Article against Ahmar justifiable? [Archives:2005/825/Letters to the Editor]

Baatheeb A.
[email protected]
It is not only misleading, but false, to say that the nation, the international community as well as the expatriate community were appalled by the article written by Al-Mithaq's political editor about Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar and his sons.

As a Yemeni I understand why someone in the media spoke out and said what he said about Al-Ahmar. I'm sure that millions of Yemenis also understood what the writer wanted to say. As far as the international community and the expatriates, no one really cares about the story. To the world, Abdullah Al-Ahmar is not seen as a substantial figure.

Even though Al-Ahmar is the head of the Yemen's parliament and many of his sons are also members of the parliament, some of them are sometimes reported to be the first to violate and break the laws and rules of the country.

What irritates me and millions of Yemenis like me is the fact that president Saleh had allegedly sent a delegation of high officials to apologize to the Sheikh. Even worse, the author of the article is going to be prosecuted for the things he wrote. What happened to the democracy that President Saleh and Yemeni officials boast about to foreign governments and foreign press is truly shameful! It seems that even the concept of democracy and press freedom is yet to be understood in Yemen.
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