August 2, 2010

INVASION OF KUWAIT TWENTY YEARS AGO.

It was early in the morning at 5.00 and while awake on the bed I was building castles in the air of doing very shortly this and that without knowing that down below my Flat the Iraqis were already in Kuwait and were firing gun shots. It was a very fateful Thursday of 2nd August 1990 and previous day being a Moharram Day, I was still under the impression that the young boys were firing crackers in celebration of Moharram. Then at 6.00 AM I dressed up and gone down to collect my daily newspaper from the Bakala below my building on my way to work at Shuwaikh. The moment I alighted from the Elevator of my building on the ground floor, I saw on the road total traffic on standstill. I thought may be some top VIP is coming and for this reason the vehicular traffic on the road is halted. After a few steps before reaching the Bakala, I saw the standstill vehicles, light and heavy, without any driver or passenger, they were dragged out with gun point from their vehicles by the soldiers manning the road while the engines of the vehicles were still on. This was surprising to me and moreover, it was difficult to know the identities of the soldiers manning the road, they were carrying big Wireless Sets with long Antennas of the type World War II soldiers carried as depicted in the movie “The Longest Day”.

I was wearing full “khaki” dress which attracted the attention of one soldier on the road, he thought maybe I was a Kuwaiti Policeman and immediately he pointed his gun towards me. Suddenly at that particular moment an Arab elderly lady waiting for the Public Transport Bus interrupted the soldier asking him about the Bus not knowing like me that Iraq has already invaded Kuwait. In his conversation with that Arab lady, the soldier forgot me and taking this chance I escaped from there and returned to my Flat.

While returning to my Flat, at the entrance of my building I came across a group of people saying that Iraq has invaded Kuwait and what is seen on the road are Iraqi soldiers taken full control of Kuwait city including the main Police Station which I saw from my own eyes. I even saw from a distance how two Iraqi soldiers entering the Police Station by kicking one of the main doors. Then with sorrow all over me, I accepted the fact that Kuwait where I was earning my livelihood peacefully has been invaded by its own brotherly Arab Muslim neighbour Iraq. It was very difficult for me to accept that the brotherly country Iraq has invaded Kuwait that helped Iraq so much especially during its 8 years war with Iran. I would rather accept Israel doing what Iraq has done to Kuwait but surely not what Iraq has done to Kuwait. Impossible became possible which I had to accept and I accepted after witnessing the reality with my own eyes.

Immediately my thoughts went back to 1961 December when my Goa was annexed by Bharat with force and during that period how our innocent Goan females were raped by the Bharati Military personnel. In Bangladesh also Indian Army personnel did the same type of mischief and as a matter of fact almost all the Armies start raping the females of conquered and invaded territories. Hence, my assumption that the Iraqi Army men will also do the same type of crimes against innocent expatriate females residing in Kuwait City first. With this picture in my mind, first I went around my building and whomever I could alert, I alerted of this threat of Iraqi troops, first reaching to my Goan friends. Then I went about 800 metres away from my house where I knew a Goan family very close to me having one young school going daughter. The young school going girl was very much involved in the Church activities and known to every priest and even Bishop too. When I was telling them to flee from this place, suddenly from nowhere one craggy faced dirty Iraqi soldier knocked their door and when opened, entered inside their Flat and demanded every male inside that Flat to leave immediately. When I refused, holding the young girl in my hand and preventing him from approaching her, he pointed his gun to me with a stern warning “either leave or face death”.

Then he pulled me by my beard, caught me by my collar and pushed me out of the Flat and made me to run away which I did meekly like a coward. While I was running, the Iraqi soldier was firing shots from behind me from his gun but not a single shot was hitting me. Either they were fake shots or Angel Gabriel must have been stopping those shots hitting me. Some supernatural power was protecting me at that moment otherwise 20 years back in the morning on this date while doing good job for our people I would have been dead with the gun shots of a beastly Iraqi soldier came to invade Kuwait.

