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People ‘without’

Kuwait’s ‘Bidoon’ have been stripped of rights and treated as second-class citizens.

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Three men from the Bidoon community sit at a dewaniya, or gathering that is an indispensable feature of a Kuwaiti man(***)s social life.
By Greg Constantine
Published On 19 Jun 2013
Some 40,000 Bidoon - which means "without" - live in the slum of Taimaa, which is located 40 minutes outside of Kuwait City. 
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After working as a police officer for 18 years, this 60-year-old man was fired from his job in 1991. Prior to 1985, the Bidoon enjoyed many of the same rights as other Kuwaitis, including working for the government. 
Bidoon gather for a demonstration in the Taimaa area, 45 minutes outside of Kuwait City to demonstrate for their right to equality and citizenship.
Bidoon demonstrations over the past two years have been met with violent crackdowns by Kuwaiti authorities. 
Kuwaiti security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop the protesters. About 30 people were arrested. Several were injured and hospitalised.
A Bidoon man sells vegetables out of his truck in the al-Jahra area of Kuwait. Unable to obtain a license, his business is illegal and subject to confiscation and fines.
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This 54-year-old man was highly decorated in the Kuwait Air Force but was fired in 1991. Since then he has not been able to hold regular employment. 
A 30-year-old Bidoon man earns a living by driving his truck around as an illegal taxi. 
Bidoon women sell clothing at a market outside of Kuwait City, but cannot obtain business licenses.
As the older generation passes away, Bidoon homes are often destroyed to make way for other developments.
Graffiti adorns a wall in the Taimaa area  where a large population of Bidoon lives. It reads: "Til when are we Bidoon [without]?", and "I will break your heart".