03 - January 15th thru January 21th
2001, Vol XI
 
Disability
There is nothing new in my walking today. Streets, pavements, small stones
and even empty tins know me, and remember my steps in this region as I
have always walked those streets, alone - alone without a shadow, without
a trace. Do you know? Even street girls hate my loiter. So I won’t disturb
them today, I’ll just roam around, without any goal.
The cafe in the corner, has many chairs and tables in front of it,
overlooking the street. “Oyeh”, I cried. A cup of tea will help me in making
up my mind about what I shall do this day. The sun is on the verge of dying,
I look at the people walking quickly and wonder if they too don’t know
their goals like me. I set my cup on the table in front of me, red like
the sinking sun behind the mountain. I see a man, and I guess his age to
be 40, with his face pale and his beard thick. With his fingers tightening
around a cup of tea, he sat down against me, took a sip then brought a
cigarette from his pocket and lit it on his lips. He stayed there sipping
and smoking and my cup was still half-full when he finished his. He looked
like he was a worker who carried stones and cement sacks on his shoulders.
He threw his cigarette butt on the ground rather carelessly and left. I
stayed again alone. His age told me that I am young, his shabby clothes
told me that I am affluent and his quick leaving told me that he needs
a rest after a hard day.
Without finishing my tea, I got up to leave. The sun had already disappeared
behind the mountain. I squashed cigarette butt and went away.
Jameel Shamsan
Sana’a University.
Human Greatness
Human greatness means broad mindedness, which is a quality preached in
all histories. “A great man is not one who stops merely to discuss personal
affairs, but a man who pays attention and argues general ideas on human
ideologies as well.” At least, this is what most philosophers have said.
Therefore, the great human must not be selfish, and should ignore his/her
special affairs dedicating his/her life for serving others (without grumbling.)
A great human tries to make mankind live happily by spreading love
and happiness in their minds and hearts.
Labeeb Mutahar Al- Ariky
Civil Engineer, Sana’a University.
Dear Editor,
I am a South African and also do some free-lance writing. In October
last year, my husband and I visited Yemen for three weeks. We thoroughly
enjoyed our stay and were impressed by Yemen’s beauty and its hospitable
people.
However, I have to agree with Tawfeek al-Shara’abi regarding the issue
of security (Tourism Industry on the Wane, Yemen Times 2-8 January 2001).
The security measures to protect tourists are rather awkward and unfriendly
towards tourists.
Our main objection, however, is that tourists are expected to pay the
police! On our way from the Wadi Dawan via Al Mukalla to Bir ‘Ali, we travelled
through no less than eight checkpoints, each time picking up a new police
escort, whom we had to pay before we could proceed to the next checkpoint.
It is ridiculous! Surely, tourist cannot be expected to pay for their own
safety!
If government wants to attract more tourists to your beautiful country,
it should seriously look at this aspect. One cannot help to get the impression
that the situation is also being exploited by some police officials.
Please keep up the pressure on your government. Yemen has the potential
to become a much sought after tourist destination, provided it sets a few
things straight.
We will try our best to encourage South Africans to visit your country.
Yemenia Air now has direct flights between Johannesburg and Sana’a
at reasonable rates. Yemen also has an embassy in Pretoria and your friendly
and capable ambassador, Mr Abdullah Noman, is doing a great job to ensure
that visas are issued quickly and efficiently.
We enjoy reading your newspaper!
Ona Viljoen
onav@eastcape.net
Dear Editor,
Thank you very much for your reply to my letter. The articles on Nadia
were very interesting, yet I’m still unsure about this case and I don’t
believe that Zana wrote the two books as a publicity ploy. There are a
couple of un-answered questions for example, how did she get married so
quickly if it wasn’t an arranged marriage? (I don’t think it was love at
first site!) She looks extremely upset and lonely in the pictures and I
don’t believe for one moment that she doesn’t wish to return to England.
