Letters to the Editor [Archives:1999/32/Letters to the Editor]

Yemen Times is Still Alive
We have heard recently after the death of whom we consider our father and eldest brother, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf the founder of Yemen Times that some of the traitors and democracy’s enemies have said that Yemen Times will not be published again, now that its editor in chief, Dr. Saqqaf is dead.
But I think that they forgot that Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf was a teacher teaching his students. Because Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf was the ideal teacher who had struggled against the enemies and the traitors of the country and all of his students, his fans will continue in his struggles against the traitors and Yemen Times’ enemies. Yemen Times will not stop. In fact, it will develop more and more forever.
Tawfeek Abdulsalam Hasan
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Dear Managing Editor,
I read your column titled “Our Kids & Summer Vacation.” It was a very nice article in which you explained a very important point regarding our children. In fact, the idea you discussed is very common. However, we are in Yemen and it seems that nothing can be achieved, especially in these days. IÊsupportÊyour idea and hope it will become a reality, but how can the Yemeni government accomplish some of the points you mentioned, and prevent our country from losing this generation, if it cannot accomplish anything at all for the country? The reason behind this is that everyone, especially, the officials only care for themselves and their children and don’t think of others children. They do not know that it is their duty to raise and educate all Yemeni children so they will develop into good citizens and assisting their country in its development. I and many others agree with you on this issue. However, to whom are we talking to? To deaf politicians? I don’t know when these politicians will discover the big loss in our children and country before it is too late. I think that we are approaching dooms day quickly, don’t you?!
Abdulaziz Al-Boreihey, Taiz
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A Response to the article titled
“Oppression of Women in Yemen”In response to your article about oppression of women in Yemen, I am once again confronted with the remarks that “Islam guaranteed/recognized women’s rights long before the west”, etc. How can anyone possibly believe these are such great progressive ideas when in Yemen women are still genetically mutilated, can be executed for adultery, and wear veils because they are thought of as dangerous, sexually desirable monsters that men can not be held responsible to restrain themselves? Of course, the popular Middle Eastern belief that Western cultures are hotbeds of immorality, prostitution, and every awful vice never leads to extraordinarily exuberant indulgence by many repressed Middle Eastern males in the West. One hopes that someday some enlightened culture will go and truly accord equal respect for men and women as full human beings, and not as slaves to biological impulses. It is also important to realize that reproduction is not the sole purpose of a woman’s life, and women do not need the “protection” of men, and do not need to be supported by menÐat least in Western democracies. Loading the womenfolk down with gold and keeping them encased in a pleasant cage of Purdah is not always so wonderful. Ask the women who have escaped. It is really dismaying that a psychologist would write such apologies for the treatment of Yemeni women. I have even lived in Muslim countries where the women don’t cover their hair (can you believe such a terrible thing!) But in spite of that, the men in these countries can behave decently among them…What a thought.
Alan Suits, USA
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Dear Sir,
I bring up this topic with tears in my eyes and a heart on fire for the sake of its country. I am majoring in International Business and thus reading journals and magazines of economical structure is a rather daily routine that comes along with the mere interest of the profession. Today, I crossed upon an article in The Economist, a widely respected economical magazine; the article brought up the subject of our new free-market which is set at Aden.
I would like to every Yemeni to read what I read and give the prosperity of our nation a second thought.
Quote
“Dubai, which is the Gulf’s main trading entropy and claims to be the world’s tenth busiest port, used to reign unchallenged as the main transshipment point between Europe and Asia. But now two completely new ports, one at Salalah in Oman and the other at Aden in Yemen, have opened for business, just as Asia’s economic slowdown has hit shipping.
The logic behind the development of the new ports is unimpeachable. Dubai lies inside the Gulf, three days’ extra sailing off the main route from Europe, through the Suez canal, around the Arabian peninsula and on to India and East Asia. Furthermore, with the ever present risk of war, insurance risen slightly for vessels passing through the Straits of Hormmuz.
Mainline ships that stop in either Salalah or Aden and send Gulf-bound goods on by smaller feeder vessels should thus save time and money. East Africa and the Indian subcontinentare also only a day or two’s sailing away. Authority, meanwhile, is running Aden and has enticed two of its biggest customers, APL and Pacific International Lines, to use the new facility.
Yet Dubai Port Authority (DPA) shrugs off the threat. It may lie a little out of the way, BUT YEMEN AND OMAN HAVE DISADVANTAGES TOO, ITS OFFICIALS POINT OUT. SHIPPERS WILL THINK TWICE, THEY SAY, BEFORE ENTRUSTING CARGOES TO THE KIDNAPPING- AND BOMBING-PRONE YEMENIS;”
Unquote
It hurts me to see International traders to divert from Yemen because of our lack of control in our lands. I don’t Know what is taking our officials all this time to deal with what it seems to be a minor problem to them, and of course on the contrary it is a major one as it affects our economy severely.
I think it is time for us to overcome our pity differences and work for a higher goal in put
ting Yemenis mark on the world business map. Otherwise, we are surpassing a great chance for coping up with the next generation of businesses. I believe its not of own will that I speak for the rest of the enlightened Yemenis in our country that an action is necessary at the current situation in order to gain back the trust of Foreign companies and firms that we have for long lost.
I wish that this message could ring a bell in every Yemenis heart and mind who cares to see his country once again a great land as it was in the forgotten past.
Hisham K. Al-Omeisy
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Dear Editor,
I wish to express my gratitude to Yemeni People whom I have in my sole special respect. I lived three years in Sanaa, in which I didn’t feel for a moment that I am a foreigner, but I always felt I am at my home Iraq. I contributed in the development projects, I left my finger prints in this lovely country, I performed successfully many projects among them were the Range-Rover show room in Sanaa, the Electrical power station in al-Dhaleh, the Al-Reweshan foundation, and the Al-Helewa production oil-field & Dhahab in Mareb. Please send my best compliments to your colleague Sa’ad Salah Khalis, my best regards for you, finally, my best wishes for Yemeni people
Ghalib H. Kummona

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