Armies of Liberation

yay!!!

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The West Sana’a Court terminated on Saturday the decision of Ministry of Information to cancel the license of al-Wasat independent weekly and fined Minister of Information YR 50,000 ($250).

The Ministry of Information decided a month ago to cancel the license of al-Wasat claiming the paper published materials against the national unity and Yemeni’s ties with some countries. The Ministry has claimed the Law of Press and Publication allows it to take such a decision, but the editor of al-Wasat Jamal and Amer along with Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) and press freedom advocates have struggled against the decision which they said “has not legal base”.

Information Minister lacks jurisdiction: court

Sana’a, Yemen - A Yemeni court on Saturday annulled a decree by Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi to close one of the country’s top opposition newspapers. The minister had issued a decree cancelling the licence of the al- Wasat weekly on April 5, citing violations against “national unity.”

The decree had said the withdrawal of the paper’s licence was “due to its publication of materials prohibited by the law and against the national unity.”

But now Chief judge of the West Sana’a Court Muhammad al-Qadhi said the minister “lacked jurisdiction to cancel the newspaper’s licence.”

(Read on …)

NDI:
Despite these improvements, however, the atmosphere of anxiety in the run-up to the
elections caused by fears of violence, as well as heavy-handed and coercive measures on and after
election day by elements of the ruling GPC in many polling stations across the country are troubling.

There were credible reports of election law violations including political intimidation, underage
voting, improper behavior by security forces, vote buying and obstruction by ruling party counting
commissioners. Serious incidents were witnessed by the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs (NDI) delegates in Sanaa, Aden, Taiz, the Hadramaut and elsewhere around the
country. There have also been reports of ruling party retribution against supporters of opposition
candidates, especially against teachers and other civil servants. By-elections, which were held in four
constituencies in July, were particularly flawed, with reports of commissioners actively encouraging
or insisting that voters mark their ballots outside the booth, and numerous irregularities during
counting procedures.

Reports of misconduct and manipulation of the vote tabulation and the appearance of
judicial bias during the appeal period also cast an unfortunate shadow over the elections. NDI
recommends that a careful and open review of the elections law and legal procedures pertaining to
election complaints be undertaken. Specifically, the Institute suggests the following steps be taken
to build confidence in future elections:
• review of election complaints procedures
• clarification of the enforcement authority of the SCER before the 2006 Presidential and local
council elections
• redrawing of political boundaries to bring parliamentary constituencies into compliance with
a requirement that they be demographically balanced and equal
• correction of deficiencies in the voter registry
• adoption of impartial guidelines to achieve balanced political coverage in the news media
• review of the role of the military in elections
• a review of election law and procedures to remove or modify those aspects which inhibit
women’s ability to campaign effectively for public office
• implementation of voter education campaigns stressing the importance of individual
decision-making

Another blast from the past, November, 2005:

On another front, The HCER acknowledged the existence of 400 thousand minors who have been enlisted on the election registers. However, it has not undertaken any rectifying measures to delete minors from the list despite claims by the opposition parties to modify the elections register as early as possible.

MEO:

Major donor countries, concerned that the reform process in Yemen has stalled, have stepped up pressure on the Sanaa regime by linking aid to tangible change.

“The donors have made it clear that there has to be change,” whether pertaining to public freedoms or the fight against corruption, a Sanaa-based diplomat said, requesting anonymity. President Ali Abdullah Saleh “has been pressured a lot by the international community on reform and good governance,” he said.

It seems a long time since Saleh was invited by US President George W. Bush to take part in a G8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia, in June 2004 in order to endorse Washington’s “Broader Middle East” initiative for democratization of the Arab-Islamic world. Two years later, Washington no longer sees Sanaa as one of its best pupils.

Ambassador Thomas Krajeski publicly aired US concern that Yemen had halted progress toward democracy in an interview with the private newspaper Al-Ayyam last October. Yemeni authorities deny dragging their feet on reform, but Krajeski said that his remarks were prompted by “an increasing harassment of journalists and closing of some independent newspapers, causing all of us concern about Yemen’s democratic commitment and the pace of democratic reforms”. “We remain concerned” by the situation in terms of liberties, chiefly press freedom, he said. Attacks against journalists have increased in recent months, and authorities have failed to arrest any suspects in the assaults.

A draft press law, which one diplomat described as “a law that protects the government against journalists,” is also under consideration just a few months before presidential elections scheduled for September. Another diplomat noted, however, that Yemen and Kuwait are the only two countries in the Arabian peninsula “where there is an opposition press that can go very far in its criticism” of government policies.

Information Minister Hassan Ahmad al-Lawzi insisted in remarks to AFP that the government “condemns” attacks against journalists and that press freedom will be “protected.” Another black spot in Yemen’s record is corruption, which both foreign diplomats and Yemenis see as spreading rather than decreasing.

Washington was not long in making its displeasure known. During a visit to the United States in November, Saleh was informed of its decision to deprive Yemen of financial assistance which would have made it eligible for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), an aid programme for impoverished nations launched by the Bush administration in 2002.

The development assistance programme was proposed for countries “ruling justly, investing in their people and encouraging economic freedom.” Some countries that did not meet the criteria required to qualify for MCA assistance were selected to receive “Threshold Programme Assistance.”

The MCA programme links aid to the performance of a country, gauged on the basis of 16 indicators, including one related to civil liberties and another to “control of corruption.” Yemen was picked as a “threshold” country in 2004 before being suspended last November. “Because of increasing concern over government corruption and a perceived decline in commitment to individual freedoms, they (Yemen) were suspended pending improvement,” one diplomat said.

The immediate loss for Yemen ranged between 20 and 30 million dollars. But in the longer term, it forfeited potential aid of hundreds of millions of dollars by losing its eligibility for MCA assistance. The following month, the World Bank announced a one-third reduction of its aid to Yemen - from 420 to 280 million dollars - for the same reasons.

In early February, Germany, the United States, Britain and the Netherlands - Yemen’s top donors — told the Sanaa government they wanted to see “change” and a quick implementation of concrete steps toward reform. All of which did not sit well with the Yemeni president. During a visit to Beijing last month, Saleh pointedly remarked that China does not meddle in the internal affairs of the countries it helps, and on his return to Sanaa, he rejected “dictates and conditional support.”

