Dr. Raufa Hassan is one in a million - الدكتورة رؤوفة حسن من اروع نساء اليمن

انها اول امرأة صحافية في اليمن و من اهم الشخصيات البارزة في تاريخ اليمن بشكل عام. توفيت الدكتورة
رؤوفة حسن (1958-2011) في القاهرة فجر امس بعد صراع طويل مع المرض و سيوارى جثمانها غدا في صنعاء.

قضت معظم سنين حياتها في خدمة اليمن من الناحية الثقافية و التعليمية و التنموية بكل المقاييس. بدأت حياتها المهنية بالعمل في وزارة الاعلام في العام 1984. سيرتها الذاتية تتضمن التالي:- عملت في صحيفة الثورة، و تلفزيون صنعاء ، و اذاعة صنعاء، و وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية، و كاتبة عمود في صحف عديدة في اليمن و الخارج. و لقد كانت ايضا محاضر زائر في عدة جامعات دولية، و كانت عضو في منظمات حقوقية عديدة.


ظلت لسنوات عديدة أستاذة جامعية في جامعة صنعاء – كلية الاعلام بعد ان حصلت على شهادة الدكتوراه في باريس. خلال عملها الجامعي أسست مركز دراسات المرأة في جامعة صنعاء. اهتم المركز بالدراسات في مجال النوع الاجتماعي و لكنه مالبث ان تم اغلاقه و طرد الدكتورة رؤوفة من الجامعة بعد وقوع عدة مشاكل من قبل مجموعات دينية.
لاحقا، أسست الدكتورة رؤوفة مؤسستها المستقلة، مؤسسة تنمية البرامج الثقافية التي تهتم بعمل و تطبيق مشاريع تنموية و ثقافية في مختلف محافظات اليمن.


بكلمات مختصرة، كانت من اروع نساء اليمن. لطالما كانت قدوتي منذ طفولتي. لقد قابلتها عدة مرات و في كل مرة اقابلها لم ارى منها الا منتهى التواضع و الطيبة اتجاهي و اتجاه كل من حولها.

لا يسعني الا ان اعترف ان في الدقيقة الواحدة اثناء حديثي معاها، اندهش للكم الهائل من المعلومات التي اتلقاها منها و ذلك بسبب المعرفة الواسعة التي لديها في شتى المواضيع و المجالات. حقا، كانت انسانة متميزة بكل المقاييس.

كنت بانتظارها بفارغ الصبر لكي تعود من مصر و احكي لها كل الامور عن الثورة و عن ماحققته انا شخصيا في عملي الصحفي حتى الان خصوصا انها كانت دائما مشجعة و داعمة لي في عملي الصحفي. القلب يعتصر الما لفقدانها.. رحمها الله عليها يارب.

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Yemen’s first female journalist and one of its most remarkable intellectual figures, Dr. Raufa Hassan (1958-2011) died in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday after a long struggle with a mysterious disease. She’ll be buried in Sana’a, tomorrow.

Essentially, all her lifetime she has been contributing to Yemen’s cultural, educational and developmental aspects in so many ways. She started working within the Information Ministry back in 1984. Then, her resume included working in one of the national newspapers, Sana’a TV channel station, Sana’a Radio station, Social Affairs Ministry, and a professional columnist for a number of publications in Yemen and abroad. She also has been a guest-lecturer for many universities internationally and a member in many human rights and women rights organizations around the world.

For several years, she was a professor of Mass Media at Sana’a University after obtaining her PhD from Paris in Communications. During her work at the university, she established the first Center of Women’s Studies at the University that focused on gender issues. The center was closed down not long after its establishment and Dr.Hassan was expelled from the University. Dr. Hassan and the center faced huge problems with religious groups. Next, she founded the Cultural Development Planning Foundation (CDPF), her own independent organization that focused on establishing and implementing developmental and cultural projects around Yemen’s provinces.

In simple words, she has been nothing but an astonishing Yemeni lady. For me, she has been my role model since I could ever remember. I have met her few times and in each time I met her, she has been one of the most modest and kind people ever to me and everyone around her.

