We feel uneasy belittling this great nation by suggesting the above title…

Perhaps what made us settle on this harsh heading was what seemed to be a non-ending struggle to win our just human rights amid a very strange fusion of realities.

In – what may sound – a slightly sarcastic manner, we will try to demonstrate a few facts which may portray how we see this “Yemeni Spring”.

Let’s see what we have:

The revolution we all longed for was immediately mutilated by crippled political parties, religious fanatics, corrupt politicians and, a suspicious merger of a military-faction whose “defected” General is still receiving his regular supplies of ammunition, fuel, food and salaries from… none other than the embattled president himself!

We have an autocrat who over-confidently continues to defy all domestic and international demands to step down peacefully after a 33-year long absolute rule.

Next, a nation claimed to be “a modern nation of civil national institutions” is amazingly reduced to a family-run army with no sign whatsoever of the other institutions!

Moreover, we’re looking at a suspicious lenient approach by the 2 major regional and international powers towards the president’s continuous audacity and intimidation. This is topped by a trivial UN Security Council resolution which seems to be conveniently interpreted by each rival as being supportive to its cause and conduct.

The so called Elite or “Inner Circle” enfolding the president has broken into two destructive blocs: One of the sly, corrupt and resourceful family members and celebrities (which is free-offhandedly running all the current chaos and provoking the daily bloodshed); and the other bloc, encompassing less-harmful yet influential figures, who decided to step aside observing silently when they could have done so much to stop this deteriorating situation.

Then we have the moderate outspoken political figures and advisers to the president who have also decided to watch silently from a distance, not realizing that their silence cannot be justifiable anymore, particularly at this phase of the crisis.

On the other hand, there’s the Vice President who is totally lost and clueless! Well… most people never expected much from him anyway, but maybe this shows us the sort of characters our Arab rulers prefer to have as their lawful deputies!

Regionally, our neighboring “sister”, Saudi, continues to finance both rivals of this disaster: the president and the Ahmar Brothers (as it has been doing for the past few decades). It took a while for many to realize this devious role our influential neighbor continues to play to make sure Yemen stays under its mercy and that no positive change can be achieved in Yemen beyond its control or blessing. However, if good change is an absolute necessity in Yemen, then it should only be within permissible limits.

It is puzzling, though, how Yemenis manage to adapt themselves to almost any situation: Without electricity, fuel, cooking gas, security or even jobs, they miraculously manage to survive … silently! Similar punishments, if sanctioned by governments in any other country, could have sparked multiple revolutions!

And recently, we’ve seen a disgraceful act by the country’s leader who refrained from congratulating the first Yemeni (and the world’s first Arab woman) to win the Noble Prize. Instead, official media dared to attribute this to the president as being one of his achievements!

Finally, the “Silent” majority of Yemenis is desperate for change but confused or maybe lacks the courage and confidence to reveal its real power.

For how much longer can such confusions and intimidation go on?

Poor Yemenis… They seem to be doomed to fight on so many fronts at the same time: The regime, the opposition, the Saudi domination, while trying to remind the rest of the world that Yemen is not just a potential base for AQAP, but a nation whose women, men and even children have decided to say “no” to oppression and will never stop doing so until their dreams of a brighter future become a reality.

Some may say: “Enough of this; let’s look at the brighter side of things”. We couldn’t agree more. Let’s all join hands to build a better Yemen for us and for our children.

Be confident; each one of you can, and will, make a difference.