The study “Remembering the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: Anniversary journalism’s role in collective memory and the State’s pursuit of ontological security” by Eisa Al Nashmi from Kuwait University broadened the collective memory research by looking at how Kuwaiti newspapers memorialized Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in August 2, 1990 and thus shaped the collective memory. 

Collective memory is defined (Halbwachs 1952, 1992) as a process underpinned by the social group to which one belongs, and by Hoskins (2001: 336) as “ongoing, collaborative recasting of the past—of a particular group, event, or experience—in the present”.

Journalists play a prominent role in the formation of collective memories, journalists not only write the first drafts of history but also rewrite it; they select and omit facts and construct narratives that make the past relevant. For the state, collective memory intersects with its quest for ontological security.

Ontological security is defined by Giddens (1990) as: “The confidence that most human beings have in the continuity of their self-identity and in the constancy of the surrounding and material environments of action. A sense of reliability of persons and things, so central to the notion of trust, is basic to feelings of ontological security.”

This study focuses on the anniversary journalism in Kuwait related to the invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990 by Hussein’s Iraq. The study traces the evolution of commemorative narratives over three decades and links it with the state’s political agenda and examines how journalists shape the collective memory. 

According to the author, journalism in Kuwait is relatively free compared to the neighboring countries, bolstered by the Kuwaiti Constitution. The newspapers do critique the government freely, but tend to avoid contentious issues, especially those that might undermine the legitimacy of the executive branch. This tendency was strengthened in the wake of the invasion. 

The research questions for the study were:

RQ1: How prominently has the Gulf War anniversary been featured on the front pages of Kuwaiti newspapers over the past three decades?

RQ2: What narratives have Kuwaiti newspapers highlighted in their front-page coverage during Gulf War anniversaries?

RQ3: In what ways have the front-page narratives of Kuwaiti newspapers evolved throughout the 30-year period of Gulf War remembrances?

RQ4: What factors have influenced the evolution of front-page narratives in Kuwaiti newspapers throughout Gulf War commemorations?

The materials for the study came from the August 2nd front page of three major Kuwaiti newspapers—Alqabas, Alwatan, and Alanba—from 1991 through 2020. Alqabas and Alanba are owned by wealthy families with connections to the ruling family while Alwatan was by members of the ruling family until its closure. There were a total of 81 frontpages in the study. 

Anniversary coverage diminished over time but spiked during significant (decade etc.) anniversaries. The first decade highlighted anti-Iraq messages but sought to minimize the negative impacts of the war, rather highlighting the government’s and certain individuals’, such as Sheikh Saad’s, heroism.

The second decade, in contrast, marked the decline of Sheikh Saad from the fore, with the head of government, Sheikh Sabah instead being prominent as well as the Kuwaiti support for US policy after September 11. In 2003, the antagonism towards Iraq diminished and was replaced by a more conciliatory stance. 

Moving to the third decade, the author summarizes it as “collective amnesia”: the invasion was not remembered as much, rather, the newspapers highlighted Kuwait as a peaceful nation. The invasion was deliberately downplayed in the front pages. 

In conclusion, the findings align with other anniversary coverage studies in showing that anniversary coverage diminishes over time. The covert silence over the suffering caused by the invasion in the first decade was significant, downplaying the government’s lapses and the devastation. 

The main objective of the study was to broaden the scope of collective memory studies to include not just significant events in large states but smaller states, too. In this, it is successful and also shows  the role of the press in constructing/reconstructing state narratives.

The article “Remembering the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: Anniversary journalism’s role in collective memory and the State’s pursuit of ontological security” by Eisa Al Nashmi is in Journalism. (free abstract).

Picture: Kuwait Towers by sohrab zia. 

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