I confess that in each minute that I spent talking to her; I got so much knowledge about whatever the subject-matter we would be discussing. Her remarkable intelligence was so compelling that amazes whoever talks to her. She’s one in a million. Truly, she was an embodiment of grace to Yemen and the whole world. I was waiting impatiently for her to come back from Cairo to tell her all about the revolution and how I personally came forward in my journalistic career, since she has always encouraged me and supported me on being a journalist. My heart breaks for losing her. What a loss! Allah bless her soul.


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Raufa Hassan, precious philanthropist dies at 53

By Mr. Zaid al-Alaya’a

Dr. Raufa Hassan al-Sharki, founder of the Media College at Sana’a University, a human rights activist, a professor of media studies, the first female journalist in Yemen and at the center of all women’s issues in the country, died on Tuesday in a hospital in Egypt.

She was 53. Throughout her life, al-Sharki demonstrated a lifelong devotion to women’s issues on both a theoretical and practical level. Much of her work had been concerned with creating gender equality in Yemen.

She was especially devoted to women’s issues. She also had a wide interest and concern – theoretically and practically – for civil society organizations that aim to ensure that women are granted all their rights and are enabled to participate effectively in social activities based on an equal partnership. Her foundation, where she was present on Sundays and Wednesdays, was filled with media students, foreign journalists and many others seeking help from her knowledge or just to hear what she had to say.

Al-Sharki was a self-made survivor and that was evident early on in her life. A story she told in one interview that I did with her before shows how determined this woman was all her life. When she was 12 years old and in the seventh grade she and a couple of her friends from their school, Biliqis, were not satisfied with their school books. They said that the boy’s schools had better and many more books than girl’s schools like theirs. So they all decided to go the house of the prime minister of Yemen. That was in 1971.

They were about seven girls and decided to walk to the prime minister’s house on a Friday. They packed lunches and wore their best shoes. After their long walk they reached the house of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Kurshmi. They knocked on his door and the prime minister asked them what this was all about. Al-Sharki recalled that they had already written a request on paper for books and when they talked with al-Kurshmi he laughed.

He said yes to their request and went further as he was really impressed with the girls’ initiative. He invited them to go to school with boys. It was the first time that girls were permitted inside a boy’s school and they were received politely and were respected. Since then, al-Sharki had a career notable for a certain kind of fearlessness. She was the first in everything in the media. She was the first female broadcaster on radio and the first female anchor on TV. She started to work for Sana’a Radio Station in the 1970s when she was still a little girl. Abdul-Rahman Mutaher, a leading figure at Sana’a Radio Station and he as the first person under whose command she worked. Mutaher described her once as a very talented kid.

“From the first time we worked together, I knew that she will be something big.

She was very ambitious and wanted to learn many things and had great patience. She is one of the greatest if not the greatest woman in Yemen. I respected her a lot and the relationship between me and her was a father-daughter one,” he said. Al-Sharki taught many of the leading journalists in Yemen and all agree on one thing.

Being in her lecture one could only admire that she was doing her work with love and passion. All that she contained pearls of wisdom. Nabil al-Sofi, editor-in-chief of Newsyemen website and Abwab magazine publisher, said that al-Sharki taught him in his first year at the Media College. He said that she was the first lecturer that he had heard the word development from. He said that al-Sharki was different from all professors and showed her students how the media could greatly contribute to development.

Al-Sharki sad though that there were some forces in Yemen that locked themselves up and refused any change. They wanted the country to go backwards. She was very optimistic that things in Yemen were changing for the better.

As a volunteer at her foundation, I could see that al-Sharki was doing everything that she could to make Yemen honorable and prosperous and she believed that it would do the same for her. She once told me that she could not separate her personal and national ambition. She said that she had changed a lot and was working hard to change her surroundings. She was dreaming to see Yemen among the top countries.

One of her most interesting projects, on which I worked with her, was the Exhibition of State Dress and Codes of Identity in 2005. With this project she looked at the dress of political leaders in Yemen, including presidents, sultans, princes, prime ministers and also women of high social status and analyzed their dress codes. She also collected many items that she said were the codes of identity, like coins, state emblems, flags, national anthems and stamps in Yemen from the period 1948-2004.

She also managed to obtain original dresses of some of the political leaders of Yemen during that period. The aim of the project was to create a visual memory for young generations and tell people about Yemen’s modern history.

The exhibition was displayed in Sana’a, Aden and Mukala as well as Germany. The exhibition was about to be permanently displayed in a museum.

