Abduljabar Saad reveals the whys for his dismissal [Archives:2004/746/Community]
Mohammed bin Sallam
Abduljabar Saad, 53 years old, with a masters' degree in economics from the United States of America, is a writer known for his stances in defending losing cases as his adversaries proclaim, and also for defending fundamental issues as his supporters think of him. He defended the Yemeni Socialist Party and 16 of its prominent figures, the most notorious persons following the 1994 civil war. He had fought against those in Islah, who accused him of being an infidel. A court verdict was issued, 80 lashes, against him and his brother, the deceased Abdullah Saad, former Editor-in-Chief of “Al-Shoura” newspaper.
This time, he is facing court for defending Saddam Hussein. He does not know what the consequences might be of his action this time. He has been suspended from his job because of it, even before the judiciary has its final say.
Abduljabar, as his friends describe him, is a an iron-man, querulous, and stubborn as his name “Abduljabar' means. He has grown up accustomed to saying the truth and to defend the weak. This is just his life and behavior. He does not care about the consequences of expressing his beliefs and opinion, whatever that might be. This time, “The decision of Ba Jamal, the Prime Minister, to suspend him from his job, was unjust, irrational. It was taken randomly and moodily. It was not based on acceptable moral ethics or legal considerations. The decision was a merely political comity for Saudis, nothing more”, as “Al-Ebhar” newspaper portrayed it.
Abduljabar is a radical man. He studied in the United States of America. He loved it. He was influenced by its culture. He was never cordial to extremists of any religion or political preferences. He has blended with different cultures and religions, he respects all as long as they call for peace, justice and freedom. He is the idealist by all means. The more you get to know him, the more you feel his exaltedness and realize his distinction.
I find it difficult to compare him to any distinguished personality in our present time. There is absolutely nobody who resembles him. Support him against the injustice he has encountered, if you were siding with justice and fairness, even rhetorically. Support the right of expression and opinion!
Yemen Times realized what lay behind this magnificent statue of secrets, and thus it visited him at his remote house situated on the coast of the Red Sea hopefully to unveil at least a few of his secrets, to disclose some facts about the man's issues and aims, and to point out the official injustices and arbitrariness he has encountered that can be described only as irresponsible, unjustified, and inhumane. During our visit, he was brief and direct to make his points clear.
Q: What is the story that upset the state and our brothers in Saudi?
A: Honest to God, I do not consider it a story, but some of our brothers here in Yemen have become enthusiasts in creating and fabricating stories, otherwise, the whole issue was a message of patriotism and advice I directed to H.E. Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, blaming him for the unsatisfactory role of the kingdom in the invasion of Iraq and its violations of the dignity and sanctity of Muslims' shrines. I blamed him for continuously supplying and providing America and her allies fuel and the other facilities that sustain the occupation. I demanded that the Saudis, as atonement for their sins, ought to support the Iraqis in their struggle to liberate Iraq under the leadership of their President Saddam Hussein. That is the whole story.
But our brothers in the official media rushed to insults and to heap curses upon me personally and everyone like myself on the front page of “Al-Thowra” newspaper. They accused us of supporting and provoking terror and insulting relations with our brothers in Saudi. They accused us of being ungrateful and unappreciative of our jobs, I do not know how that got into it, and finally they decided to fire me from my job as the Director General of Hodiedah Customs Office and transferred me and Mr. Abdul Wahed Hawash, the Editor-in-Chief of “Al-Ahya Al-Bahry” newspaper to the judiciary.
Q: What is the current status of the case?
A: As far as my job is concerned, I have handed it out to the designated appointee in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Customs Authority. With regards to the judiciary side, the two of us have been questioned and transferred to court, which has assigned Tuesday June 15 for the first court session to look into the case. We will attend and we will see what will happen.
Q: What are exactly the charges against you?
A: The charges are, “We published false news with no evidence that Saudi provides America with oil at prices below the actual cost price for its extraction and the Saudi Kingdom and its monarchs have betrayed God and the Prophet Mohamed and colluded with the occupational forces, and finally we offended the relations of Yemen with our brothers in Saudi.”
Q: How did you plea to these charges?
A: We said that Saudi in particular and the other Gulf States in general have provided America since the so-called the Gulf War all their bank accounts and oil in return for the protection of their crowns, and this is no secret to anyone. We also said that the conspiracy of the Saudi Kingdom and their betrayal of God and Prophet Mohamed and Muslims are something Saudi monarchy family is bragging about and does not deny. There are numerous pieces of evidence if the judiciary needs it, although it is something everybody knows.
