About last week’s Arab conference held in Sana’a:Arab solidarity needed urgently [Archives:2003/646/Reportage]

Mohammed bin Sallam
SANA'A- The 14th Arab National Conference concluded its activities on June 26 in Sana'a at the Sheraton Hotel with a strong final declaration.
The final declaration of the conference focused on the pathetic situation of the Arab world, and in particular the situation in Palestine and Iraq. The 'Road Map' was totally rejected in the declaration issued by the 14th Arab National participants. The Palestinian military resistance was also hailed by the participants. The statement put great emphasis on the significance of Iraqi resistance against Anglo-American presence on Iraqi soil.
The statement also demanded that occupation forces in Iraq leave and allow Iraqis to rule their land in a united country.
“Iraqis are entitled to rule their country without external interference. Iraqis' properties and national wealth should be at their own disposal,” the statement said.
The statement dealt with the need to democratize the Arab world as well.
During the closing ceremony, Mr. Ma'an Bashor was appointed as secretary-general of the conference in place of Mr. Dhiaoddin Dawood.
He got 113 votes out of 172, while his contestant Mohammed Abdulhakim Diab got only 59.
Yemen Times met with some of the Arab representatives, who gave the following statements.

Mr. Mustafa Yousef, Hamas organization affiliate in Palestine said, “This Arab National Conference is not formal, and hence it is in dire need of mechanisms that could enable it to implement its plans and programs.
However, the conference was able to expose the Arab nation's fear and sufferings…
Without doubt, this conference is not different from the one that proceeded it. We think that this conference would be capable of translating what has been adopted, particularly with respect to the Iraqi and Palestinian issues.”

Mr. Zouhair Khatib, the General Coordinator of the Social and Economical Forum and member of the Arab National Conference, Lebanon, said: “Undoubtedly, the 14th Arab National Conference has come in unusual circumstances, when Arab nations are going through tremendous difficulties.
This has manifested itself in the Zionist-American aggression, which has led to Iraq's occupation. We along with all Arabs attending the 14th Arab National Conference have fully realized the difficulties we are facing.
Those new trends make it necessary and even essential to renew the way we think and try and change our way of dealing with issues.
The recommendations that have been made are practical and reasonable and can indeed be implemented.
The new general authority elections and electing the new secretary-general of the 14th Arab National Conference is a distinguished democratic experience.
All candidates have shown adherence to work in order translate words into action.
The conference is considered a mass conference and as a result, any recommendations made in relation to policies and trends of the Arab regimes, should be taken seriously by Arab leaders. Regimes have to be held accountable for the dangers that surround Arab nations.
Democracy is the solution for our problems. There should be room for opinions and counter-opinions without ignoring national values.”

Mr. Nasr Shali, the former Media Institute Director in Syria and now a member at of the Arab National Conference said, “In order to review or assess the conference's results, first, we have to mention that its structure consists of a wide political, cultural and juristic spectrum in the Arab world. Each member in this conference represents his own country in his own arena.
People have attended the conference with their personal opinions, while in reality, they represent different social and political congregations, as they are actually of partisan political, juristic or independent personalities. They have their own contributions in their societies.
The 14th Arab National Conference by itself predominated all different political movements such as, liberalism, Marxism or Islamism.
In order to be successful in including this wide political spectrum, the conference has taken keen interest to unite participants and create common grounds.
Consequently, when talking about the conference's results, its structure has to be taken into considerations.
We are ambitious to adopt at least what have been agreed upon. If little understanding has been achieved among those people and those individuals enthusiastically showed commitment to the results of the conference, no splits will erupt.
In order to continue hold such useful meetings with an active participation of all sides in the Arab world, flexibility and tolerance are essential.”

Mr. Ahmed al-Kahlawi, the Chairman of the National Organization for Defending Iraq and Palestine and an activist in national issues said, “I want to remind you here that the founders of this conference used to said that the 14th Arab National Conference will be “an intellectual reference for the Arab nations and all activists in national issues.”
The conference has gathered intellectuals, practical-thinkers, opinion-makers. It has united people with solid stances, with others who believe in practice and application.
Accordingly, the conference has to be enlarged and renewed to accept new ideas and thoughts presented.
First of all, the political speech has to be changed along with its method and implementation. In order to make contacts with the masses, the conference should be developed into a distinguished institution. This establishment should include all members of Arab vocational, cultural and youth syndicate organizations.
In other words, the conference will be more effective and successful if Arab students, laborers, women, engineers, doctors, and lawyers join it.
Contacts can be made among those who always showed interest of the future and present of this nation and what has been achieved in reality.
The future and the presence of the nation are in danger. All nationalists have to be aware of this danger. They should show an adherence to this nation in order to activate their ideas and defend their land in Palestine, Iraq and must also protect their Islamic and Arab identity.

M. Ashraf El-Bayoumi, (Ph. D), Physical Chemistry, said, “It has been a good conference, which came at a very critical moment, especially after the fall of Iraq and asserted and reasserted our determination to liberate Iraq from American occupation and also Palestine from the hands of Zionists. It is true that our situation is very bad. At the same time, this occupation of Iraq has brought opportunity for a widened struggle against the imperialist powers of the world.
In fact, the task ahead of us is heavy and enormous. We are determined, however, to follow the path to liberate ourselves from internal oppression as well as from external occupation and to maintain our own sovereignty.”
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