She has not been back since she was fourteen and everyday she is treated
as a slave, she has to carry water everyday and how can she not miss her
family after all those years? How can you be sure that the house you think
is hers is actually hers! It is also upsetting to think you have such little
faith in Zana are her family. As far as I’m concerned your paper is just
trying to fool the readers because you are embarrassed of the bad publicity
your country is getting. There are so many things to be suspicious of.
Unfortunately because cases like this are so common in the Yemen, the rest
of the world will be believe this story and nothing different. In the book
it “A promise to Nadia”, whenever the family arrange a meeting with Nadia,
the husband and Yemen officials must be present. Obviously Nadia will be
under a lot of pressure from both her husband and the Yemen officials to
say whatever her husband tells her to say. She won’t speak the truth for
fear of being beaten! This leads me to believe that this is how your articles
were written. I have no doubt that Nadia told you she didn’t want to go
back to England, she probably told you she preferred to live in the Yemen
but the point is that she is under a lot of pressure from her husband and
his family, to say what is right. If she doesn’t, she will be in fear for
her life and maybe her children’s lives also. I know this is a harsh thing
to say but it seems that it is completely acceptable for a husband to beat
and control his wife in the Yemen. Apart from this case there are dozens
of other cases about Yemeni women being beaten and treated as slaves everyday.
Women are in fear of their lives and until your government changes the
laws, you will never have a proper democratic government which looks after
the lives of all the people. Being from a developed country, I’m not used
to this. Women are equal to men here, nearly all of the women are literate
and have earned a good education. Women are also in top positions of government
and most importantly, women are not “slaves” to their husbands here.
Maybe someday Nadia will be free back in England with her children
and only then when she is in England, surrounded by people who love her
(not controlling men) will she be able to tell the full and accurate story
of her life. If we find out exactly what your paper said “ “she is extremely
happy in the Yemen and her sister is taking advantage of her to publicize
her book and get money.” Then I owe you and your readers an apology but
unfortunately I can’t believe anything that was written in your newspaper
articles until that time comes, sooner rather than later.
Clare S.
SnazzySimmy@hotmail.com.
Dear Editor,
This is the first time I m writing to you. My name is Waleed and I
am leaving here in Sana’a and working here too.
I just wanted to inform the people of Yemen how they are treated in
their own country, as my dad is a Yemeni and my mom is of Indian origin
and I am a Yemeni with a Yemeni identification card and passport.
Since my childhood I spent my life in Yemen and India, then at last
I came back to Yemen and just two days ago I went to the interior ministry
to get a new ID ‘bitaqa’ but after many questions they gave me a form and
asked me whether I stayed abroad and when I said yes they asked for my
passport, after giving them my passport they questioned a lot then they
said that your mother is an Indian so you cant get a new ‘bitaqa’ and your
both parents should be Yemeni.
Is this a law that your parents should be of a same nationality, there
are many people in Yemen who married foreigners so does that mean that
their children cant get Yemeni nationality.
They treated me as if I was not in my own country, they treated me
as if I am a foreigner, and are the rules and regulations practiced in
Yemen only and they do their work as per the rules.
If that’s the rule then I would advise all people of Yemen not to marry
any foreigner so their children will not face any problems in the future.
It’s very strange to be treated in this way, and I guess this is why
people here hate government officers and this is why they want to migrate
to another countries just to get rid of problems like this of mine.
I hope that they look into this matter and treat their people in a
right way, I demand nothing else.
Thanks and best regards.
Waleed W. Al-Jailani
Re:article 8 day baby and tumor of head.
Good reporting and excellent story.
After seeing the size of the mass,I believe the anesthesiology practicioner
also deserves some credit. Even in the US, this case would be a anesthesia
challenge.
Thank You.
Y. Mordecai Safeek, MD, Diplomate ABA
Director of Anesthesiology
Clark Regional Medical Center
Winchester, KY USA
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