Al-Sharki was also lobbying against laws that limited press freedom, saying that journalists do not need laws. She said that journalists do not need a press law and that they already had a criminal law that contained punishment up to execution for journalists. She said that journalists needed another law and that was a freedom of information law.

Al-Sharki believed that this law would help journalists and all people to gain access to information and that nothing could be hidden from the public or from the media. She believed that such a law could help Yemen get rid of many problems and on top of that list was corruption. The problem, as she saw it, was that freedom of expression which is guaranteed in the Yemeni constitution did not mean much without free access to information. She wanted this right of access to information to be guaranteed because she said that it would help the public make up their mind and express themselves freely.

Al-Sharki’s foundation focused mainly on gender issues but included a host of different subjects. Its work was built on five pillars and all related to gender issues. These pillars include identity and modern history in Yemen. Al-Sharki believed that oral history methodologies could be used and that we all had to tell the stories of women and their role in these modern times.

This was because most of us know that the writing of history most of the time denies women their proper place. Al-Sharki published two books on this issue and worked towards writing the history of women as part of the history of men. The second pillar of her foundation was democracy and human rights.

She worked for almost two decades on these issues and her foundation remains one of the longest-running non-governmental organizations focused on this issue in the country. Al-Sharki worked on different issues, including elections and campaigning to encourage women to vote. She wanted to ensure that this right was not denied to any Yemeni women.

She also created a network in this field called ‹Ansar› which means ‹the victorious›. This was a group of supporters backing women’s political leadership candidacy in eight governorates in Yemen. This network would support all women instead of focusing on specific candidates. This would focus on the social environment and not individual personalities.

The foundation›s third pillar was to work on good governance; the fourth was non-governmental organization capacity building and the fifth focused on health and Qat.

Talking about a woman like Dr. Raufa Hassan al-Sharki is not an easy task. Her name has been synonymous with media and she has broken all barriers of gender inequalities in Yemen by becoming one of few first female journalists in the country.

My heart aches because we have lost her. Her name was Amatalrauf Hassan al-Sharki and she was popularly known in Yemen and abroad as Raufa Hassan. She was born in 1958. She finished her secondary school and traveled to Cairo where she obtained a bachelor›s degree in media from the journalism department of Cairo University. She then went to the U.S. and obtained a master’s degree in 1984.

In 1991, she earned a PhD in communications in Paris and returned to Yemen to put her knowledge to use. In 1996 she founded the first Center of Women’s Studies in Yemen at the University of Sana’a. Her previous experience included working at al-Thawrah newspaper as head of its investigations department. She also presented and prepared many programs for Sana›a Radio and Sana›a TV.

She founded the women›s unit at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. She had written loads of articles about all issues in Yemen in different newspapers and websites.

She presided over many conferences locally and globally. She was an active member of the World Women Union, World Women Council and a founder of the Yemeni Handicapped Association. She published several books in Arabic, English and French. She also published a great deal of research papers centered on women›s issues and media.

I believe that Dr. Raufa Hassan will live in the hearts of so many for all that she offered this country and its people. She is now in the world of eternal existence. She was role model for hundreds if not thousands. She fought all her life for women›s issues and human rights. May she rest in peace.

تعاسة وحزن..المقال الأخير للدكتورة رؤوفة حسن

المصدر موقع نيوز يمن الاخباري

هذا المقال نشرته صحيفة البلاد السعودية للدكتورة رؤوفة حسن نشرته قبل 12 يوما من رحيلها. نيوزيمن يعيد نشره

تعاسة وحزن

مرة أخيرة، حاولت أن اتسلى بمشاهدة سريعة قصيرة للأخبار، وعدت الى قنوات للطباخة أو الخياطة أو الزينة. وكنت أظن أن هذه التسلية كافية للترويح عن ذاتي و من ثم أعاود الانهماك في قراءة رواية، وهكذا دواليك. و بعد كل هذا أتصفح الإنترنت فأقرأ بعضاً من بريدي والآخر يتعرض للإلغاء. وتصفح بعض الصحف من خلال العناوين فقط ونادراً ما اتوقف عند التفاصيل إلا في الأخبار التي أراها هامة.