Then all trembling I came home and directly called our Catholic Church in Kuwait City where I met on the phone one known priest. I told him everything what has happened and told him to call Baghdad at our Catholic Headquarter and inform our ProNuncio to inform Saddam Hussein to instruct his soldiers in invaded Kuwait not to touch any female either local or expatriate. Unfortunately, the said priest was all trembling, afraid of his own life because our Church was surrounded by Iraqi Military Tanks. When I told him to come out from the rear door and speak to the Iraqi soldier who might be prowling on the young girl whose Flat was very close to the Church, the priest showed his inability again fearing for his life advising me instead to close the telephone and pray for the young girl’s safety. Female body is like a temple of God and as such it should not be soiled by the unauthorized dirty Iraqi soldiers. Thank God nothing has happened to our young Goan girl because on my telephonic advice from my home to her mother, they both escaped thru the rear window of their Flat and took shelter at neighbouring Flat where nobody came.

While still on discussion with the priest on telephone, suddenly I heard a big sound like that of a Bomb and then and there our telephone line got disconnected. This sound looked like coming from Church side giving me an impression that Iraqis have finally bombed our Church which served the Catholic community so well. This Catholic Church known as Holy Family Cathedral when constructed was inaugurated by the Indian Cardinal hailing from Navelim Goa and based in Bombay, Cardinal Valerian Gracias. Goan community members were the pioneers in promoting Catholicsm in Kuwait since its inception, among others. This is the Church where I got married to my beloved wife Fatima 30 years back. This is the same Church that gave solace and support and protection to so many suppressed, depressed and harassed faithfuls. To develop and support this Church early priests attached to this Church walked on foot instead of wasting money on buying luxurious vehicles. The early Priests and Bishops have done lot of sacrifices to save money to bring this Church up and in this Endeavour Goan community in particular and Konkani community in general played a very important role. Fortunately, by the grace of God nothing happened to our Church building. All my assumptions came to be false. Thank God Church was not bombed and all the priests namely Fr. Domnic Santamaria, Fr. Pinto, Bishop Frances Mechallec and others were alive. For me it was like a miracle and miracles do happen.

Raping was the worst crime Iraqi soldiers committed in Kuwait immediately following the invasion of Kuwait. Poor Filipinas within 48 hours of invasion went underground because dirty Iraqi irreligious soldiers were prowling mainly on White Skin females. These were the invading soldiers who stayed in invaded Kuwait City during the first four days and then left for Saudi border leaving Kuwait into the hands of next batch of soldiers who were not ruthless and skilful as the first batch of Republican Guards of Saddam Hussein but they were very good robbers.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

August 1, 2010

WELL DONE GOA BASED CANSAULIMKARS. By Roger Desouza.

Thank you Floriano Bab and Dr Dumo for attending last night's meeting and sharing your observations and thoughts for all. I can imagine it must have been quite late by the time you got home and yet you shared this with all. Likewise to everyone else who attended - you stood up to be counted and speak out for Cansaulim, Goa and Goans. An invitation was extended to Digambar and the Leader of the Oppostion. While an auto-reply from CMs e-mail id acknowledges that the message will be passed on to his office there was no peep nor squeak from either of these worthy gentlemen nor would they show up for a small meeting in a village where Goans want their Government to listen to them! It helps to impose Section 144 and keep the villagers from coming to the Assembly to voice their opinion. Where does anyone have time for Goans nowadays when you can set about busying yourself promoting the interests of Builders, Casinos, Miners, drug dealers, SEZ, Airport, sea-links and other such humungous con-schemes?

For that unholy alliance of that scam-bag/scum bag the unworthy MLA of Cortalim Constituency and a disgraceful grand-son of Cansaulim village, his cousin Aggie Alcacoas of the Queeny Realty and other scandals fame (ask the GFA and the Kuwaitcars) that has now set about finishing Cansaulim through the Queeny Meadows projects in Arrossim village and the Gonsalves-Dias Gates Project and his dirty mongrels Aboobakr Shaikh they' better think twice before intimidating old men like Inac-Xavier, old widows, and even Fr. Randall Barretto.