Parliament reports on its failure to report:

A recent parliamentary report revealed egregious failures in the performance of the permanent committees in the parliament over the last three years. It indicated that there has been a striking increase of committees accompanied by a less and less achievement.
According to the report presented by the general administration of the committees the number of sessions of the complaints committee totaled 256 or 60% of the total sessions of committees. Following this performance is the committee on local authority. It met a total of 116 times or 2.7% of all total sessions. It too did not submit a report. The legislative oversight committee meet 232 times, or 4.5% of total parliamentary meetings and did not submit a single report over the last three years. The committee for rights and freedoms has only submitted three reports despite having met 113 times of 2.6% of total meetings. The committees for defense and commerce only submitted four reports over the course of three years. The committee for justice and waqf met the most at 285 times and reported back only 7 times. The committees for higher education, education, and transport met 247, 252, 226 times respectively.
The report mentioned that the committees of development, oil and financial affairs alongside services and general health were the most productive. It met 197 times and submitted 18 reports. The health committee met 244 times and submitted 13 reports while the services committee met 254 times and thus submitted 14 reports. The committees for the constitution, water and environment, agriculture, fish, and affairs each produced 10 reports over the last three years.
Clause 73ab of the parliament’s by-laws does not stipulate the compensation for meetings of the committee except that it must not be less than one day’s compensation of the total of a member’s monthly salary. This daily amount is doubled if the meeting of the committee occurs during a holiday or when the parliament is not in session.
The evaluation confirms that many of the members of the committees are not active or effective and do not deal with the issues presented on the agenda. Some members only show up at the beginning or end while others sign the roster for absent members.

Related draft anti-corruption legislation

thats good

News Yemen:

The Joint Meeting Parties branch leadership has agreed upon the necessity of activating its work and communication with the supreme leadership and to do so with clarity and transparency. It also stressed that it must take a position in the upcoming elections and enter them even if they do not recognize their results.
Reporters were allowed in to the meeting held on Thursday at the headquarters of the central committee for the YSP. The supreme leadership of the JMP and leadership of the branches in the governorates were also in attendance. It was noticed that there were no women in attendance except for two who came on their own accord.
The supreme leadership demanded that they integrate with the masses and activate their role towards comprehensive political reform.
The assistant secretary general for Islah, Abdul Wihab Al-Ansi insisted upon the necessity of the brethren to continue working. He relies on the members of the JMP and its capabilities to activate the strength of the people and to go out on the streets.
Sultan Al-Utwani, secretary general of the Nasserite party stated that ten years ago he would not have imagined the holding of a meeting between the parties working toward the same goals. He stated that there is a dire need to regain the confidence of the people in the political parties and process.
Mohammed Qahtan, head of the executive body for the JMP stated in his opening remarks that the meeting was being held under tough circumstances due to corruption and bad politics. This has led to a precarious and catastrophic situation for Yemen. Rights and freedoms are curtailed and unemployment is on the rise.
Qahtan stated that he is not surprised by the position of the opposition towards the management of the elections and guarantees of its fairness especially given what journalists, doctors, and educators have gone through recently. He also stated that the JMP is the answer to ensure a peaceful transition to democratic rule.
Head of the high chamber for the JMP, Mohammed Al-Ribaai, stated that the selection of the leadership in the governorates is considered the first indication of the maturity of the national powers and the people. He considers that the long work of the JMP has brought the group to this period and indicates the maturity and awareness of the people.
He criticized the ruling power for intentionally bothering the JMP since its announcement of national political reform. “They have opened the issue of crises and have tried in more than one way to destroy the national effort.”
He stated that the JMP will begin their initiative in such a way that it will be successful. He asked that the branch leadership present all their suggestions and abilities. He stated that partnership means the free exchange of opinions and ideas. “We are partners so that we can arrive at a solid and correct base.”
A number of the branch leadership mentioned specific concerns to their governorates and the violations educators have been exposed to. Mahdi Jabir, head of the Islah branch in Hajja, stated that talking about corruption has become more acceptable among the people including among members of the ruling party.
Head of the Taiz branch stated that the ruling party holds the military, media, employment, judiciary, and Supreme Council for Elections, but that the people too hold much power.
Abdullah Sharaf Al-Hamidi in Ibb stated that the JMP is proceeding slowly but surely to resolve the problems and has selected principles to create change. He indicated that the SCER has become a supreme commission of the people’s council and that infractions must be looked into.
He stated that the JMP leadership has gone on visits to its parties but no such visits of the JMP leadership to the governorates or to the parties have occurred. He demands clarity and transparency. “We have different visions and have not been incorporated but if the will were found, we would perform many activities if asked.

That’s good news. from the Yemen Times

In its April 10 session, Parliament issued directions to the government to return fit motorcycles to work, stipulating that they should have customs license and metal plates. Parliament directed that unfit cycles can resume work as soon as they meet these conditions.

The decision came following sit-ins held by motorcyclists (known in Yemen as motors), their families and children in front of Parliament, the last of which was Monday. Several civil society representatives and journalists joined the motorcyclists and their families at Monday’s sit-in. They demanded the motorcycles’ release and for the government to stop hampering cyclists in earning their living.

Members of Parliament confirmed the unanimous decision and the fact that they are insistent on executing it. If the government refuses to carry it out, they will take measures against it, including withdrawal of confidence.

(Read on …)

Wow. That’s big.

A number of tribal leaders announced that they are forming a committee to enter the upcoming presidential and local elections. They hope to uproot the problems facing the tribal system in Yemen. Sheikh Mufarrah Bahibh, a member of the preparatory council stated that, “we are trying to form a national alliance to which all tribes would be loyal.” Concerning the reasons for creating this alliance, the sheikh stated that, “the real thrust behind the alliance is to make the social and economic issues facing this country a priority.” There are currently committees headed by the government to fight revenge killing. The Sheikh stated that, “the government did not respect the legislation of the parliament and did not respect the customs of the tribes. This is what made their committee fail.”
“We invite the opposition partied to coordinate their efforts with ours to overcome corruption and to participate together in the elections. If the opposition is ready to support one candidate with us, then we have no reservations.”
A member of the committee formed by the tribes, Sheikh Ali Salih Al-Shatif, stated that the committee consists of the Daham, Marad, Sihar, Al Umar tribes among others. These tribes are found in the governorates of Marib, Al-Jawf, Saada, and Shabwa.
It was reported to NewsYemen that the committee will include MPs, tribal leaders, and party members (primarily from Islah). It will hold meetings over the coming weeks to formulate its ideas precisely.

News Yemen

from the Yemen Times:

SANA’A, April 5 — Parliament refused on Wednesday to read the government’s constitutional amendments before distributing them to MPs. According to MPs, the amendments grant the Shoura Council some parliamentary authorities and approve increasing Shoura Council members from 111 to 151, stating that members must be elected by local councils.

Dr. Rashad Al-Rassas, State Minister for Parliament and Shoura Council Affairs, began reading President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s letter highlighting the amendments. But the majority of MPs interrupted him, as the letter violates parliamentary bylaws stipulating that any new constitutional amendment must be presented to the presidency and then discussed in Parliament before approval.

