Saif Al-Sahbani
If we want to know the importance of translation in development of nations, we have to review the two types of translation movement of both the Arab and the European nations. In this investigation we aim at getting acquainted with the reality of translation movement in Yemen after 38 years since the inception of the revolution.

Cadre Scarcity
Mr. Habib Ahmed, 56, a Yemeni holder of diploma in translation and who has a translation office in Sana’a, said, “I can speak three languages: Arabic, English and German. I have two assistants who speak Arabic, English and French. We have been translating since 1986 and we have a permit from the Ministry of Culture. However, we suffer from lacking of cadre for the other live languages.”

Absence of Control
The Ministry of Culture is supposed to supervise the translation offices that translate every thing without specialized cadre. It only gives official permits and paper to offices’ owners who put their seals on them and on school certificates. Mr. Hasan Ali Saeed, a 36-year-old Iraqi national, a BA degree holder, said, “I can speak two languages: Arabic and English. In my translation office there are no assistants. I translate ordinary, commercial, political, medical, technical, petroleum and scientific translations and books. The office has been given a permit since 1998. The problem is that there are no translators of many other languages like German and French in the office. This applies to other translation offices in Sana’a. The absence of control and supervision of the Ministry of Culture on translation offices make the situation worse.”

Faculty of Languages
To know about the reasons for scarcity of qualified cadre in translation, we went to Faculty of Languages at Sana’a University. We first asked Dr. Mahmoud Daud, the Dean, who said, “Only those who speak their mother tongue well and who are competent in language can do translation.”

The Arabic Language and Translation Department
Prof. Tareq Abdu Awn Al-Ganabi, a 64-year-old Iraqi national, Head of the Arabic Language and Translation Dept., said, “Translation, its success, progress, its spread is a good phenomenon and it depends on the cultural and technical interrelation among countries and nations. Translation is a means for exchanging and spreading knowledge, civilizations, theoretical and empirical mental product in all sciences and it consolidates cooperation relationships between nations.

Anwer Abdul-Wahab, a 21-year-old Yemeni student in the 3rd level of English Department, said, “Undoubtedly, studying a foreign language will offer me many chances of either having a good job or in learning about the achievements in the world.”

Faculty Lacking All Facilities
Nada Al-Shamiri, a 21-year-old Yemeni student in level 3 French Language Dept., said, “I liked the French language, I enrolled my name in the French Language Department and overcame the difficulties that appeared in the beginning. However, I, with other students in the Dept., realized that we suffer from lack of lecture halls, language laboratories and cadre. Our faculty lacks all the facilities needed by languages learners.”

France, Pioneering Role in Translation
Mr. Francois Burgat Manager of the French Center for the Yemeni Studies in Sana’a, said, “My words may be provocative but this is perhaps the nature of abstract scientific facts. Translation is a transitional period in the course of mutual understanding between the two civilizations. Resorting to translation proves that one civilization could not understand the other because of the language. Thus, the translation movement often represents balance of power between the two civilizations for the American civilization does not need to understand the other civilizations according to the rule ‘The inferior submits to the superior’. Now, we are at the stage of reconstructing the balance of power between foreign civilizations and other civilizations. Therefore, we find that the number of foreign people who can understand the Arabic Language has increased. The translation movement from Arabic into other foreign languages has prospered. The French Center is participating in this movement by organizing summer courses for the French students who study the Arabic language and supporting translation and publication of extracts from some of Yemeni literature and poetry books. Many French students who studied Arabic and who visited Yemen started translating some works from Yemeni literature and poetry. This is a real first step of the French people’s interest in the Yemeni history, civilization and society.”

The students registered in this year 2000\2001 were 757 and the students who dropped out were about 30. The percentage of females in the college is about 75% of the total number of the students.

K. B., a 70-year-old lady, said, “I have known Al-Sitara since childhood. All women around me used to wear it at different times. In the morning, they used to put on casual sarongs, in the afternoons or when going to weddings, they used to wear Al-Sitara which was of many kinds. Before Al-Sitara, there had been a red and black striped piece of cloth called ‘Al-Maswan’.”

N. B., a 49-year-old woman, from Wadi Dhahr, said, ”In the past, women used to wear sarongs or Masawen (plural of ‘Maswan’) in the afternoons when they go out. Now, we wear Al-Sitara in the mornings and afternoons and we only wear Al-Sharashef, black frocks, when we go to Sana’a city. We got used to wearing Al-Sitara since we were very young girls for they used to make it for us small and casual. Every region used to have its own Sitara like Al-Kabbasyat Sarongs for the women in Dhula’, a sarong with a black square in the center that has a hem, the Khawlani Maswan in Khawlan and the Sana’ani Maswan.”