As you said conspicious by his absence was Matanhy Saldanha although the invitation was extended to him and many others. In fact his silence on all these projects in his village namely the Gonsalves-Dias Gates Project, Queeny Meadows in Arrossim fields, hoards of Hotels that are coming up along the coastal belt of Arrossim and Cansaulim that will further damage and cause coastal erosions while our "Good Government" then goes with their begging bowl for funds that they can siphon off, our Khazan lands that will forever be destroyed and forever change the landscape of our villages and Goa. Matanhy Saldanha has the time to attend meetings in the Mapusa Market but not for his own villagers that are being harassed.

July 30, 2010

BECAUSE OF ONE SINNER.

Everything was going on smoothly in the building where HE was staying along with HIS family and widow mother. Before Fr. Melwyn retires from Kuwait, Fr. Melwyn established Samudai system for all the Catholics staying in this building. HE was the strong member of Samudai where they used to have monthly prayer meetings including at his place, special Nun – Sister from Carmel School was supervising the prayer meetings. Though not holy person yet Capuchin introduced HIM to the Church services and appointed HIM in one of the ministries meant for laymen.

Suddenly Capuchin on the eve of last Easter like a ruffian, roughly and rudely confronted me in the Church Sacristy of course in an anti-Christian manner not befitting his priesthood and thus displayed what background he is inheriting. That particular moment for no fault of mine Capuchin was so rough that like a wild animal he forgot to realise that he was wearing the robe of Jesus Christ. He behaved with me like a Goonda. Good that I did not lose my temper, because he is a priest I remained silent at that particular moment; however, if it was somebody else in my place, Capuchin would get a blow on his face. If he is not disciplined by his superior, I am sure one day he will provoke somebody to raise his hand on him and thereby put the Church into shame. Because of his rough nature like Hitler or Saddam Hussein, he is giving distorted image of our Catholic Church.

Many of our faithfuls are leaving Catholicsm because of the rough and rude attitude of our priests. Many of them are acting like Dictators which goes against the teaching of Christ. The recent taxing of faithfuls for the Church services first time in our history in the name of his superior is one case. This should not have been done without the consent of all the faithfuls. After all, it is said “NO TAXATION – WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. Otherwise there may be a possibility of creating another Boston Tea Party.

Christianity in general and Catholicsm in particular is not the monopoly of priests, pastors, Bishops, Cardinals and Popes only. If we allow the Church affairs freely to handle by the rough priests, these rough priests will destroy our Church and run away from our midst like Rats from the sinking ship. They are not interested in the well being of our religion and faithfuls. Capuchin made a statement saying “if you do not come to the Church, it is not my lookout”. Such priests will never help develop our religion nor save Souls from going in wrong direction. They are existing as priests only for their own personal benefit and not to serve God or humanity.

Concerned Catholics should take note of this especially the rough and dictatorial attitude of the Capuchin who takes support in the statement saying “Whatever I do, I do it with the consent of the Bishop”. Did his Bishop give his consent to him to act with me like a wild Rhino? One Bishop in Goa after blindly following the decisions of his cunning priests finally got Nervous Breakdown and now taking treatment in Bangalore, as per the available information. Our Capuchin is so rough that he will damage the fair image of Catholicism. He is suffering from super superiority complex because of his interaction with people of intellectually low calibre only. Even though he is nothing yet he feels he is the great person with great wisdom and with great knowledge. My foot!! He is acting arrogant as if the Church is his “Xepaichem Bens”. He should know that he is the monarch only of what he surveys within the 4 walls of the Church where he is serving, not community and God but for himself. His blind supporters are from “hoi polloi” category for whom in the name of God he brainwashes nicely.