MP and Constitutional Committee member Abdurrazaq Al-Hijri said parliamentary bylaw Article No. 219 states: “The presidency must study and review any new amendment project for three days and then forward it to the Constitutional Committee for approval by a majority of MPs, which is more than 150. After two months, the project must be approved by three-fourths of MPs, except for articles necessitating public referendum, such as Article No. 69.”

Article No. 62 amendments include establishing another legislative chamber, in addition to the current legislative chamber represented by Parliament, Al-Hijri noted. The article’s amendments grant the Shoura council legislative authority after increasing its membership to 151, the majority of whom are to be elected by local council members while the others are to be appointed by the president.

Al-Hijri continued, “The amendments are not good, since those who framed them for President Saleh cared for their personal interests at the expense of public ones.” He commented that the amendments constitute a democratic setback.

He expressed curiosity at granting the Shoura Council legislative authority. “This is one of Yemen’s amendment scandals,” he said.

Dr. Aidarus Al-Naqeeb, head of the Yemeni Socialist Party parliamentary bloc, stated that reading any constitutional amendments without distributing them to MPs three days in advance is one of Parliament’s random and confusing procedures.

“Parliament deserves such random amendments because it showed no reaction to financial and administrative corruption in many governmental bodies,” MP Abdulkarim Shaiban said. “The president was supposed to use his power and dissolve Parliament in lieu of presenting these amendments.

“We do not oppose establishing another legislative chamber in addition to Parliament if it is elected by citizens rather than by the executive authority. If these constitutional amendments are approved, democracy will be out of place in our country,” Shaiban commented.

Many MPs held Parliament’s Executive Office accountable for not presenting the current budget or announcing the past year’s financial accounts.

Parliamentary Financial Committee member Zakaria Al-Zakari affirmed that the current budget was not presented to his committee for discussion, considering this one of the violations committed in Parliament, coupled with its approval of the state general budget for fiscal year 2006.

from News Yemen:

A number of MPs believe that the executive office of the parliament carries the responsibility for not presenting the current budget or announcing last year’s final accounts. Deputy Abdul Karim Shiban called for members to strike in front of the gates of the parliament for this violation.
Shiban told NewsYemen that the budget arrived late to the finance committee. It prepared a report on it and delivered it to the presidential division. He confirmed that the division did not submit anything to the parliament except for a final number. He added that the MPs position is due to lack of balance in the chamber and the marginalization of the role of parliament. He further stated that by holding parliamentary session with only thirty members it is unable to present anything.
Zakaria Al-Zakari of the finance committee confirmed that the budget was not presented before the assembly and thus discussion of it was refused following ratification of the state budget for FY2006. He justified the committee’s response by saying that the study of the budget will be scientific. Ahmed Al-Zahiri criticized the presidential division for taking unilateral decisions without resorting to the chamber.
Al-Zahiri stated that the decision is the decision of the parliament and suggested that the budget and the final accounts be presented next week. This proposal received approval.
In other news, deputy Mohammed Muqbil Al-Hamiri directed a question to the minister of planning and international cooperation (Abdul Karim Al-Arhabi) concerning the distribution of projects around the different areas of the republic. He believed that there was some level of arbitrariness in it. He also stated that the Social Bank for Development had a similar mechanism for distributing projects that was much more fair despite it being connected to the same ministry.

from the World Peace Herald:

Yemen’s opposition parties lashed out at the government for avoiding political reforms and pushing national dialogue underway for over a week to an impasse.

Leader of the main opposition Yemeni Socialist Party Yassine Naamane charged that the government was seeking to corner the opposition parties by placing before them two choices: a political crisis, or accepting deals and shady settlements that do not meet the aspirations of the people for political change.

“Both choices are unacceptable,” Naamane told reporters at a press conference in Sanaa late Thursday night, accusing the ruling General People’s Congress of driving dialogue to an impasse.

He said there was nothing in the dialogue to indicate an official tendency or directions by the authorities to make the upcoming presidential elections the first step towards political reform.

For his part, Deputy Secretary General of the opposition Yemeni Gathering for Reforms party Abdel Wahhab al-Assi stressed that the presidential elections scheduled in September “were the key to political reforms.”

He charged that the futile dialogue with the ruling party was a waste of time and “a trap set up for the opposition.”

Al-Assi, stressed, however, that the opposition is aware of the government’s manipulations “but believes in dialogue and cannot choose anything else since it has always called for it.”

The Secretary General of the Unifying Nasserite People’s party, Sultan Atwani, called for augmenting pressure on the authorities to reform the electoral committees and administration and aborting attempts to conduct elections in form only, without substance.

News Yemen

The Yemeni associations of teachers, technical education and vocational training have recently ended their countrywide strike over pay rise but vowed to continue protests and even resume strike if their demands are not met.
The three associations said in a joint statement released last Wednesday that what they gained hitherto is the outcome of unflinching ” struggle”.
They recount their gains as the enlisting of 39000 of teachers in the new Wages Scale, and the initial government recognition of teachers’ entitlement to Kind of Profession allowance.
However, the exact size of this allowance is yet a point of controversy between the government and the teachers groups.
The associations are planning to mount Monday a massive protest march in al-Tahrir Square down to the Presidency to lay their case before President Ali Abdullah Saleh as their “last resort”.
As the executive and legislative branches have “dashed hopes” of the teachers, they say they might consider suing the government. Previous talks with the education ministry officials and MPs aimed to secure the release of teachers jailed over strike and releasing the parts of their salaries earlier suspended as a punishment measure.
Earlier on, MPs accused the government of violating the Wages Law, intimidating teachers and coercing teacher rights defenders, whereas Civil Service Minister was saying his ministry is committed to further pursue implementing the Wages Law.
Vice chairman of Islah parliament bloc Zaid al-Shami said he doesn’t see why the Kind of Profession allowance should be disbursed as of the end of 2007. He called for the Wages Law to be retroactive as of the date of issuing the Republican Resolution.
Ruling party MP Ahmed al-Ruqaihi says teachers should have their full rights, pointing to the impact of strike truncating education at the end of school year.
Civil Service Minister Hamoud al-Soufi says all education sector workers were enlisted in the new wages structure, which means an annual amount of 24 billion rials will be added to the current education budget.

Motorcyclists:

Sakhar Al-Wajih, deputy, proposed sarcastically during his discussion of the motorcycle drivers’ issue that the parliament should attach a sign on the front gate apologizing for its lack of intervening in problems or issues that concern the citizens.
Yayha Al-Rai, head of the session, stated that he had come to an agreement with parliament concerning the motorcycle issue.
MP Ahmed Al-Suwel, head of the committee for media and culture called for the making available of reports and documents of the parliament which is a guaranteed right of the constitution. Yayha Al-Rai stated the parliament had opened up enough to the journalists and that he will not serve the journalists’ every whim. Such talk came after 10 journalists demanded reports that had been denied them especially in the last little while.