S. A. a Lahooh (some kind of bread) seller, said, “Al-Sitara is a very important and indispensable costume for us as Lahooh sellers for it is shameful to wear frocks while selling and this will make people criticize us. Therefore, we are forced to wear Al-Sitara even by our families who castigate us for not wearing it. We have to put on Al-Sitara at the age of 7, of course for work. For visiting relatives or going to weddings, we put on Al-Sharashef.

A. M., a married woman, said, “I wear Al-Sitara because it is easy to use particularly when I rush to buy something from the greengrocer’s or to see a neighbor. Furthermore, it doesn’t attract people’s attention. However, I put on the frock if I want to go farther than my home.”

Samah Atef, a university student, said, “I rarely wear Al-Sitara. I wear it for nearby places. However, the frock covers the casual clothes better than Al-Sitara which does not cover the dress below while walking. Now, Al-Sitara has become an old traditional costume for old women, but not for us.”

Elham Malek said, “I never wear Al-Sitara and I don’t have one at home because it does not cover the whole clothes woman wears and I can hardly walk in it. It makes me stumble and not able to hold the shopping items because I have to keep holding it with my hand so as not to drop. Al-Sitara has become a traditional costume suitable for old women.”

H. A. said, “I never wear Al-Sitara and I don’t have one but my mother has. Although it is good, I do not like wearing it for it does not cover all the clothes we wear. Frankly speaking, I feel shy to wear it. Besides, it attracts men’s attention.”

L. A., a university student, said, “Frankly, Al-Sitara is a necessary thing that must be available at home even if not used. I think there is a Sitara in every house in Sana’a. For me, I don’t wear it but my mother wears it all the time and sisters wear it when they go to visit neighbors. Nowadays, Al-Sitara is more suitable for the old women than for us.”

Kh. M. said, “I put on Al-Sitara when I go to places near my house. It is a traditional costume but I do not always wear it and I can not walk properly in it. Frankly, it suits the old ladies more than us.”

Mohammed N.
Al-Hakimi
Yemen Times,
Taiz
Private universities emerged because of many reasons: the bad reality of public education, lack of policy for education output, lack of spcializations, prejudice in admission policy, lack of educational proficiency and environment. However, suspicions have been aroused about private university education.
Yemen Times discussed this issue with many university doctors and students.

Dr. Mohammed Saif Shuga’,
Professor of Criminal Law in Sana’a University and Head of the branch of the Yemeni University in Taiz, said, “The private universities appeared because of the need for having capacity for secondary school graduates, preparing them well in the scientific and practical aspects and giving them a chance to study specially those who did not get good grades in the secondary school. Besides, the small number of students in the private universities allows students to benefit more from learning. This sort of education is supervised by of Universities Council that specifies the government and private education policies. In addition, there is the draft law of private universities that specifies the education policy and rules. The Parliament is still discussing this law. The fees of private universities are only made to cover the costs and I think that the students can afford them.” He added, “Our job is to qualify students in certain spcializations away from the policy of having capacity for the education outputs for this is the government’s job. Here, I want to indicate that the Yemeni University is an associate member as a private university in the Arab Universities Union. There is a cooperation between us and the governmental universities. We provide the same curricula provided by the governmental universities. There are privileges that the student can get like being granted a scholarship for doing the master degree in the university if he or she got the first grade.” He added, ”We have many branches in Taiz, Hodiedah and Ibb but the main university is Sana’a. The university was established by 105 academic specialists most of whom work in governmental universities.”
Dr. Mohammed Hasan Al-Bayati, an Iraqi national and Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, said, “Generally, the private universities have better teaching staff than the governmental ones. Furthermore, the fees are less and there is a strict supervision on the curricula and on all the matters related to education. I advise all the people to be more concerned about the society’s interest through which they can fulfill their own interests. The employees and managers must strike good examples. Through the work criteria on which performance is measured they can get awarded or punished.”

Mr. Farouq Al-Tamimi,
a lecturer at the National University, said, “Well, we have got a few students here can communicate and have good chance to go to the library. Students also can make use of the computer laboratory. Furthermore, we have Canadian teachers who are better than those Indians in the governmental universities. I shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that students are worried about their future. The educational office refused to accept graduates from the private universities. Lastly, there should be some kind of relationship between private universities and governmental ones. They should work together towards making good generations.”

Atef Abdul-Wali,
a student at the National University, fourth level, said, “It is almost three years and one month since I have joined the university. I chose it for many reasons like the small number of students that makes us feel like one family. There is also a good relationship between students and teachers. At the National University we have incomparable chance to get some information of computer. The best thing I have to spotlight on is that the National University and Taiz University are the same and both of them are universities.”

