Handicapped authority in the Square of Liberty [Archives:2008/1118/Opinion]
Abdu Saif Al-Qasli
The statements, written by Usama Ghalib, Chief Editor of Al-Nass Weekly on the last page of the paper indicating that God has exempted the weak, handicapped, ailing, blind and lame people from jihad, implied an applicable connotation to government of the General People Congress. However, the ruling party and its government don't exempt the handicapped from taking to streets for the sake of Mr. President and backing its most recent initiative, aimed at replacing the parliamentary system by a presidential one.
The editor's statements have a wider echo in the sense of sarcasm and irony among journalists, who attended a sit-in organized by Women Journalists Without Chains more than two weeks ago. That day was Tuesday. But, the event coincided with handicapped people going to the Square of Liberty before journalists did, thereby joining a demonstration backing the most recent initiative made by President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
I personally believe that the demonstration of the handicapped is something normal, and there is nothing strange in the GPC government's imposition of jihad on the handicapped to struggle for the sake of Mr. President. The Almighty did exempt the handicapped from going to jihad for his sake, but the ruling party, as apposed to the Almighty's will, forces the handicapped, as well as the dead to vote for its favor in any election.
I bet on the authenticity of my words, particularly as my colleagues did see that almost all those who joined a demonstration in support of Mr. President's initiative are handicapped. Via my observations, along with other colleagues, we found that one of the demonstrators saying to a friend, who was sitting on the wheelchair, in a manner combining between sarcasm and irony, “Lets back Mr. President's initiative.” Another demonstrator responded with a smile implying that he pretends to be handicapped, however, he enjoys good health.
Had there been clashes and rioting during the demonstration exposing the physically-handicapped people to danger, all would have jumped from their wheelchairs and fled like the deer.
Sitting on the wheelchair, a third demonstrator asked his neighboring friend, “How much will the government pay us for joining the demonstration since the early morning up until now?”
We also noticed that two handicapped girls were walking with regular steps and at the same time smiling. This behavior confirms that both girls have been trained at one of the women police camps on how to behave as if they are handicapped, however, their laughter implies that they are actors and not handicapped.
Some of the buses, owned by the Handicapped Association, arrived at the demonstration scene without any passengers aboard while other coaches were filled with girls, who appeared to have been forced by the authorities to leave their schools and join the march. These girls preferred to stay inside the coaches because they can not master the art of behaving as handicapped.
Speakers at the handicap demonstration were trembling while addressing participants. Instead of calling the demonstration venue “Square of Liberty” as chanted by their friends, they used to call it “Square of Liberty” as named by journalists.
In conclusion, I hoped that the woman journalist Tawakul Karaman selected any day other than Tuesday for sit-ins or protests organized by its organization, Women Journalists Without Chains.
Source: Al-Nass Weekly
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