Also other unions back teachers, al-Sahwa 3/29:

Al-Sahwa.net – Some Yemeni civil society organizations
announced on Monday their solidarity with different
Yemeni teachers syndicates in their legal requests.
In a solidarity meeting held on Monday at the
headquarters of the Yemeni Teachers Syndicate,
included representatives of civil society syndicates
and organizations, the secretary-general of the Yemeni
Doctors and Pharmacists Syndicate Dr. AbdulQawi
al-Shamiri declared that YDPS is ready to support
teachers whose requests, he said, are “a common
division” among all syndicates in the country.
Dr. al-Shamiri stressed that strike should continue
till teachers get their rights.
“We have no another choice just the struggle through
syndicates and activating society”, said Dr.
al-Shamiri.
Al-Shamiri confirmed the importance of the interaction
of society with teachers rights and to transmit their
voice to the international community, calling the
civil society organizations to play their role in
guiding people and rehabilitating state, constitution
and law values. (Read on …)

an article from News Yemen:

Yemen’s foreign relations have been the source of much contention especially since official discourse incites against those who deal with those abroad like in the times of Brezhnev.
Before we begin our discussion let us say that perhaps the official intelligence does know about foreign conferences that go against the interests of Yemen. It would therefore be incumbent on the government to face these threats whether it would affect the political situation or local schools. I also posit however that world intelligence services have become much more coordinated.
Perhaps now is a good time to make an observation about the size of cooperative efforts between Yemen’s intelligence organization and Egypt, Saudi, and even America.
It is no longer acceptable to pass the blame among each other, the authorities and society. It is true that we always hear criticism against the outside world, especially America, especially its ambassador here in Yemen. This criticism comes from sheiks and other personalities, including sheik Ahmar. Some have even suggested that the American ambassador is working outside the legal framework.
I believe that the discourse against the outside world remains a problem with the Arabo-Islamic discourse, not Osama Bin Laden and his schools, but I believe those are manifestations. Arab authorities talk about the west without responsibility. The dispute between them and bin Laden is a manifestation of the phenomenon.
This problem is spread throughout the Arab world.
I now return to the Yemeni official discourse. The rules that govern it were established during the cold war. Of course the foreign powers acted and overstepped boundaries without regard for the good of Yemen. However, this is not what our sheikhs are talking about now. They attack the west and east. When you read or listen to anything you begin to think you are living in a martial state of the past.
The problem is that after the attacks in New York, Yemen, namely the president, tried to get different factions to lighten their discourse against the west.
It is necessary to remember that the official authorities defended the shelling of Abu Ali Al-Harthi in Marib in 2002. They stated that if the airplane had not been American, then they would not have done it. The Harthi were not following the law and were planning terrorist attacks.
Our orators have now returned to square one. They blame foreign countries for random shelling. This created problems not only internationally, but domestically as well.
I believe it is time to change the ruling culture that governs foreign relations-a change that goes beyond demonizing the world or being its agent.
The Arab mentality is governed by negative experiences such as colonialism. However, with the fall of the iron curtain the role of intelligence agencies decreased as the great powers rose along side civil society and the private sector which greatly changed the playing field.
This never means that the world became less secure. It simply means that international relations changed. It became possible for the Yemeni president to contact James Baker’s office more easily than his contact with his own intelligence agency.
In order to change this culture of rule inside and out, there must be review of those in power, not only those involved in security issues, but in politics and culture as well. Yes, we can discussion the outside world via a multifarious lens. We need a new awareness that will govern our external relations. This awareness will not weaken due to incitement or humiliation. This awareness will be open to relations with the other because the world’s interests are Yemen’s interests.
America, Holland and Britain are philanthropic organizations that will help Yemen regardless of mutual benefit. Why do we believe that Holland’s interests will not be realized except at the expense of Yemen’s?
Yes there are disputes. This simply pushes us towards shared development.

26/3/2006 al Shawa

Parliament summons two ministers over teachers strike

Al-Sahwa.net - The parliament agreed on Sunday
to summon the ministers of civil service and education
for questioning next Wednesday over the strike that
teachers started last week protesting to drops in the
new strategy of wages.
MP Abdul-Karim Shaiban said that teachers in many
governorates face aggressive practices because they
asked for their rights guaranteed by law and
constitution.
MP for the Yemeni Socialist Party Mohammad al-Saqaf
Ba-alghaith wondered from the government ignorance for
teachers’ “legal requests” and keeping silent toward
the issue of teachers who seek improving their life
standards.
Ba-alghaith criticized the government attempt to use
secondary school graduates and university students to
fill the vacuum strikers left in schools. “Instead the
government has to find proper solutions,” said
Ba-alghaith.
MP Fuad Dehabah accused the government of breaching
the law of wages and salaries number 43 for the year
2005 and depriving teachers from their legal rights.
“The Parliament has to earnestly protect teachers and
to assign specialized committees to follow up the
government to achieve the wages and salaries
law,” Dehabah said.

This IRIN article makes it look like they just want a raise where as the al-Shawa articles makes it clear they are striking for the implementation of the salaries law.

Despite government warnings, local school teachers are planning to stage a nationwide strike on 3 April to demand higher salaries, according to Yemeni Teachers Union (YTU) Chairman Ahmed al-Rubahi.

“We’ve informed the government that we will go ahead with our decision to stage massive demonstrations in the capital and in other cities. We’re not breaking the law, but exercising our constitutional rights,” said al-Rubahi, adding that protests were scheduled to start on Tuesday in Sana’a.

“Unless the government fulfils our demands for higher pay, demonstrations will certainly be carried out.”

In a 25 March press statement, however, the interior ministry warned teachers against participating in planned protests.
“This is an infringement of law no. 29 of 2003, which stipulates that licenses must be granted for any protest,” the statement noted. “People calling for such a protest are to be held accountable for any riots or other lawless acts.”

The YTU initially called for the strike following a breakdown in talks with the government last week. “We’re demanding higher pay for the teaching staff and are protesting against the harassment we’ve faced to deter us from striking,” said al-Rubahi. He went on to complain of heavy-handed measures taken against dissatisfied schoolteachers, including arrests, dismissals and threats of salary suspensions.

“We’ve used all possible means, including wearing red badges and staging partial strikes to pressure the government to meet our demands,” he said.

Teachers are insisting on a 110-percent pay rise, including allowances. Currently, school teachers are paid the equivalent of between US $150 and US $200 a month. Assistant professors at universities are paid the equivalent of US $500 a month.

