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The arid (desert) habitat of Al-Mahara, Yemen's eastern-most province, is somehow suitable to snakes. Humans are often oblivious to the dangers. But, the people of Al-Mahara have developed many ways to combat snake poisoning.

Raaboot
It is an age-old treatment by specialized persons for snake bites, called Raaboot in Al-Mahara. Those who administer this treatment have received the secret of the profession from their fathers and forefathers before them. Legend has it that they have natural immunity against snake poison due to an ancient accord between man and snake: they do not kill it and it does not poison them!

Bahamoot Bahamoot
When a person is bitten by a poisonous snake, his family would do everything they can to fetch a Raaboot man, even if they have to travel long distances.
On arrival, the Raaboot man immediately sits by the patient's head. He is accompanied by a group of 7 or 10 people, who for two hour chant an ancient incantation used for this purpose. It goes Bahamoot, Bahamoot in a monotone voice. Then the Raaboot man leaves after making sure that poison has left the patient's body, either through vomiting or diarrheatic stool. Other signs of the poison's effect abating include the patient's body temperature dropping to normal, subsiding of liver pain, and decrease in swelling.
Raaboot is also used by the Al-Mahara people to treat yellow fever.

Scent Tracking
Local legend ascribes superhuman abilities to Raaboot men. They can smell the scent of the snake poison inside the body of a bitten person from a long distance.
While traveling with his brother and their merchandise-laden camels in an arid valley, a Raaboot man smelled the scent of snake poison more than 10km away. He ran all the way, guided by the scent, to the patient and started the Raaboot procedures. It took him all night to expel the poison from the body of the patient. This fable shows that these Raaboot men are willing to sacrifice their possessions for the sake of helping a fellow human being.

Types of Mahara Snakes
Desert snakes are more dangerous than rural or urban snakes. Those found in Mahara include the following:
1- Black adder or Hobayt in Al-Mahara.
2- Asfoor bites the head of a human being by jumping in the air while producing a frightening whistle. 3- Kabsh or dallom is short and thick with a spotted abdomen and a foul smell. It produces a lot of poison, but becomes paralyzed for almost 24 hours after biting.
4- Moqarabt al-Kafan or coffin bringer is very dangerous and deadly.
5- Zayraq is black and white and swift in movement.
There are several other species of snake in Al-Mahara, some even with little horns.

Incandescent Jewel
Some locals and lone travelers swear that a certain kind of snake has an incandescent jewel, which as they claim is really a piece of flesh the radiates light at night. Some eccentrics seek out this "jewel" because they believe that possessing it will bring them huge fortunes, provided that nobody knows about it. But everything is lost when this "jewel" is lost.

By: Saad Ali Mohaisin,
Yemen Times, Al-Mahara.

Saleh Abdubaqi, musician

For a long time on the southern Yemen, the influence of the traditional Sanaani song held sway with its reliance on the rhythms of the lute and little drums. Then singers and musicians began to be influenced by Indian and Egyptian music through the respective films of these two countries, which were shown in just about every cinema.

Almost every artist founded a special style for himself to add new vision and artistic objectivity to the musical movement in that part of Yemen through the songs of Ahmed Al-Qomandan, the founder of the Lahaji artistic revival, Saleh Naseeb and Saleh Mahdi.
Through the production of gramophone records in Aden, modern Yemeni singing styles became widely spread in the Gulf countries. Thus, the Yemeni song with all of its creative forms was the pioneer during that golden age all over Yemen and the Gulf.

It is worth mentioning some singers like Abdu and Talal Maddah, who is originally from Hadhramaut. They were influenced by Yemeni singing; Talal Maddah performed the song 'Ala Shaneh' or 'For his sake.' This song was written by the Yemeni poet Mahmoud Al-Salami of Lahaj, but Talal Maddah modified the tune.

The Qatari singer Mohammed Al-Baloshi performed the song 'Robama Melleit Minni Yarashiq' or 'maybe you got fed up o slender one,' and modified its tune. This song was originally written by the lyricist Abdulqader Al-Kaf.
Thus, Gulf artists have become well known thanks to these Yemeni songs. They have misled the Arab people by laying claim to these Yemeni songs. This makes our creative artists and poets resentful, since there is no union to protect their works and claim their rights. It is as if the Gulf countries want to say that there is no Yemeni art and creativity.

It should be said that nobody can suppress or ignore Yemeni art and singing. It is the property of all Arabs, provided they acknowledge its origin. Gulf artists should. Saudi artists who are originally from Yemen such as Mohammed attribute these Yemeni songs to their original composers, taking into consideration the literary traditions. A union of Yemeni artists must be established to protect the rights of creative Yemeni artists.

Finally, all people will undoubtedly recognize that Yemeni songs, in spite of the piracy, are the original and Gulf songs emanate from Yemeni art.
_______________________

Ahmed Bin Ahmed Qassem: Singer & Composer,  originally from Aden,  started career there, perfomred  and made records in Kuwait	Mohammed Murshed Naji: MP, singer & Composer, originally from Aden, started career in Aden, worked occasionally in Saudi Arabia and perfomred in Kuwait.	Mohammed Saad Abdullah: Singer & Composer, originally from Aden, started career there, perfomed and made records in Saudi Arabia & Kuwait.
Ahmed Fat'hi: Singer & Composer, orginally  from Hodeida, started career in Hodeida & Aden, live in Sharaja, UAE since '80s, established a  music institute in UAE.	Fursan Khaleefa: Singer and Composer,  originally from Aden,  started career in Aden,  lives in Sharaja, United  Arab Emirates.	Mohammed Abdu: Singer and Composer,  originally from Hodeida,  now Saudi National,  started career in  Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrab Idress: Singer & Composer,  originally from Hadhramaut, Kuwaiti national, Ph.D. in music, lives in Kuwait.	Abu Bakr Salim Belfaqeeh: Singer, originally from Hadhramaut, started his career in Aden, now a Saudi national living in Saudi Arabia.	Talal Maddah: Singer & Composer, originally  from Hadramaut, Saudi  national living and  performing in Saudi Arabia.