وظننت وبعض الظن إثم، أن الأمور بخير، وأن روحي تمر بحالة من السلام والطمأنينة. لكنني فجأة لم أعد أتمكن من النوم وأخذني الإعياء كل مأخذ، فالنوم غذاء الروح كما يقولون. فأدركت أن الطريق الذي اتبعه يسبب لي التعاسة والحزن، وأن أخبار البلدان العربية لا تسر، ولا منجى سوى إقفال هذه الأبواب كلها بما في ذلك تصفح الإنترنت والبريد الإلكتروني.

وقد كان بابي الأخير الى هذا العالم المفزع مقالي الأسبوعي في صحيفة البلاد، لهذا وتخفيفاً عن تعاستي وحزني سأتوقف عن كتابة هذا المقال حتى أصبح قادرة على اجتياز المحنة ، وأعود فإن لم تسمعوا عني أبدا فذلك يعني ما هو أكثر من أزمة قد تمر.

وقد لاحظت اختفاء أصوات وحروف كثير من الأشخاص الذين كنت أجل مواقفهم بدون كلمة أو توضيح، فاعتبرت أنهم مروا بحالة مشابهة لحالي وقرروا أن النفخ في القرب المقطوعة لا يجدي وأن أصواتهم بحت من الشرح والتوضيح وإشعال شمعة ضوء في ظلام حالك كلما أشعلوها انطفأت حتى تسلل اليهم اليأس وفقدوا القدرة على الاحتمال والصبر فسكتوا مثل أهل الكهف ولم يعد يعرف عنهم شيء.
فإذا كان هذا دائبهم فلست الأفضل ولست عن طريقهم أحيد.

لكل شيخ طريقةً:

يقال في الأمثال كل الطرق تؤدي إلى روما، ويقال لكل شيخ طريقة. فهم جميعاً يحاولون شق طريقهم الى الله جل جلاله وجنته وإتقاء عذابه. وللاتباع أن يسيروا على الطريق أو لا يفعلوا بل يفضلون البقاء على ماجاء به لهم أباؤهم وأمهاتهم. وهكذا تسير بهم الطرق قد توصل الى الله جل جلاله وقد توصل إلى مزيد من الدنيا وخاصة عندما يموت صاحب الطريقة ويتزايد أتباعه ويتفقهون حسب خلفياتهم وماضيهم ورؤية الزمان والمكان من حولهم.

هناك حاليا بعض الجمع في البلدان العربية هي موقع مذابح ودماء لبشر لديهم موقف بعضهم للدفاع وبعضهم للهجوم، مؤيدين أو موالين. مستقلين أو حزبيين، أحزاب حاكمة واحزاب معارضة، ومستقلين فاض بهم الكيل فخرج شبابهم الذين لم يعد لديهم مايفقدونه سوى أرواحهم فخرجو للحل أو للشهادة.
أما أنا، فكان لدي قلمي ورأسي اللذان توقفا معاً عن العمل حتى يأتي الفرج أو يزورني ملائكة الجنة.
أودعكم وأفرغ قلمي من حبره وستسكت شهرزاد عن الكلام المباح.

Change Square While Demonstrators Being Shot Dead

While I was entering the Change Square, today's afternoon, I really noticed that the tents were empty. "Hum! The guys must have went on a rally," I told myself. Then, I walked ahead till I reached the central spot of the Square and it was only full with female protesters. There was a small number of men at the sides of the Square.

Minutes later, one girl on the stage announced that the demonstrators in the rally are being attacked with gunfire; causing deaths and injuries. Accordingly, ambulances were about to reach the small hospital at the square and everyone started to move away from the center to let the cars come in. The latest news says that around 13 people were killed during the rally and tens were injured.


This is how the Square looked like while demonstrators were being shot dead.

Yemen lost Dr. Raufa Hassan

Dr. Raufa Hassan, believed to be the first female journalist in Yemen has died today in Egypt where she was hospitalized since mid of last year. She will be buried in Yemen after her body will arrive tomorrow.

نعت نقابة الصحفيين اليمنيين وفاة الإعلامية القديرة الدكتورة رؤوفة حسن التي وافاها الأجل في أحد مستشفيات القاهرة.
وأكدت النقابة أن جثمان الفقيدة سيصل غدا إلى صنعاء وسيتم تحديد موعد الدفن ومكان العزاء في وقت لاحق.


She has been nothing but outstanding figure in Yemen and to the whole world. She’s often described as a noted academic and human rights activist and prominent Yemeni feminist.