Al-Rubahi explained that the quality of education countrywide could be expected to deteriorate unless teachers’ demands were met. “The role of teachers in a society plagued with illiteracy and poverty is vital,” he said. “Unless they are paid well, they won’t be able to perform their jobs properly.”

According to government statistics, almost 50 percent of the population aged between 10 and 45 are illiterate. The number hovers at about 30 percent among men and exceeds 67 percent among women.

Minister of Civil Service Hamoud Khaled al-Sufi expressed disapproval of the planned strike. “Teachers should know that pay rises are governed by available resources and the overall economic structure of the state,” he said. With teachers representing half of the country’s civil service, he added, available resources were insufficient to increase salaries across the board.

More from al Sahwa: (3/23)

Teachers in many schools in Aden
continue their strike over the government delay to
increase their salaries according to wages strategy
and students protest detention of their teachers.

In Khor Maksar city, 85 percent of schools responded
to the general strike called for by the Yemeni
Teachers Syndicate and in other schools the percentage
ranging between 70% to 50%.

Students in Batheeb Secondary School made a sit-in on
Wednesday protesting the detention campaign against
teachers. They carried placards calling for justice
and releasing the school teachers whom security forces
detained Tuesday over the strike.

Security forces in Aden arrested on Tuesday four
teachers and released only one of them.
Al-Sahwa.net was informed that Aden prosecution sent a
letter to the central security office asking for
releasing all teachers as detention did not base on
legal evidence.

Lawyer of detained teachers Mohammad al-Amrawi said
security authorities have no legal justification to
practice such detentions.

“Strike is a guaranteed right that teachers used as a
legal choice to defend their financial rights based on
the law No.35 regarding the syndicates work,” said
al-Amrawi. “The Yemeni Teachers Syndicate arranged for
the strike according to law so there is no any reason
gives them the right to prevent the strike.”

The lawyer of YTS said the illegal practice was the
detention of teachers without legal justification,
describing the behavior of security forces as
“teachers rights violation”.

And of course if all else fails, call them Houthis, terrorists or seperatists, arrest them, beat them up and take away their jobs: al Sahwa (3/22)

Head of Yemeni Teachers Syndicate branch in Hodeidah
Abdul-Hafiz al-Hutami accused the security forces of
raiding al-Noor educational complex in an attempt to
replace the strikers with other teachers, but said
students refused the new teachers and threw them with
stones.

He said the education office in Shabwa impeded 14
schools directors and three teachers.
In Aden, the security forces arrested three teachers
Tuesday morning and brought them to the office of the
Political Security Organization for investigation over
provoking teachers to do strike.

Head of Yemeni Teachers Syndicate branch in Hodeidah
Abdul-Hafiz al-Hutami accused the security forces of
raiding al-Noor educational complex in an attempt to
replace the strikers with other teachers, but said
students refused the new teachers and threw them with
stones.

He told al-Sahwa.net the head of the education office
in Hodeidah and vice rector of Hodeidah University had
broken-in the Al-Hara’a Girls School and tried to
convince female teachers to break the strike, but said
the teachers refused and forced them to leave. …

It is said that teachers in Abyan and other
governorates received threats to be replaced or sent
to other places or dismissed if not give up strike.
Al-Sahwa.net got some detention and transmitting
letters against teachers in different governorates
over the strike.

Chairman of the Yemeni Teachers Syndicate confirmed in
a statement to journalists that teachers who achieved
the general strike were accused by security
authorities of terrorist acts and backing al-Houthi
rebellion and plotting to revolt against the regime.

The Yemeni Teachers Syndicate warned the government
days ago of strikes all over the country if the latter
“does not raise the salaries of teachers based on the
wages strategy”, but the government did not fulfill
its promises.

YT: “In a March 24 statement, teachers and educators syndicates confirmed continuation of an open comprehensive strike in all educational institutions until their demands are met. The Yemen Times received a copy of the statement, which holds the government responsible for all deterioration that has befallen the education process. They also confirmed that the strike involves 85 percent of the republic’s schools.

The syndicates denounced oppression and professional terrorism by some officials, going as far as detention. The statement said officials prevented some teachers from entering their schools and asked the help of armed vehicles to dodge striking teachers. The statement also accused officials of firing a large number of striking teachers, while deputies, headmasters and managers were replaced on the pretext that they were lenient in resisting striking teachers. The last such oppression mentioned was preventing strikers from signing attendance lists.”

From the Yemen Times, the quote of the day, “This is really stupid.“

The hysteric media barrage the political regime is launching against the opposition parties entails a bad omen of the coming few months prior to the presidential and local elections. Upon hearing rumors that the former president of the South Yemen Ali Naser Mohammed would run for office, the regime has opened up the question of the mass graves of the January 13, 1986 Aden, bringing into mind of the Yemeni people the agonies of the infighting and reviving the bloodshed memories and hatred sentiments.

Again, the state-run- and -financed media have also tried to revive the hostilities between the socialists, saying that the socialists of the North have controlled everything and left nothing for the socialists of the South.

Last Thursday, the 26 September newspaper of the army said the US embassy had given the government some important documents about the South during 1980s. It described these documents as important, revealing secrets of the conflict between the leaders of the socialist party at that time and other relevant issues to their term in office.

This is really stupid. What does it mean to incite such kind of sentiments? Won’t this hamper the national unity and stability of the country? They always say the unity is a “red line” and a taboo that must not be touched whatsoever the reason. I agree with my colleague Jamal Anaam when he said that the unity of the political parties is a part of the overall unity of the country. President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been always giving sermons on the importance of keeping the country united, burying the past hostilities and looking ahead for a better tomorrow. Why now recalling the past with all its miseries and pains? Won’t this stir up the anger the people of the South who are now lamenting the pre-unification era wherein law and order was respected and cherished by everybody, despite the other wrongdoings of the socialist regime.

Read the rest.

Motorcyclists denied their right to work in Yemen engaged in a symbolic funeral procession for the main Yemeni political parties. It may have been an apt analogy: the multi-party system may be dead. The democratic institutions established over fifteen years ago in Yemen may shrivel up and blow away without anyone noticing. The country may sink further into chaos as it slowly implodes and the oil runs out.

But do not place your bets just yet. Nationalism in Yemen is alive and well. In a region widely lacking habits of regular transition of executive authority, Yemen may become among the first to achieve popular empowerment through democratic processes. There’s a Presidential election coming in September.

The nature, character and history of Yemen make it the most likely Middle Eastern nation to evolve politically without external stressors. The last chaotic fifty years of Yemeni history were defined by people committed to the nation. Yemen, in existence since pre-Islamic times, has already been a leader in the new age of participatory legitimacy in the Middle East if only by absorbing the rhetoric and forms of democracy. With the unity of North and South Yemen in 1990, the Yemeni people came to a consensus for democracy and since have internalized the legitimacy of its underlying premises.

