Like father NOT like son [Archives:2003/691/Letters to the Editor]

Majid Shahmaj
[email protected]
Reading the editorials of Waleed Al-Saqqaf and comparing them to the writings of his blessed late father, one sees a stark contrast in priority of viewpoints. Whereas the late founder of YT was more concerned with Yemen and its internal affairs, we mostly find the current editor's writings discussing external affairs that 99% of Yemenis in Yemen have no control, stake, or any interest in (other than verbally discussing at Qat sessions).
With all that is going on in Yemen (with some of the worst scenarios of humanity being acted right in front of your eyes) it is disheartening to find our cream of the crop (educated and motivated Yemenis in Yemen) spending their time, effort, and resources in analyzing, pondering, and criticizing external events, when they could simply put all their resources to brainstorm solutions to Yemen's current dilemma's: which run into the thousands as it is going from being the poorest Arab nation to the poorest nation in Asia, and who knows, one day in the whole world.
Since the passing of the Yemen Times' founder, Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, the priorities of the newspaper have changed. It has moved from being a vehicle of change to simply another tabloid. This is disheartening.
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