Reforms Where to (4) [Archives:2004/754/Opinion]

By Prof. Abdul Aziz Altarb
For the Yemen Times
People and various media organizations have begun talking about meetings of the eight largest industrial countries, the G-8. What they discuss and what will come out from their decisions is not yet known.
At the time, the Arab leaders, kings and presidents came out from their Tunisia summit with merely an honorary pact, a mechanism for cooperation, and activating the Arab House, “Arab League”, on the condition that each country would bear the mission of reforming his own country while the Arab League, represented by its General Secretariat, would only supervise the progress and development of this or that path.
Thus, I say and repeat that we, in Yemen and in other Arab capitals, ought to start now so that others will sense that we are serious and that we want to develop our life and the living conditions of members of our societies. Elections would be considered more practical, as part of required and need change. However, these changes and reforms must begin prior to January 2005 (before the scheduled elections to be held in Iraq). If elections were to succeed in Iraq before we embrace any practical steps and major reforms, that could throw more pressure in the region.
Thus, it is in the interests of the people and the Arab rulers to begin reforms by permitting more freedoms and democracy. We want to cherish the good memory of Arab leaders who go down in history as leaders who helped their people and community. Reforms are the demands of the general public in every Arab and Muslim country.

How to translate and how to commence reforms:
– Arabs and Muslims are to be governed under their free will and to change rulers who were unfit to govern them.
– Arabs and Muslims want legislation and political, administrative and judicial systems to be based on their deep-rooted cultural and religious heritage.
– Arabs and Muslims want the education system to raise men and women who would contribute to making a civilization and to give their contribution to humanity from their intellectual and scientific ingenuity and creativity. They must come out of this state of being dependents of the West, that is directly and indirectly aggressive toward them, or dependent on the East that is awaiting any arising opportunity to dominate in their turn Arabs and Muslims and to take their share of the pie.
– Every Arab and Muslim want to enjoy and to cherish their beliefs, freedom and identity in words and deeds and in movement, not constrained by anything except general laws that are respected and obeyed by everyone. Arabs and Muslims want to be tried, when necessary, by courts that are only governed solely by the constitution and effective laws.
– Every Arab and Muslim citizen want an independent judiciary that is based on justice and not the executive branch of the government without being vulnerable to intimidation and threats from any powerful or influential figure.
– Arab and Muslim want and want

Thus, this could be done either on the free will of those who could and would want, or for all to wait for the typhoon where faith will not prevail and help those who had insisted on not having any previous faith. A word to the wise.
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