The failure of democracy to thrive in Yemen has been attributed to political tribalism. The Yemeni political system operates from the top down whereby elites from nearly all important power centers are co-opted by the regime, trading patronage for loyalty. As a result, many local and national leaders do not advance local and national interests as defined by the population but rather advance regime interests onto their constituencies. Much dissatisfaction in Yemen comes from the failure of the government to implement and follow its own laws. The new Yemeni revolutionaries are those who seek to advance the rule of law, the equality of citizens, and the duty of representatives and constituencies to operate in the national interest.

The Yemeni opposition has turned from negotiating with the regime to negotiating with the people. The days of trading editors for buildings have apparently passed. The opposition is demanding a fair election, starting with a non-biased electoral commission, a linchpin of the process. At worst, the opposition by contesting the election may force important incremental changes on the political process. At best, they’ll win.

In the 2003 parliamentary elections the opposition parties received nearly half the votes (but only a quarter of the seats). The main hurtle for an opposition candidate in the current presidential election may be having enough time to inspire the trust of the nation and develop a bond with the voters. Moving itself beyond criticism, the opposition has advanced a reasonable reform platform which advocates centering more authority within Parliament to decentralize executive power, enabling badly needed political and economic reforms. Parliament refused to empower itself.

Dominated by the ruling party, over two thirds of the members of the Yemeni parliament are Sheiks, Sheiks in business, or the sons of Sheiks. It is this parliament that must approve the candidacy of the opposition candidate. Reformers within the GPC are continually stymied by their own party and are threatened when they speak out.

Like the regime, some Yemeni political parties are tribal in nature, undemocratic in practice, and operate from a top down authority system. At the last GPC conference, the forms of democracy were in abundance as delegates voted for predetermined candidates, except for those who were appointed. The GPC said at that time that it will nominate president Saleh as its candidate although President Saleh has repeated stated he will not nominate himself.

If President Saleh stands by his pledge to step down from the presidency after 28 years, he would empower Yemeni citizens and all Arab peoples through out the Middle East. His action would mark a defining moment in modern history. It would be a source of pride for the Yemeni people and would define Saleh forever as a great statesman who deferred power to progress and modernity.

But even that would not be enough. Additionally President Saleh would have to intervene to enable a free and fair election by ending the harassment of journalists, opening the broadcast media to the opposition, and ensuring the impartiality of the electoral commission and other governmental institutions like the military.

The military leadership is dominated by President Saleh’s relatives. In the last election, the military and security forces were instruments of intimidation and enforcement for the ruling party. Yet the military may be infused with enough nationalism, patriotism and strength to stand apart from the election and allow the process to proceed neutrally. In this election, the choice for Yemen’s warriors is whether they will protect the powerful or the voters.

The US and EU are taking a strong stand with Belarus, condemning its unfair presidential election and subsequent crackdown on protesters. The Yemeni people deserve this level of international support as well. All people have a right to freedom from intimidation in making their political choices, and international election observers are sorely needed in the villages as well as the cities. The US, which exerted a great deal of international public diplomacy in the run up to the Egyptian presidential elections, is silent regarding the upcoming Yemeni elections, possibly because the major parties have not announced their candidates yet.

If Yemeni patriots in all regions, political parties, institutions and civil society are to coalesce, they need not only international support, they need popular support. Analysis has shown that only popular pressure that can force reform on an authoritarian regime. As the symbolic funeral procession shows, some citizens are demanding that the parties function democratically and their representatives represent them. The Yemeni people are already agents of modernization, and have generated demands for equal rights in the work place, free speech, the participation of women, and the advancement of human rights. And if they demand a fair election now, they can set in motion a century of freedom for themselves and the entire region. That would require quite a bit of heroism as the authority can be quite brutal, but Yemenis are known for their courage.

Can a Parliament full of Sheiks reject political tribalism, can a president return power, can a loyalist Cabinet speak for the people, can the military defend the citizens, can the opposition lead, can the partisan media take a national view, can the electoral commission refrain from endorsing a candidate, and can a nation mobilize itself from pure frustration? Yes, it’s possible in Yemen.

(Article published Arab News, Saudi Arabia, and in Yemen by al-Wasat (Arabic), and our buddy al-Khaiwani at al-Shoura, also in Yemen by News Yemen, and by my French buddy Pierre at Middle East Transparent.)

Well thats a step in the right direction:

Information minister Hasan Ahmed al-Lawzi discussed today with the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate’ Council the problems and challenges facing the press and journalists.
NewsYemen sources said the minister today visited the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) and was received by members of the YJS council headed by Mr. Saeed Thabit the first deputy chairman. The minister and the council discussed many issues among them the measures recently taken by the information ministry against a number of newspapers, status of journalists at media institutions and their situation concerning the strategy of wages.
Member of the YJS council Sami Ghalib told NewsYemen that the council focused on the press publications draft law and that the council’s members had stressed their rejection of the law, pointing out that minister al-Lawzi promised that there would be consideration of the draft law and various issues that had been discussed in the meeting and they would be part of his coming plan.
The minister attended the YJS monthly meeting which is held every first Sunday of each month, which Mr. Sami Ghalib deemed it as a positive meeting grouped the syndicate’s council and the information minister who had given positive indications for dealing with issues of journalists.

This is one of the new ministers in the reshuffle that had raised some concerns intitially. But talking to the journalists about the draft law is a great first step. The new governor of Saada seems to be doing well also. Lets see how the new finance minster does.

Quite an interesting seven page article in the US News and World Report, lots of interesting quotes, covers the big topics: poverty, corruption, lack of oppostion leadership, journalists, the tribal areas, education, traditionalism, potential state failure, democratic reforms, counter terrorism efforts and the impending election. To follow is an assortment of random quotes from the article:

This time, the assault is an exercise, but Yemen’s elite Counterterrorism Unit has successfully carried out several high-risk operations against suspected terrorists and kidnappers. Portraits of six fallen soldiers, the unit’s “martyrs,” hang on the walls of their barracks. “They are without a doubt the bravest guys I have ever worked with,” says Ed, a U.S. Army trainer on his second tour in Yemen.

These days, though, Yemen is facing its own crisis, the result of deepening poverty and a government in denial about the depth of reforms needed to survive. In the past year, the United States and the World Bank have slashed their modest aid programs to Yemen, increasingly fed up with a bureaucracy that is one of the most corrupt in the world. “Yemen is teetering on the edge of failed statehood,” warns one U.S. official. “It will either become a Somalia or get serious about transforming.” For a nation awash in guns and crisscrossed by well-worn smuggling routes, the threat is grave.

