Yemen and GCC [Archives:2007/1048/Opinion]
Mansour Al-Yafe'i
U.K.
Yemen joining the Gulf Cooperation Council is the dream of all Yemenis. Therefore, President Ali Abdullah Saleh took the matter seriously and concentrated efforts toward founding a proper ground to enable Yemen join the GCC as soon as possible. Saleh expended hard efforts to establish the GCC admission agreement in the form of a story recording its events in the Arabian Peninsula. “Yemen and Gulf Cooperation Council” is the title of the story whose content is the great efforts and the hard work.
As the Yemeni leader is aware of the significance of jointing the Gulf bloc, we have seen what he is doing. He said that we deserve to be admitted to GCC since we possess what others possess. “Mr. President, there is neither security nor safety in your country while citizens are searching for hideouts to save their lives. In your country, there is no freedom and the people are enslaved, no education, no culture, no works and no money”. It is true that Allah is the only infallible one. We haven't reached the principle of GCC entry. We are deprived of the required facilities to meet demands of the time.
Yemen possesses what the others don't in a history that preceded the real history until it has become difficult for one to identify its history and classify it. Everyone prides Yemen and the Yemeni origins while the GCC and its people know well that Yemen is the reference and the basis as well. It is from Yemen that people migrated and to Yemen is their return. We have the fertile land, which we enjoy its blessings, and human beings are only needed to exploit the natural resources in an appropriate way as the land gives those who give it.
The most important thing is that we have individuals who horrify other people. As a matter of fact, the Yemeni people sacrifice every expensive and cheap stuff for the sake of their homeland. If the government offers our people what they want and deserve, we would boast that we possess what others don't. In addition, the president and his tenure are needed to exploit what has been mentioned in an appropriate manner to benefit the nation and serve the national interest.
When we draw our attention away from Yemen and GCC admission and shed light on the Yemeni citizens, who are residing in the GCC states, we find that they are influenced by the GCC policies toward Yemen. They turn to blame the government for looting, deporting millions of people, and weakening the attitudes of millions of Yemenis residing in the GCC states. Over time, the matters exacerbate and get complicated due to the Yemeni government and its acts that go against the expectations of people.
The Yemeni people wait for their government to alleviate their sufferings, improve their living standards, and cooperate with the GCC states. But, the Yemeni government turns to behave in a hostile way and becomes a government of destruction and devastation as if we have the stronger attitude in the equation. As a result, the people of Yemen become the losers due to their respected government.
The government doesn't pay closer attention to expatriates as much as it is interested in their money. It hasn't worked in line with the interest of its people abroad, but it works for the sake of millions coming from them. “If you have money, you are recognized as a Yemeni” applies here. The poor expatriates are excluded from the list while the government pays closer attention to the rich ones and offers its facilities for them and their relatives. From this point, the significance of posts, money and property originates while the poor expatriates return to be buried in their homeland since the government doesn't profit from them. How we can establish what is required from us to join the GCC, particularly in the current situations.
It is impossible for others to accept us as we haven't accepted ourselves since the very beginning, particularly as we talk about requirements of GCC admission. How we can be engaged in mutual cooperation since we unified our nation by the force of arms and plundering others' property.
Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi
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