Letters to the Editor [Archives:1999/29/Letters to the Editor]

Our Children on Holidays
School and university holidays are quite important. This what had been said by the specialists in educational fields. There are many reasons for this, for example recreation, revival and social activities. This is according to the programs that were prepared already by the schools and universities, in co-ordination with the ministers.
What have we done to our student to benefit from their holidays?
The answer is NOTHING, because they are playing in streets, disturbing our calm, chewing qat, and the luckier of them play video games.
Why shouldn’t we organize programs like journeys, lectures, debates and computer studies, and strengthen them in their weak subjects?
In my point of view, this is the best way to improve the standard of our students, to bring them up smoothly and prepare them for the foreseeable future, because the children of today will be the officials and ministers of tomorrow.
Faisal Alamin Mhame
Sudanese Mission
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A Hidden Point of View
The 7th July is considered to be the greatest day of this decade. It is the day of the greatest victory of the Yemeni people. In this day of 1994, we as Yemenis announced our strong will and our absolute wishes and desires to take the democratic option and choose the part of the united Yemen, which is to be constituted as a country of law and order. It is this will-power of the people – motivated by their hopes and dreams for a wealthy and healthy future – which made the triumph of the 7th July realistically possible. It was the victory of the democracy, freedom, unity and justice.
In fact, no one doubts about the greatness of this day and its historic value in the minds of all Yemeni people. But the questions which rise to the surface and have to be answered by all the members of our government are: What does the 7th July really mean? Or what do we have to do after the 7th of July 1994? Is it enough to immortalize the day or repeat the same eloquent words and celebrate the event only?
In my point of view, I think it means more than that, it is far more important. It is rather a clue or ideal, which has to motivate us in our responsibility to think deeply about how we can elevate the standard living of the people and their country. We have to do our best to develop and construct our civilized country to be ready for the future, and in contact with the technology of the world around us. We seriously have to look for ways to deal with the parasites in our society, whose aims are to gain and gain more and more, and just put what they have gained in their accounts. Those who act this way pay no attention to the glory, happiness and progression of Yemen, so they have to be punished and sentenced to death if we want to gain glory and become civilized and democratic country.
It is natural that there should be victims for the sake of this ideal; as the late Professor Al-Saqqaf said “There is no glory without risk.” But such ideals deserve our efforts and abilities to be put forth in working to accomplish them, at least for the coming generation.
It is this logical way of thinking which we need to realize the glory of this day, and not only immortalize and celebrate it as a historical event, but rather as a spiritual thing which encourages us to work hard and also to do our best to establish and rebuild the country of law and order, which we wished for when we said “Yes to United Yemen” and “No to Separateness.”
It is a fact that we really need a radical reform in order to correct any sort of corruption and disorder in our society. This reform can not be valid or accomplished without the aids of all those in Yemen who are led by our gracious leader; Ali A. Saleh.
So I finally end this emotional letter by urging our leader to start reforming and correcting the defects and the faults of the institutions of the government. It is very easy to do so, for the sake of the whole of the Yemeni people, who are still waiting for such an encouraging step.
Amin Al-Dubai.
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Modernizing The Democracy of Sheba
Yemen has been the land of democracy since the days of queen Bilquis who ruled at the time of the kingdom of Sheba, and has been one ever since, inspite of the hard times and difficult situations which it has been through. This democracy was already planted in the soul of every Yemeni and buried in the majestic mountains, green valleys, desert lands, amazing coasts, countryside and cities, it was only awaiting its awakening and development further along the appropriate lines.
The revolutions of the 26th of September and 14th of October were the first step in opening the door to democracy and establishing the right of the lower classes of society to participate in making political decisions.
After the election of Ali Abdullah Saleh as president in 1978, Yemen sped further along the path to a free and fair electoral process than any other country in the region, democracy began to spread in Yemen, and the people began to realize and understand the importance of the democratic experience, inspite of the short time since the election of president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and since the first rules of democracy were planted.
The unification of Yemen in 1990 deepened the meaning of the democratic experiment in Yemen, and advanced the political participation that is represented by the relationship between the rulers and the society, as well as opening the doors of Yemen to the outside world and enabling it to become a member of the international society.
The democratic experience in Yemen enabled the different parties and political organizations to practice and exercise their democratic and political rights by peaceful means in order to achieve their announced political program.
The democratic process has also guaranteed the general freedom that is regarded as right and fundamental principle in the political and social system, and all Yemenis have made a commitment to maintain the path of free democracy.
Therefore, Yemen will be no more the country that time forgot, and will always be the land of democracy.
Wagdy Mohammed Al-Kadasi

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