Letters to the Editor [Archives:2000/43/Letters to the Editor]

EDITOR,
IN regard to an article which was published in your newspaper Yemen times, (Monday, 4/9/2000, issue no. 36, page no.3, Arab/world news) under (Israeli officer resigns over operation mishap), as a Palestinian I deeply deplored to read in your newspaper an article in which you described the Palestinian movement Hamas and its men as terrorists.
Frankly speaking, I was astonished, while reading Yemen Times which was on my friends table. Im not a regular reader of your newspaper rather I knew about it that day when I visited my Yemeni friend. After finishing reading the mentioned article, I could not believe that paper was issued in an Arab country, but with deep deplore it was.
I have never seen in any newspaper issued abroad any description, or phrase same as the one you used. But I can tell you that your newspaper is almost not far from the Israeli media. all are working against one nation. Im sorry to say that but this is the truth. TERRORISTS is a great word that should be used in a proper place, not to describe us.
What I want to tell you that we as Palestinians, dont deserve to be treated by this way.
I hope it was an error, not proudly done.
Im waiting for your reply.
Hani Alzraier.
DEAR HANI,
THE news item was taken from a foreign news agency. The word terrorist which in no way can be used to describe great Palestinians should have been written between inverted commas which were mistakingly dropped. We apologize to all Palestinians.
TO WHOM DOES THE
ELOQUENT SCREAM?
WITHOUT doubt, education constitutes the fundamental pillar for development in any country, just as water is important for life. For there to be development, there must be a wholesome educational system in order to bring out a new generation armed with knowledge, culture and high morals. However, it is painful to hear that in Yemen educational system and its planners are totally indulged in the marsh of corruption. Nowadays, educational system in our country became a market where bribery is the most prevailing merchandise and where examination papers and certificates are being sold at the cheapest prices. In fact, this is a great problem that may cause a disaster. Though many people wrote, spoke and warned of the consequences that might befall on our country because of the abasement of educational system, but the authorities concerned turn a deaf ear embodying the famous Yemeni proverb To whom does the eloquent scream. Our government must realize that only by education we can push a head the wheel of development through the factual and scientific vision.
Yahia Abdullah
Saadah Faculty
EDITOR,
CONSIDERING the prolonged political crisis in their country following the disastrous civil war in 1991, thousands of Somali refugees live in dire need in Yemen where they became the main applicants of us lottery so that to gain possibility to work and learn in us of America. But, unfortunately, not all the winners of such a lottery are confident to achieve their aim though they fulfill all the requirements of the lottery in terms of documents, because of the process that the consulate general of us Embassy in Sanaa use in granting the visa. In addition, what is more surprising in the process is that those who fail to get their visas are also denied the right to claim the refund of the visas expenses which is, usually, paid in advance. Obviously, this way of dealing with the problem of the lottery will probably change the essence of the lottery. What does lottery mean then?
On the other hand, the desire of Somali refugees to apply for the US lottery is based on the assumption that the US authorities sympathize with the unhappy circumstances in which they actually live. But the facts speak of the opposite.
Any way, we hope that the consulate will make the interview easy for those winners who are about to face it, and in the meantime, we hope also that our request for refunding all the visas expenses for those whose visas have been canceled, will be considered.
The Somali Community in Yemen
TO THE EDITOR WHO LEFT,
today was a success, really missing you much,
you seem to have vanished, just try to keep in touch,
i too after a while, might just leave and go,
i thought i should tell you, i thought you should know,
better care and more. take care,
in a jiffy your wife would be there,
nadia

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