Wafa’ Ali Ahmed,
a 23-year-old student, Accountancy Department, said, “We have problems when we get appointed in posts. The government universities’ students are given priority while appointing but we are not accepted. Our effort to get knowledge must be appreciated. What made me join the private university is the small number of students and the good education atmosphere.”

Abdullah Ahmed Ziwar,
a student at the National University, English Department, said, “The reasons that made me join the university is that I found a big opportunity to study the field that I like much. If I had to join the government university, I had to wait for two years. The private universities have highly qualified teachers as the government ones. Some say that private universities graduates are not capable of doing anything but we have proved that we are as good as the government universities students, if not better. However, the private universities fees are very high and I know many people who give up the idea of joining these universities because of this. The people who think that the foreign teachers are better than the Yemeni ones are totally wrong and they have to change this idea.”

Afra’ Abdullah Al-Marebi,
Faculty of Education - History Department, said, “As National University students we have many privileges. It saves us time. The students can interact with the lecturers through discussions and the doctors here make the students feel they have a role in the society and provide us with whatever we need. Besides, the number of students here is small and allows a good atmosphere for learning.”

Mohammed Ali Al-Haj Abdullah,
General Manager of the Civil Service Office in Taiz, talked about the future of the private university’s education. He said that those who get more education, higher grades and more experience are those who get a government post or a post in the coordinate sector or who take up private jobs because they hold something they make use of. He talked about the outputs of the private university’s education. He said, “I hope there is coordination between universities to cover the lack of spcializations required and the Civil Service Office must have future plans to determine the needs for the labor forces. These plans must depend on proper, modern and systematic framework. He also talked about appointing the private universities graduates. He said that many graduates have been given government posts by the Civil Service Office in the health field and settling employment situation will be next March.”

Despite lack of maturity, creation and culture are still full of colorful life only because of the efforts of Yemeni intellectual potential being spent in different fields of human innovation. Many Yemeni intellectuals suffer from being ignored because of different and not objective reasons which prevent them from being known abroad.
Since the beginning of the nineties many private sector organizations have appeared and represented the hope of Yemeni intellectuals who were isolated by government establishments from practicing free creative work. In the absence of mature critique, government establishments left the door open only for those who write to polish the exterior of the government.
This is the first part of a series of investigations done by the Yemen Times aiming at creating a relationship between cultural establishments and Yemeni intellectuals and to enable the reader to have a closer look at the facts.
The following interview with Dr. Abdul Malik Mansour, minister of culture and tourism summarizes the situation of intellectuals in Yemen.
Recent intellectual movements are one of the many outcomes of the new era in Yemen.

Q: Could you give us an idea about the situation of Yemeni intellectuals.
A: At the beginning we would like to thank you in the Yemen Times for the efforts spent to introduce the Yemeni culture and heritage to people inside and outside Yemen.
The recent cultural scene is full of positive movements that represent our hope for a prosperous future for Yemeni culture. The syllabus of this scene is widely varied and refers to big changes taking place. Undoubtedly what we see is one of the many outcomes of the new era Yemen has started since May 22, 1990. Since the unity, democracy has been our bet to have a better life in all fields and that made all intellectual work in a healthy atmosphere of freedom away from any restrictions.
The biggest problem is finance.
Support is needed to overcome all obstacles.

Q: You’ve been complaining about the financial problems. When will that come to an end?
A: The ministry and all other establishments connected with it have two major problems:
Lack of the elements of cultural work whether in arts, archeology, maintaining historical cities and publishing, and small amounts of funds given to the ministry by the government. Support is needed whether from the government or the private sector to activate cultural work more and to overcome all obstacles preventing us from having a prosperous cultural life. Poetry, festival should be made an annual tradition. Women participation should be encouraged in the festival.

Q: What are the basic accomplishments of the annual poetry festival? And why is women’s participation rare?
A: The annual poetry festival aims at activating cultural movement in Yemen and maintaining our cultural heritage. This festival has achieved almost all its targets and become a national event in which all Yemeni poets meet to become acquainted with each other and to improve their levels. The participation of Yemeni women has unfortunately been very limited compared with men.
The ministry should only plan and supervise.

Q: Why is there a need for private organizations? And how do you evaluate their participation?
A: Cultural output is an act of public participation and contribution for its enrichment contributions of private cultural organizations are of great necessity to improve cultural movement in Yemen because the role of an official cultural establishment should be limited to planning and supervising in addition to assisting private organizations. The role played by those private organizations since they started at the beginning of the nineties has always been important and effective in pushing cultural movement ahead. We need consistent efforts and patience to understand the nature of cultural work and find better opportunities to develop it.