Is it permissible to leave Kuwait, and would that constitute leaving the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation)?

The questioner : We are currently in the Dammam area. Many people from this same area are leaving with their families for more distant areas like Jeddah, Riyadh, and Madinah. Some take their families and then return. I can hardly say what their intentions are in leaving. Is there a ruling on leaving the land of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation)? Is it recommended, or is there some blame in it?

The Shaykh : By Allah, if you want the truth, as is your custom, you should all, men and women, be far away from the lands occupied by the disbelievers, where they have begun to spread their disbelieving customs, traditions, and morals. And because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ruled—and you must have read, or at least heard from me or someone else—his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): meaning that whoever mixes with the polytheist is like him, and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Now, people in all the lands of the Arabs and Islam fear that the war declared by this disbeliever, Bush, will break out. Therefore, they are making very strange preparations; we have seen their effects in our country here, and now we are hearing of new effects in your country there. They fear that the war will happen and that its circle will turn, and they fear that the Americans occupying the coasts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be hit. Therefore, they are fleeing with themselves and their families to the interior. I see no objection to that, whatever their intention may be, because jihad is not at all in question here, unless there were a jihad against the Jews or a jihad against the supporters of the Jews, namely the Americans and the British, and the disbelieving Crusaders who follow them. But none of that exists. And because this is not present, some people with weak minds get excited by Saddam’s speech and do not realize that he is a tyrant, because he raised his voice to fight the Americans. So they are deceived by such honeyed words. Is that clear?

The questioner : Yes, it is very clear, our Shaykh.