Former Kuwaiti Speaker of Parliament

J*em Al-Kharafi, (Arabic: جاسم محمد عبدالمحسن الخرافي), (1940 – May 21, 2015) was a Kuwaiti billionaire businessman who was the speaker of the Kuwaiti National *embly from 1999 to 2011. 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 *embly in 1975. He affiliated with the liberal deputies and was regarded as a pro-government liberal. However, Al-Kharafi has broken with the royal family on occasion. He criticized the ruling Al-Sabah family, and in July 2006 vigorously denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon saying that the war would "turn us all into terrorists".

Al-Kharafi's family is wealthy. His brother N*er 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 gave him an Honoris Causa *le.

Contents

• 1 Early life
• 2 Minister of finance
• 3 Views on Iran
• 4 Criticism of Human Right Committee's neglect of protocol
• 5 Speaker of Kuwaiti National *embly
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Early life

J*em al-Kharafi was born in Kuwait City in 1940, the son of Mohammed Abdulmohsen al-Kharafi, the founder of M. A. Kharafi & Sons.

Minister of finance

He was the Minister of Finance from 1985 to 1990.

Views on Iran

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."

Criticism of Human Right Committee's neglect of protocol

On July 1, 2008, Al-Kharafi criticized the *embly's human rights committee for holding a meeting with US emb*y officials without asking permission from the speaker. 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 emb*y 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.

The US emb*y officials were reported to have refused to discuss the US decision to freeze the *ets of the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society.

Speaker of Kuwaiti National *embly

Al-Kharafi was elected Speaker of the National *embly 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 *embly elections.

References

External links

• Kharafi parliament's profile
• A 2003 Interview
• We Are Grateful to the U.S. for Liberating Kuwait but the Americans Are Patronizing aired on Al-Majd TV on 21 January 2007