues," said Walid Al-Houlan. "These people are not strangers to us - they are our martyrs, who perished at a house of God as they were kneeling to God during the holy month of Ramadan," he said.
Hassan BoAbbas said that the incident would not affect the unity of the Kuwaiti people. "Us Kuwaitis possess a cherished sense of patriotism," said BoAbbas, who urged local education curricula to allow room for all sects and to tackle sectarian division.
"These crimes will not damage the determination of the strong-willed Kuwaiti people, nor will they be a cause for sedition," said Hamad Al-Azmi.
Al-Azmi underlined that the united stance portrayed by the Kuwaiti people has sent a clear message to the terrorists. The message is that "our community will not allow any person or force to damage its unity." Mishal Kamal mirrored these sentiments. This was demonstrated in the numbers of Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaities, by the hundreds, who headed to the state blood bank to donate in support of the 227 people injured, he said.
Along with the feelings of sadness over those departed, comes a strange feeling of joy over the unity of the people of Kuwait, believes Nasser Al-Shirazi.
His Highness the Amir himself was present in person at the scene of the bombing moments after its occurrence, and Al-Shirazi says this is a clear sign of this cohesion. (end)
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