She was Professor of Mass Media and Director of the Women's Studies Center, which she also founded, at the University of Sana'a. She was a leading advocate of women's rights and democratization; she wrote a regular newspaper column for many years, directed a program that registered women voters throughout Yemen and has played a key role in training women candidates for Parliament and local councils. She also worked with such diverse international programs as UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNESCO, Oxfam and the National Endowment for Democracy. Her work has focused on the advancement of human rights and dignity in Yemen, the Middle East, and the world.



Here is a piece about her by Mr. Zaid Al-Alaya, editor in chief of Yemen Today magazine


She is a human rights activist, a professor of media studies, and the first female journalist in Yemen. She is Dr. Raufa Hassan, who is at the center of all women’s issues in the country.

Hassan’s life demonstrates a lifelong devotion to women’s issues, on both theoretical and practical levels. Much of her work has been concerned with creating equality between the genders in Yemen especially when it comes to her devotion to women issues. This importance comes from her wide interest and concern-theoretically and practically- with civil society organizations where a woman gets all her rights enabling her participate effectively in social activities propping its basics based on equal partnership in the life equation on pairs and individuals.

She finished her secondary school and traveled to Cairo, where she got her bachelor degree in media from the Journalism Department of Cairo University. She then went to the United States of America and got a master’s degree in 1984.

In 1991, she earned a PhD in communications from Paris and returned to Yemen to put her knowledge in use. In 1996, she founded the first Center of Women’s Studies in Yemen at the University of Sana’a, after she was initially expelled for her work on gender issues. Regarding the reason why she was expelled from Sana’a University, he said that she was the victim of ideological conflict. “She came with the notion of gender in a time when people doesn’t know what is it.” said Nabil al-Sofi, chief editor of newsyemen website and one of her former students.

She later founded her own Independent research and philanthropic center, called the Cultural Development Planning Foundation (CDPF). Her foundation is still active and she carries on work in a lot of projects involving culture, women’s issues, national unity, and others.

She is also working on good governance, her foundation engaged in partnership with the American University in Cairo to do social researches about Yemen, Immigration project and the last one is creating women movement in Yemen united with unified agenda.

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قالت الدكتورة رؤفة حسن في تصريح خاص لـ"26سبتمبرنت" في العام الماضي ان القضية ليست امة نصفها يعتدي علي النصف الأخر وكلاً يتهم الأخر بذلك و أنمسالة المرأة اكبر بكثير من ان نتهم جنس في هذا المجتمع بانه هو الظالم وحدة للمجتمع الأخر .. وأضافت يجب أن نفهم بان المطلوب منا جميعا رجالا ونساء ان نكون امة تعيش و تتعايش بسلام وتقاوم الالم والتقليل من شان الانسان الاخر امة اتخذت الديمقراطية سبيل لها ..مشيرةً إلى انه لايمكن ان تكون هناك ديمقراطية صحيحة في ظل تمايز بين الجنسين- كمواطنين- واحد له أهلية وأخر فاقدها .. موضحةً ان ذلك التمايز ليس للدين ولا للحضارة ولا للثقافة يد فيه وان ماهو حاصل من ظلم للمرآة هو بسبب التمسك بافكار قديمة في وقت نعيش فيه الزمن الديمقراطي و المجتمع المدني والمساواة والقانون ..
واردفت هذا الزمن المعاش ليس له علاقة بمؤثرات الماضي الا باعتبارها مؤثرات و الدعوة للتحديث هي دعوة للتخلي عما هو ظالم وغير عادل للعباد والبلاد ..
مشيرة إلى ان الرجال عندما يظلمون امهاتهم هم بذلك يظلمون أنفسهم من حيث لا يشعرون وكذلك النساء ينطبق عليهن ذلك في مسالة ظلم بعضهن البعض
وقالت لا يمكن تطبيق نظام الدولة الحديثة باقليات وأنا اسمي هذا العصر بانه عصر الدولة الحديثة التي نبحث عنها جميعا .

Sorry I won’t let you shush me

While Yemen’s Uprising is on a cross road, the political scene looks heating like never before. The opposition is about to sign an agreement with the government based on the Gulf countries’ initiative, which is not completely matching the protesting youth’s demands on the ground. Things are building up and most of the protesters are running out of patience!

