Human rights Or animal! [Archives:2006/997/Community]

By: Sami Sallam
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Yasmine is 17-year-old Yemeni-American girl dedicated to a case that touches an important human awareness issue. At the age of 15, Yasmine created a proposal for animal shelters and an awareness program for treating stray animals. This girl spotlights stray animals as an element of life that definitely deserves recognition. The approved proposal presented to the British and Dutch Embassies and to the WSPA, reflects her humanitarian sense, highlighting animal rights. Issues a vast majority of Yemeni are unaware. However, the proposal meets the standards Prophet Mohammed taught in this regard. I agree people in Yemen need awareness campaigns on how to deal with such poor creatures.

Drawing the attention of both Embassies and the WSPA, stands as a great achievement, and I wish Yasmine the best in her endeavors. On the other hand, I hope Yasmine draws the attention of concerned international organization to the plight of human rather than animal shelters. “You can't walk or drive without seeing a beggar waiting for a handout to afford a mouthful in order to keep alive. The sleepy child sitting with a bathroom scale waiting for a person worried about losing one more kilo due to hunger or unknown terminal illness,” as she said in her interview with Yemen Times. Abject poverty, disease, and hunger are an inevitable part of Yemeni lives.

I am not against Yasmine's project, but I suggest she not waste any opportunity in calling interested international NGOs' attention to human right's issues in Yemen. The ability of local organizations has proven remarkably slow and weak in dealing with the issue of Yemeni people having basic rights to a decent quality of life.
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