Six years after passing away, Dr. Al-Saqqaf still rememberedIf only you were with us to see those days [Archives:2005/848/Viewpoint]

Walid Al-Saqqaf
Last Thursday, June 2nd 2005, marked the sixth anniversary of the passing away of Prof. Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, the founder of the Yemen Times, and the popular brave heart of Yemen. Even though it is extremely difficult for me to reflect my feelings on this occasion in this limited space, perhaps a good thing to do in this memory is to ask: What if Dr. Al-Saqqaf was still among us today?

For instance, what if he had seen the elaborate spending on the 15th unification anniversary in Yemen? Or what if he had realized the degree of extreme poverty from which the country's most vulnerable were destined to suffer? In the international level, we may ask, what if he were to see the way Islam has been perceived in the West. What about the reasons behind the flourishing of extremism in Yemen and other Muslim countries?

Let us see how Dr. Al-Saqqaf reacted to earlier celebrations. At one point, he wrote an editorial in October 1997 describing the celebrations of the 26 September revolution's anniversary. “The parade marking the 35th anniversary of the 26th of September Revolution included an impressive show of military hardware. The state displayed its prowess. This is one way to impress people to revere the state. But it is only one way,” he said.

But Dr. Al-Saqqaf noted that this does not necessarily bring the regime any respect, in fact it could be the contrary because portraying mere power may show that the regime perhaps lacks everything else. “One important way is to preserve a minimum level of integrity. Indeed, a system with integrity is one that commands the respect of others. The present system of the Republic of Yemen does not have the minimum level of integrity, and it is this fact that erodes its very legitimacy and prestige.”

So he was clear in that military regimes may show off military might and fireworks to prove they are strong. But I personally believe that if he were here today, he would have realized that more people than ever are not buying this rubbish any more. People have felt betrayed by the authorities and their rhetoric and have become so concerned about the livelihood and means of making ends meet. A few have the guts, however, to publicly denounce the lavish spending of the government in such celebrations in a time its people are suffering from one of the most critical economic challenges of all times.

When it comes to poverty reduction, Dr. Al-Saqqaf said as the poor get poorer and more vulnerable, the corrupt and crooks in the country continue to abuse power and gain wealth illegally, and all happen under supervision of the regime.

“President Ali Abdullah Saleh tolerates the thieves and crooks because he has accepted that it is a price to be paid to appease strong power centers. Some of these power centers are actually his own creation. But at times, the monsters may have grown out of control. As a result, almost all sectors of public life, to one degree or another, are today under the control of crooked people.”

But Dr. Al-Saqqaf also explained the consequences of such action, and that is what we are starting to see today. “Gradually, and as poverty begins to bite more savagely, an already tired populace gets out of control. There is already a growing consensus among the people of Yemen that an over-haul is required. However, it is in the hands of President Saleh to avert Yemen falling into chaos and lawlessness and to introduce real and deep changes.” he said in a viewpoint published in September 1998 under the title “Thieves cannot build nations.”

Yet all he received at the time was accusations of being unpatriotic and disloyalty to the ruler (Waliyyulamr), and sometimes he was even called a CIA agent.

Just as Dr. Al-Saqqaf himself suffered when he was kidnapped, taken in one of the underground cells and tortured following the breakout of the 1994 civil war in the country, today, history repeats itself with an unprecedented wave of attacks and humiliation to journalist, intellects, and think tanks that express their dissatisfaction with the way the country is run and operated.

Today, however, the Yemeni regime is portraying itself as a 'strategic US ally in the war on terror' to justify many of its actions. This is something that Dr. Al-Saqqaf didn't have to deal with. He did however explain that terrorism in general is mainly caused by governments, who are now allegedly fighting it. He clearly explained that frustration, which could be caused by government oppression, poverty, and other means, can always breed fundamentalism.

In a Viewpoint editorial published in August 1998, Dr. Al-Saqqaf said that this mood of pervasive frustration is dangerous. “It is like a powder box, waiting to blow off. The mood leads to extremism and fatalism, mostly, religion-based. Already one can see signals coming from various corners of the country.”

Dr. Al-Saqqaf also pointed at the failure of the Yemeni governments to reform and hence inability to raise the quality of life of its citizens. This apparent failure has resulted in a high price paid by the people in the form of a higher unemployment rate, poor basic services, higher poverty, etc. All of this resembles a time bomb that can explode any minute.

Today, we feel deprived of the wisdom and courage of Dr. Al-Saqqaf, who passed away tragically in a traffic accident, whose specifications are still unclear until today, near his office in Sanaa. However, one of his greatest legacies still remains. And that is the Yemen Times, which continues to report freely, independently, and professionally today. For that reason, I feel he should be proud

Yes indeed, you should feel proud dad that you have achieved greatly in your lifetime and left the world with dignity and honor. You should be proud for having said the truth regardless of consequences, and hence you motivated many to do the same. You should be proud that whatever you said turned out to be right, and all your critics turned out to be wrong. That is something for which history will always keep you credit
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