The Sudanese debacle, Kuwait’s role model Prospects and the Yemenite Bahramide chronic disease [Archives:2004/760/Opinion]

By Yahya Al-Olfi
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The world is surprised at the sudden and quick compassionate reaction of the U.S., U.K and other countries regarding the miserable conditions underwent by poor Darfurians due to the insurgency led by “Sudan' Liberation Movement” and The Sudanese Movement For Justice and equality. These two movements have been involved in attacks against the Sudanese government due to what they claim of the central government's Monopoly of political power and public money by the government and its allies. Despite being surprised at the humane reaction of USA and the UK towards this issue everybody must hail their relief efforts and at the same time ask them why they are not being humane on other issues such as the Palestinian Suffering for example, at the hands of racist Israelis. Anyhow, the urgent problem of normal Darfurians represented in food and shelter must be accommodated first and as regards the political claims of the two fronts they should be resolved within the context of a general Sudanese Reform Package. The government cannot employ Darfurians on account of others or allocate moneys to entertain their aspirations for more involvement in their daily affairs and cultural life. Sudan is a vast country with approximately 19 States or Wilayat and a huge ethnic diversity let alone more than 40 local languages. So it is unwise to solve a problem of one region on account of the others. I believe that the Indian Model is fit for Sudan in that Arabic is the official Language of the whole country, followed by English just as Hindi is the Official Language of the vastly diversified India and English is its second language and likewise in the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. Pressurizing the Sudanese regime in order to help resolve the humanitarian situation is something whilst the political resolution of this debacle is another.
Flicking through one of the Arab Magazines I was amused to read that a prominent Kuwaiti singer has just gotten her Kuwaiti citizenship. I recall that at a very early age the first countries I heard of were Kuwait because my father was an expatriate there, the U.K where I had some relatives and the USA as well. So I have always known about Kuwait since a very early age for many reasons one of them its educational support to Yemen and the fact that Kuwaiti Press was overwhelmingly in control of the Arab Street till the day before Saddam's Ominous invasion of Kuwait. Believe me I am not lying when I tell you that after many attempts my mousetrap at last caught a very big rat at the early morning of 02. August 1990. I only knew about the invasion at 9.00 O'clock downtown Sana'a by one of my colleagues. The Kuwaiti ordeal at the time showed that Kuwaitis preferred their current rulers and they are still respecting them. But, as Kuwaitis themselves were conscious in that Saddam was lunatic in his behavior towards his own people let alone towards the Kuwaitis. The honorable Royal Family of Kuwait must try to return Kuwait again at the forefront and that is very easy if so wished. The Royal family in Kuwait must consider humanely the circumstances of those living in Kuwait and are stigmatized as “Bidoon” or people without nationality. These people came for living purposes in Kuwait and were stranded there for more than half a century now. It does not matter where they are from because now they are Kuwaitis. I had the chance of meeting one of them whose grandfather traveled to Kuwait with an Aden British Colony Passport. The man belongs to Kuwait more than to Yemen and had to leave due to the invasion and the fact that he had no Kuwaiti citizenship papers. This section of the Kuwaiti community needs quick solution of its problems. The unresolved problem gives a bad image for Kuwait and has become known worldwide. It is to be acknowledged that most Kuwaitis are having a very good standard of living. That Kuwait was the first after Lebanon in press freedom in the region though to a certain limit. It is also true that Kuwait has got a lively parliament but that is not enough. It is high time for Kuwait to become a role model for the Arab Dynasties. Kuwait is qualified and can do it. The love of the Kuwaiti people for the Royal family must be equally reflected by magnanimity on the part of the Royal family by turning Kuwait into a Constitutional Monarchy just like the U.K. Kuwait must be a member of the Common Wealth. This can be done if support is forthcoming from the U.S and the U.K, if both are really serious about their countering terrorism gibberish and have not forgotten yet the Kuwaiti Alqaeda Speaker “Abolghaith” albeit he was dispossessed from his Kuwaiti citizenship as was Bin Laden dispossessed from his Saudi one. To cut it short, Democracy in Kuwait and consequently in the other Arab States shall be fatal to current and future terrorists.
Now, let us turn to Yemen where due to an Old lie a Bahramide descendant considers himself the last in a long line of a prophetic stock.
This chronic Yemeni disease shall always occur and re-occur as long as we are still hypocritical in our approach of Yemeni History we must tell the children why the Imams imprisoned Abulhasan Al-Hamdani in Raida till he died. Why two volumes of his Al-Ekleel series were destroyed by the Imams because he disclosed their Persian ancestry as well as that of their likes. We must teach our children how Persians in Yemen changed their lineage to Hashemites because of Maan Bin Zayidah whom they still hate fervently. In brief as long as the president and Sheikh Abdullah do not discern the reality behind all this nonsense, the chronic disease shall be moved for the future generations to decide on it with the risks involving such a move.
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