Recently. after, I wrote an article in this forum on ‘Satanisation of Priesthood’ for which innumerable priests from Goa and elsewhere sent their appreciation to me, I noticed how much our rough priest is disliked by his own colleagues leave aside the faithfuls, because of his roughness. But few Chamchas of this rough priest including some ‘Cheddio’ sent me fake emails threatening me. One person according to my information told the rough priest that HE will hit me. At an appropriate time and at an appropriate place I will give this “potto” an opportunity to execute HIS threat and if HE is the real son of HIS real father HE will execute HIS threat otherwise opposite may happen and at that time let me see if rough priest will come to HIS aid.

In HIS threat to me HE has already created a threat for HIM. HE is actively involved in the Church affairs distributing Holy Communion with HIS unholy hands with which HE wants to beat others; HE was involved in promoting Samudai in HIS building though HE is using threats against me in an anti-Christian manner. For such persons God’s punishes severely because such people in the name of their Christian activities are cheating their Christian principles. And because of God’s punishment for such cheats, innocent people around HIM also becomes victim of God wrath.

God wanted to punish HIM for giving wrong impression of HIS Christian doctrine by promoting Samudai in HIS building. How did God’s move worked? There is a saying in Konkani “Eka Patkeak Lagon Devan Tarum Buddoilem”. In order to punish one sinner, the Ship carrying all the passengers was sunk thru devine punishment. This was what has happened to the promoter of Samudai in HIS building. Suddenly and unexpectedly, this month legal notice was served on all the tenants staying in this building to vacate. No Samudai – No cheating on Christian doctrine – No fooling the people in the building in the name of Samudai projecting HIMself as holy man. God does not accept chicanery and treachery. Because of the sin of one Catholic Chicaner, God punished all the tenants. I hope Capuchin knows this and learns more lessons from this incident. Capuchin must stop encouraging his Church Chamchas from speaking threatening language not only against me but against anyone. Threatening language goes against Christianity and against priesthood. The Bishop must act stringently on this topic before it erupts into a volcano.

To handle me is not an easy task for these Church associated pimps, kids and ruffian Capuchin though I am an ordinary and simple man. I don’t think Capuchin encountered another me in Qatar. Kuwait is not Qatar. Kuwaitkars have faced the life as none in the whole of Gulf and I was one of the centre pieces in facing this life and facing strong confrontation and not those stupid Catholics involved in the Church affairs who are nothing in life. They are something only because they are in Kuwait otherwise they would not even get partners to get married. They must thank Kuwait for affording them opportunities to work.

These Church associated rascals had no marbles in their Pants and Balls in their Bras to associate with us in our movement in Goa during the invasion of Kuwait to oppose openly the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. For such anti-Kuwait Catholics Church is a very cheap area to gain cheap limelight easily. In some places, priests like Ministers demand Sex for inducting faithfuls in the Church activities, like inducting in any Church Ministries. In Catholics run school priests are demanding Whiskey, money and even Sex to dole admissions and other privileges to the students and thereby these Catholic priests serve the interest of Devil. The very person who wants to hit me was hiding under the petticoat of HIS wife when we were organising our movement in Goa against the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. In this way HE showed HIS anti-Kuwait attitude. This man wants Kuwait only to make money and not to support Kuwait openly during the critical time of Kuwait. If HE cannot show open gratitude to Kuwait from where HE is earning HIS livelihood then how HE will show HIS gratitude to God?

It is sad thing that our Church is infested with rowdies, goondas and ruffians. This has to be stopped with curative methods. Our Church is a very vibrant Church, our elders and seniors namely clergy and non-clergy members have worked hard and made lot of sacrifices for our Church. Their past efforts should not be discarded in an ungrateful manner. The new comers are ignorant of the efforts put in by our elders. The new comers with their rough attitude will undo what has already been done if there is no brake applied.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.