Jassem al-Kharafi | |
Birth Date: | 1940 |
Birth Place: | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
Death Date: | May 21, 2015 (age 75) |
Nationality: | Kuwaiti |
Office1: | Speaker of the Kuwait National Assembly |
Term Start1: | June 20, 2012 |
Term End1: | October 7, 2012 |
Predecessor1: | Ahmed al-Sadoun |
Successor1: | Ali al-Rashid |
Term Start2: | July 17, 1999 |
Term End2: | December 6, 2011 |
Predecessor2: | Ahmed al-Sadoun |
Successor2: | Ahmed al-Sadoun |
Office3: | Minister of Finance |
Term Start3: | March 3, 1985 |
Term End3: | June 12, 1990 |
Predecessor3: | Ali Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah |
Successor3: | Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudhan |
Children: | 6 |
Parents: | Mohammed al-Kharafi |
Relations: | Nasser al-Kharafi (brother) Faiza al-Kharafi (sister) Fawzi al-Kharafi (brother) Marzouq al-Ghanim (nephew) |
Native Name Lang: | ar |
Jassem Al-Kharafi, (Arabic: جاسم محمد عبدالمحسن الخرافي, 1940 – May 21, 2015) was a Kuwaiti oligarch who was the speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly from 1999 to 2011.[1] In his capacity as Speaker in 2006, Al-Kharafi played a critical role in the ascension of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to the emirship of Kuwait by coordinating a no-confidence vote of the incumbent emir, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah.[2] During the reign of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, his family conglomerate, M.A. Kharafi & Sons, dominated several sectors of the Kuwaiti economy, including construction, telecommunications and investment.[3]
Jassem al-Kharafi was born in Kuwait City in 1940, the son of Mohammed Abdulmohsen al-Kharafi, the founder of M. A. Kharafi & Sons.[4] Al-Kharafi studied Business Administration at the Manchester Trade Faculty in Kuwait and was director of M. A. Kharafi & Sons before being elected to the National Assembly in 1975.[5] He was the Minister of Finance from 1985 to 1990.[6]
On July 13, 2008, Al-Kharafi publicly accused the West of provoking Iran on the nuclear issue. In his interview with state-owned Kuwait TV, Al-Kharafi said, "What is happening is that there are provocative Western statements, and Iran responds in the same way... I believe that a matter this sensitive needs dialogue not escalation, and it shouldn't be dealt with as if Iran were one of America's states."[7]
On July 1, 2008, Al-Kharafi criticized the assembly's human rights committee for holding a meeting with US embassy officials without asking permission from the speaker.August 2013. The meeting occurred on June 30, 2008, to discuss the latest US State Department report that accorded Kuwait a tier three status on trafficking in people for its treatment of domestic helpers and foreign workers. Later, the head of the committee, Waleed Al-Tabtabai, said the meeting was held on the basis of a request by the embassy and that the committee has not "overstepped the authorities of the speaker or the foreign ministry," adding that the committee had received similar requests in the past.August 2013.
The US embassy officials were reported to have refused to discuss the US decision to freeze the assets of the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society.[8]
In July 2006, he vigorously denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon saying that the war would "turn us all into terrorists".[9] [10]
Al-Kharafi was elected Speaker of the National Assembly in 1999. He served as Speaker for five terms, the most in Kuwait's history, until deciding that he would not stand for reelection in the 2012 National Assembly elections.[11]
His brother Nasser ran M. A. Kharafi & Sons, and was listed by Forbes as one of the richest people in the world. His sister, Faiza, was rector of Kuwait University. The University of Tirana on 7 October 2011 awarded him an Honoris Causa title.[12]