(The 17) The group was captured after U.S. intelligence passed a tip to Yemeni security forces.

“This is a country that is really in the balance,” says Thomas Krajeski, the U.S. ambassador to Yemen. “There is a risk here for failure, and there is a chance of success. It is our job to give them all the help we can, but they have to make some hard decisions now.”

Increasingly, however, Yemenis fear that the strongman who has ruled for 28 years will be unable or unwilling to make the tough reforms needed. “The Americans are happy because they found someone who will fight terrorism,” says Mutawakil. “But my fear is that we’re establishing the foundation for terrorism in the country, just as they did in Iraq.” He is particularly concerned about what he calls Saleh’s “divide and conquer” style.

Amid all this, Yemen has somehow managed to remain one of the most democratic nations in the (admittedly autocratic) Middle East–and one of the very few with a relatively free press. The government tolerates a raft of opposition parties and independent newspapers. Yemenis, for the most part, feel free to criticize the government, and even Saleh, in public.

The democratic reforms all stop short of threatening Saleh’s rule

The final straw came when her staff recorded “appalling cheating” by government officials during a by-election for a parliament seat. “This past year, the scales dropped from our eyes,” she says. “We’re tired of promises. We’re tired of good intentions. < > It comes to a point when it’s not enough to say that you held the country together as it fell down the tubes.”

“In the past, we have been lenient when it comes to accountability,” says Qirbi, the foreign minister. “Now we are making the people who are responsible accountable for any poor performance. We have overcome a major obstacle, which is admitting that there are deficits.”

“We have maybe the worst educational quality in the world,” says Arhabi, the minister of planning. “I have myself seen students in sixth grade, who if you ask them to pronounce the alphabet, they aren’t able to finish it. Forget about reading and writing.”

Even worse, some corruption is officially sanctioned. As many as 60,000 people are receiving at least two government salaries, often doled out officially to buy their loyalty. “Many of the double dippers are tribal sheiks or military people,” says Yahya al-Mutawakel, the vice minister of planning.

Perhaps the brightest is the Social Fund for Development, an independent government agency that helps build schools, clinics, roads, and water wells funded mostly by foreign nations. With only 150 full-time employees, the fund managed some 1,000 projects last year with an $80 million budget. The fund–and Arhabi, its director–win nearly universal praise from foreign donors for their integrity and exhaustive accounting system. The secret: highly paid employees and the ability to fire staff at will.

Underlying any discussion of reform, however, is one uncomfortable factor–nobody can picture Yemen without Saleh in charge. Even his most implacable critics fret that there is no viable alternative today

“I expect more dangerous risks in Yemen–extremism and fanaticism,” he says. “But it’s not related to religion. It comes out of the failure to satisfy life’s needs.”

For many, the upcoming local and presidential elections will be a test. And the stakes are high. “What we are afraid of is that the Yemeni people will lose hope in elections as a means of change,” Sabri says, “because this is what the traditional forces want.”

Itrs really a good article.

from alsharq alawasat:

Asked why the citizens of Marib province and the Sarwah region specifically have kidnapped foreigners in the past, the tribal leader replied, “There are many reasons.”

“If you look at the people of Marib, you will not find any of them in any government institutions… Marib is a large province with many tribes but it is isolated. For example, not one of its inhabitants is in government as a minister or a governor or military leader. When all the doors are shut, where do you seek refuge? The president is the only one who listens to us… but how do you reach him? In daily matters, it’s not possible to refer to him everyday,” he added.

This one in the Yemen Times on the election commission is perfect for me. It explains the laws and the issues clearly and precisely.

The issue of selecting SCER members remains mysterious since local public opinion does not know how to select candidates for the commission race. Since 1993 elections, only the three main parties have occupied SCER posts: the ruling party, Islah and the Yemeni Socialist Party, which was ruled out in 1997 and 1999 elections. The issue still is misleading since it says the SCER is independent and neutral, while it is in fact administratively and politically controlled by the ruling party.

This one in News Yemen explains very clearly what happened in that election for the presidium of the Paliarment:

1- President Saleh continues to impose the leadership agenda on GPC members regardless how the majority in the party have voted. The sudden change did not happen because Basaleh or Mahmood campaigned over night, it happened because the presidency wanted it to change.
2- If real democratic procedures become the norm within the GPC, its members are capable of bringing good people to the frontline. GPC has some responsible and clean people.
3- 44 MPs of the ruling party who had voted for Sakher in the party exercise changed their position and voted for the other two. It makes me wonder, why have they changed and can we trust them again?
4- What happened was a disgrace and a blow to the government claims about reforms and change. Government is not serious about reform and the need to change; in spite of its media covering pages and pages of papers with big headlines “Change is the title of the Era” in Al-Thawra – Feb 12th, 2006. “Change” 26 September same day and so on… if the government really believes in the value change brings, it would not have let a golden opportunity (the parliamentary presidium) slip out of its hand.
5- To reform, you need to identify qualified, moderate and reform minded individuals within the system and outside it and promote them to do the restoration job. What happens in Yemen is the contradictory to this simple equation. The leadership finds qualified and reform minded people, but instead of promoting them it crushes them and ensures they are in no place to impact their “evil, culturally insensitive western reforms” on the process….

PS. Islah and YSP are not better off. The two main oppositions did not even run anyone and they remained a by watcher (as usual) and later will continue to balm the party with the majority for all our misfortune. They would have looked better and will have a good argument to justify the future challenges if they had run for the deputies’ seats and lost. It is not by watching you would convince people you are doing something.

This is another one from the Yemen Times on the same subject: However, dealing with them as employees makes them only a herd without enthusiasm for the ruler, his party and regime. What kind of democracy or peaceful transfer of power are we talking about if the President never accepts any decision from his party bloc? Good point.

hmmmm….

Among compelling reasons to judge the cabinet reshuffle as merely a peaceful transfer of corruption is that some ministers were named in Central Organization for Control and Audit (COCA) reports, yet were granted ministerial posts….

Most appointments are not based on principles of efficiency and experience, but rather on principles of political allegiance to the ruler and other influential individuals. A geographic factor is considered when distributing such posts in terms of geographic partnership.

Due to these reasons, I am pessimistic about any government changes or amendments, as long as protecting corrupt individuals is clear-cut government policy.

If there is a will to reform, stop deterioration and calm international community concerns – as expressed by U.S., British, German and Dutch ambassadors during last week’s meeting with President Saleh – then the solution is to make a political decision to uncover corrupt officials, leaving them without political cover before public opinion, free press and the judiciary, about which people cast doubt on its independence and neutrality.