Nizar Qabbani, one of the Arab World's greatest Poets, died at his home in London on the 30 April because of a heart attack. Qabbani, known for his sensual and romantic Arabic poetry, had suffered several heart attacks, the latest in October 1997.

Born on 21 March, 1923, in Syria, Qabbani earned a law degree from the University of Damascus in 1945 and held diplomatic posts in Cairo, Ankara, London, Madrid, Beijing and Beirut before resigning from the service in 1966.

The poet who found the "Nizar Qabbani" publishing house in Lebanon in 1967, published his first poem, "The Brunette Had Told Me" in 1944. Women were the main theme and inspiration of his poems, considered daring across the Arab World. His native city of Damascus is omnipresent in his writing and poems, namely the "Jasmin Scent of Damascus."
After 1967 Qabbani turned to political poetry where the themes of woman and defeat fused.
He was married twice, and his second wife, Bilquis Al-Rawi, an Iraqi, perished in the 1981 bombing of the Iraqi embassy in Beirut where she worked.

The great Arab poet Nizar Qabbani left us. The poet of love and rebellion left after he planted in every Arab city a green tree to provide shadow for kids in the garden of their future.
The great heart which was beating with poetry for women stopped after. The poet who refused to give up or surrender to any earthly authority left us carrying in his hands the nation's issues. His great poetry is sung by many great Arab singers.

Ismail Al-Ghabiry,
Yemen Times

THE ENGAGEMENT

The bridegroom's family usually sends some people who are well known to the bride's family to ask for the hand of their daughter. If the bride's family agree to the proposal, an appointment is set to discuss the dowry, the costs of the wedding ceremony and other details.
The next step is the engagement of the couple (khitbah), which is a ceremony in which the groom presents a ring, some perfumes, a set of gold jewelry and some clothes to the bride. Also, the groom gives some clothes as a present to the bride's relatives such as the mother and grandmother. The bride wears the clothes, the ring and the jewelry. Some coffee, tea, milk and cakes are presented to the guests during the engagement ceremony.

THE CONTRACT

After the two families agree on everything then comes the marriage contract ('aqd). At the time the marriage contract is being consummated, the relatives of the groom bring with them some raisins and almonds. A judge (qadhi) is invited to finalize the contract. The signing of the contract is attended by the groom and his family along with the bride's family and some relatives. After performing the contract of marriage, the raisins and the almonds are scattered over the hands of the groom and the father-in-law.
At this point, the bride and groom become wife and husband.

THE MARRIAGE
In Sanaa, on the day of the wedding day, there is a musical party where a female singer and a drummer lead the procession carrying the bride. The bride wears an expensive dress and women dance during the festive party.
On the second day, a woman comes to clothe the bride with a silk dress and an embroidered veil. The bride wears a coral necklace.

The face of the bride is covered during these two days. Also, during the second day some Shazab (scented shrub) is put into the vases in front of the bride during the wedding procession.
Some incense is put into the censers to protect the bride from the evil eye. At night, a woman dapples the bride, her sisters and her aunts with henna at the bride's family expense.

At the third day of the marriage, the bride's family hosts a banquet for the bridegroom and his relatives, and the attendants come in the afternoon to celebrate the wedding. The bride wears the traditional white dress and the Yemeni crown which is like a triangle and is laiden with gold.
Then, the bride goes to the party and the groom is carried in a procession in the street. At the end of the wedding procession, the bride goes to her bridegroom's house along with her father, uncle and brother. When she arrives at the home of her bridegroom, relatives of the bridegroom break some eggs by her feet.

At the fourth day, the guests dance in the morning in front of the bridegroom's house and then he goes along with the guests for a drive.
At the fifth day, the bridegroom visits his father-in-law along with his bride. The bridegroom gives some money to his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
At the seventh day, the family of the bride visits the bridegroom's family and they eat lunch together. The bride is carried in procession until the night. The relatives of the bride, holds a party called "Taskama" and that may be after 10 days or one month.

Khairiya Al-Shabeebi

The third book of the monthly Culture Series was recently issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Entitled "Al-Jawi: The Light of Freedom and Unity," the book deals extensively with the life and times of the late Omar Al-Jawi - the courageous symbol of Yemeni patriotism.
The book is a collection of articles and essays written by more than 20 Yemeni politicians and intellectuals such as Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh, Abdullah Al-Baradooni, Ahmed Jaber Afeef, and the Minister of Culture. It was edited by Saeed Al-Janahi and Abdulhafeedh Al-Nahari.
The Light of Freedom and Unity consists of 291 medium-format pages with indexes of historical documents and rare photographs.

Born in 1938 in Lahaj, Omar Al-Jawi was the leader of the Yemeni Unitary Congregation and was famous for his struggle against the backward regime of the Imam and fight for the unification of Yemen. He was a fearless and outspoken man, who always said the truth and criticized despots and dictatorships regardless of the consequences.