Q: What about the offense against relations with Saudi?
A: We told them that this is something strange to be accused of. We did not talk at all about the wars it launched and financed against Yemen, or about the various economic or military conspiracies, or about the expulsion of two million Yemenis in one night after they had built the Saudi Kingdom brick by brick and palace by palace or the thousands of kilometers that they forced us to give up. All what we did was criticise them on fundamental issues related to Arab and Muslim identities. We are along with all Arab and Muslim countries are also targeted.
Q: Regarding the job, is the dismissal is permanent or temporary?
A: I really do not know yet, but they requested that I hand over the post to another person and I have not received any notice about my future situation. I really do not know if the suspension is temporary or permanent.
Q: Do you believe that President Saleh knows about these measures and that he is satisfied about them?
A: I am certain that President Saleh has received inaccurate details about the subject. I can confirm that he is not satisfied with the government's irrational reactions and measures, headed by my suspension from my job. The President would confirm that if there was a violation, let the judicial system decide on it. This is of comfort to me since if I could confirm that he approves of them, I would have felt sorry for the loss of the country and citizenship. I hope that will not happen and God willing it won't.
Q: You are charged with supporting the fallen regime of Saddam Hussein and have utilized your writings in defending him, and this is a felony in the eyes of rulers and in the opinion of the West, the controlling power of the world. Is this a fair description of your situation?
A: That portrayal of me is something of an honor to me before God and the people. Saddam Hussein, as far as I am concerned, is the honor and dignity of every person with faith on the face of this planet. Giving up on him is giving up on human dignity. The Arab and Muslim rulers that I have mentioned are mercenaries, and the West is attempting to present to us its alleged values and democracy. These values and democracy are clear us through the oldest Islamic democracy (Turkey). They have chosen for us a democracy that prohibits us from wearing the clothes that suit our values and personal conviction and to ban us from saying 'Peace upon you' as a salutation, did you know that?
It is a democracy that prevents us from teaching our children Islamic values and principles. This democracy permits the marriages of two males or two females as happens in America, in the first legislation on this matter in the State of Massachusetts. We do not want that. We want to establish a system based on our own values.
Q: How do you assess the internal situation, the issue of inheriting power and the talk about corruption etc.?
A: I would prefer the hell of Ali Abdullah Saleh to the American paradise. When we are alone on the arena and the confrontation is between the people and the authority and America is not involved, we will talk and we have talked and the President and others have heard our voices. But when America wants us to rebel against our rulers in order to install new rulers like Al-Yawor, Alawi and Al-Bajah Jee, we have no other choice except to become “Fedayeen” sacrifices to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, similarly for the Iraqi resistance to Saddam. I do not care if I please or upset anyone, I welcome death, to be imprisoned and to be fired from my job as long as my honor and dignity are intact.
Regrettably all that is written or more precisely the majority of what is written is issued by writers who are leaning their backs on the walls of the American Embassy. They are predicting a new future that comes out from the rubbles of the September 11 incidents while America presents it to us from Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo detention camp.
Q: Isn't your stance odd at the time everybody walks behind the democracy supported by America?
A: As a matter of fact, yes, it is, but I have no choice, I am odd and my stance is eccentric, “Bless the eccentric” as Prophet Mohamed said, peace be upon him.
Q: If the case ends up in your dismissal permanently from your job, will you sue the state?
A: No, I will not sue the state on the job issue, but I will sue the state on the issue of dignity. I have filed a lawsuit against “Al-Thowra” newspaper for its unacceptable remarks and descriptions of me, which were not appropriate, by its writers and America's agents or its subordinated states such as the big sister “Saudi”.
Q: But some say that President Saleh, whom you bet on, is American just like the rest of your adversaries?
A: I am not satisfied with previous actions such as the killing of Al-Harethi inside his country by America with Yemeni blessing, but I am convinced that such actions were taken under US pressure. If proved contrary, I would have another stance. But generally, I am satisfied with the stances and actions of President Saleh about Iraq, Palestine, the US occupation, and the Arab betrayals etc. I do not expect more of him at this present time.
Q: Do you have any support in your confrontation?
A: Yes.
Q: Who?
A: God and faithful people.
Q: Others?
A: I do not need others.
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