Let us see the consequences if any single corrupt official stands trial or is punished. If this happens, ministers and executive leaders will be reformed. But as the policy of changing ministers’ faces is accompanied by other policies to protect corrupt officials, Yemen’s future will remain unknown.

from the Yemen Times

From the Yemen Times:

YCSR researcher Abdulbari Tahir mentioned in his paper that, “The tribe has become part of the state structure, particularly since November 5, 1967. The state, which on previous occasions has dealt with the tribe by bargaining and granting kidnappers government posts and privileges, enhanced and encouraged this phenomenon, allowing it to establish itself firmly.”

In his paper, Dr. Fuad Al-Salahi said, “Kidnapping is a reflection of the nature of the Yemeni government, which has adopted taking of hostages as one of its means of governance. It still does this in one way or another.”

Dr. Tahir Mujahid Al-Salahi mentioned various reasons for the kidnapping phenomenon. “Arresting kidnappers is a kind of patching up the issue rather than solving it,” he said, “The solution lies in drying up the springs and causes of the phenomenon represented by weakness in enforcing laws; the spread of carrying, using and trading with weapons; absence of justice in wealth distribution and deprivation of basic services projects in remote regions. Not deciding crime and revenge cases or property disputes has pushed some to pressure the state via kidnappings. In addition to this, causes include security’s instability and the dissemination of illiteracy in countryside areas.”

NY:

The parliament has decided to hold a secret session on Sunday 19 February to appraise performance of its presidency board and permanent committees as well as the work of its members and general secretariat amidst a strong refusal by a number of parliament members who considered secrecy of the session as aimed at hiding mistakes and non-existence of positive appraisal.

That came during exchange of congratulations and criticisms between the presidency board members and MPs on the occasion of the victory scored by the former presidency board in the elections of last Wednesday. Chairman of human rights and freedoms committee MP Mohammed Naji al-Shaif disclosed that winning of the presidency board was not via balloting boxes as much as under directives of the president of the republic given to MPs of the majority in the parliament, congratulating the presidency board on the trust of the president in them.

Deputy chairman of the presidency board brigadier Yahya al-Raie was the most insistent on holding a secret session whereas head of the General People’s Congress parliamentary bloc Sultan al-Barkani and his deputy Yasser al-Awadhi were stressing the necessity of holding a public session so that each voter would know the role of the presidency board through the MP he had chosen….

Head of Islah parliamentary bloc Dr Abdulrahman Bafadhl justified holding the secret session as assessment would involve persons concerning their presence or absence those who worked and who did not work, and in his opinion there was no need to expose that in public….

Deputy Head of the Yemen Socialist Party bloc Dr Mohammed Saleh Ali told News Yemen he did not agree with holding a secret session as there was nothing to hide; indicating that it was the right of elector to know what was going on. He added that holding a secret meeting was not in harmony with the call for transparency in work of the parliament.
MP Abdulkarim Shaiban refuses the secret session and confirms the existence of many failures in the session. Among those is that the presidency board, according to article 22 of the regulation, has to follow up the committees and present a report on that at the beginning of each parliament session, but it does not do that. Moreover, there is no organizational regulation defining tasks of the board deputies and there is no acknowledgement of the presidency board’s organizational, legal, technical, administrative and financial structure and it has no financial bill although the board’s rules of procedure dictate these things and implementation of the rules is the responsibility of the MPs and the presidency board at the same time. He considers holding a secret session as offending the board.

From the Yemen Times

As Muslims, we have nothing to be alarmed about in terms of freedom of speech, as we are the ones provided with wisdom and the miraculous Qur’an.

We are not to call for tyranny and bans on freedom. It is obvious that we cannot stop publication of what we view as indecent in our sacred faith. The telecommunications revolution and future sciences tell us this. Let me say frankly that demanding closure of the Danish newspaper that insulted our prophet and the other newspapers that followed suit is a lack of common sense. Yet, failing to make use of Western freedom of press and other technologies to show the West the values of Islam is intellectual failure and a guilt that should not be linked to Islam. However, adopting censorship in dealing with the West is a woeful mistake against Islam and our prophet.

It is certain that official bodies were behind the rage that spread throughout the Arab world. Yet, governments were the main inciters of the people, undertaking to magnify the insult and determining the method of retaliation as well.

It remains skeptical whether those who burned the Danish and Swedish embassies in Damascus and Beirut were politically, rather than religiously motivated. The stylish slogans used in demonstrations hid other things. God did not order the burning; it is not the prophet’s norm. Even if it was voluntary public rage, it undoubtedly contributed to spreading offense and paved the way for future prejudicial behavior. The result of burning embassies and treading on flags is the self-same objective these drawings wanted to highlight. It was their intention to say that Muslims are terrorists and their religion is a peril to Western civilization.

What was the outcome of these enraged behaviors? Obviously, it was not to respond to the insult. It was even prudent not to provoke it. However, it was a basic ideal in the media profession. Some of those deprived of journalistic fame and lacking any fans tend to seek fame by insulting pillars of humanity. In most times, their publications will remain unread, rendering them to be the editors and the readers.

However, things take a different turn if they are met with angry reactions, as their readership surely will increase. Now that the Danish illustrations have been read widely and other cartoonists have followed suit by adding more drawings, a question arises about the wisdom of such enraged reactions, reenacted in Sana’a, Amman, Rabat and Cairo. Do we expect to burn these cities’ embassies and ban their trade? It is certain that the aim of all this was not to receive an apology or to wipe out the offense. Like the old racist, extreme, hidden agenda, it was the desire to rupture dialogue with the West, to draw a wedge and stir up religious, societal and cultural conflicts. Yet, the common interests of these groups that came together pose a great threat to humanity at large and the Islamic nation and authorities should be aware of their danger. They should not follow in their tracks and they should avoid the irrational artificial conflicts they often arouse.

I do not want to belittle or be indifferent to the insults to our prophet (pbuh). I denounce insulting our prophet and announce that my heart is filled with his love. Yet, I refuse that his position should be employed for ignoble political gains. However, I protest being used as a tool because of this love to spread the offense and turn naïve individuals into heroes. The drawers of these illustrations were made famous by our actions and more light was shed on their drawings as well.

The agenda of burning embassies and treading on flags has its objective, of which seeking an apology for defaming our prophet is not among them at all. Yet, apology or no apology, officially financed conferences, seminars and debates will not stop.

The concurrent burning of the embassies in Beirut and Damascus did not come out of the blue. Those who still dream and long for the ‘old days’ are seeking to restore them through hatred and incendiary actions. I am aware that it is rather unsafe to say such things and there are many who advise that it be overlooked. Yet, it would be a misuse of religion to ignore it because our religion is a complete network of values and principles.

Tawakkol Karman is a Yemeni journalist and heads Women Journalists Without Constraints (WJWC).