Use of “Akhdam” offending [Archives:2004/749/Letters to the Editor]

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June 24 2004

Abdulhamid Al-Sharay
[email protected]

With all due respect to you and to the staffs of Yemen Times, I would like to share an opinion with you.
While I was reading this issue like I usually do to every other issue, I noticed in your article titled “Hell in Aser” that the word “AKHDAM” was reputedly used. We all know that Yemeni people use it all the time, but it is not polite to use it in your articles. i personally believe that you owe all those Somalians a big apology.
People all over the world know Yemen as a loving country to everyone, so let's at least make it seem that way.

Dear Al-Sharay,
Thank you for your kind remark. We only used the word 'Akhdam' in quotations just to identify the sector's name. We found no other means to specify them as the word 'Yemenis of African origin' -they are not all from Somalia- which is long and not precise. The intention is not to hurt them, but to inform the readers, who this group is. We are happy if you could bring alternative proposals.
)Editor
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