Anyhow, lately, I’m receiving verbal warning remarks from people I know and I don’t know that I should “slow it down!”

“You are becoming a political person and you always talk about politics. You should not become so, especially that you’re putting your real name and your real photo on your Facebook page and blog. You should be extra cautious and not say provocative stuff at all! Just keep talking about “Soft Topics”,” they told me.

Since I’m like an open book to many readers of my blog, I’d like to share this. My reaction towards all those remarks is;


Sorry I’m not scared to put my real name out there

Sorry I’m being the real me all the time

Sorry I break the rules

Sorry I break the mold

Sorry if I don’t fake it

Sorry I won’t hide what I really think and feel

Sorry I don’t pretend being someone else

Sorry I’m not conservative

Sorry I’m not silent

Sorry I won’t let you shush me

Sorry I’m still lifting my head high and staying strong

I’ll just keep bogging on!

The Role of Journalism in Making a Difference

I enjoyed giving a 2 hours session on “The Role of Journalism in Making a Difference” to around 20 students at Amideast Institution in Sana’a, yesterday.
The students were beyond amazing and interacted beautifully with my inputs. I hope that they now are more knowledgeable with the power they have in practicing journalism every once in awhile.

Thank you Amideast and the wonderful students!

Violation Against Freedom of Expression; Yemeni Cartoonist Hit by Unknown Men

Not long after his latest interview on Yemen Times newspaper, the well-established Yemeni cartoonist Kamal Sharaf was attacked by unknown three men in the down town of Sana’a, last Sunday. The men hit him, took his mobile and escaped afterwards.

“Cartoonists should be fierce critic of the government and corruption,” he stated in the interview. Sharaf has been actively protesting in Yemen’s Uprising and utilizing his cartoons to reflect corruption issues and express protests’ demands.

Previously, Sharaf has been in jail for almost two months because of his anti-president and anti-corruption cartoons. He was released after he pledged not to draw such cartoons any more. Nevertheless, he resumed drawing his critical cartoons when the uprising began three months ago.

His cartoon sketches can be easily found at the Change Square. They are on the walls; energizing and inspiring protests to revolt and carry on. “We will continue no matter what. We must continue our protest against this failing regime and keep dreaming of a Yemen of our own,” he wrote in his Facebook page after the hitting he endured.

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تدين حركة الوطن للجميع ما تعرض له عضو الحركة ورئيس لجنة التوعية الفنان الكاريكاتوري كمال شرف في الرابعة والنصف من عصر الأحد الموافق 24/4/2011 من قبل أشخاص مجهولين بعد خروجه من بريد التحرير في العاصمة صنعاء،

حيث تفاجأ شرف بثلاثة أشخاص بزي مدني "ثوب وجنبية" يقومون بالاعتداء عليه جسدياً وكسر نضارته وتمزيق شميزه والسطو على تلفونه الشخصي ومن ثم الفرار من أمام البريد، والحركة إذ تدين هذا الاعتداء السافر على أحد أعضائها، تهيب بالجهات المعنية سرعة اتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية وملاحقة الجناة والتحقيق معهم.
وتحمل الحركة مسئولية الحفاظ على حياة الفنان كمال شرف الذي عُرف بإنحيازه التام لقضايا الوطن ولهموم الناس،

ومجابهته المستمرة من خلال رسوماته كل القوى المتطرفة، ومراكز الاستبداد، كما حملت رسوماته موقفاً واضحاً بتأييدها لثورة الشباب السلمية، وتحذر الحركة من أن يكون هذا الاعتداء استمراراً لمسلسل ترهيب الصحفيين والناشطين المدنيين والفنانين والإعلاميين الذين كانوا بأقلامهم وبأصواتهم وبإبداعاتهم معبراً حقيقياً عن طموحات الشعب وآماله في التحرر والإنعتاق فكانوا أصوات الحرية الهادر.


وتكرر الحركة مطالبتها الجهات المعنية سرعة ملاحقة الجناة والحفاظ على حياة الفنان كمال شرف الذي جاء الاعتداء عليه هذه المرة واضحاً وعلى مرأى ومسمع الناس، وتبدي الحركة تخوفها من أن تصبح حياة الناس وأملاكهم الشخصية عرضة للإعتداء والسلب والنهب من قبل مجهولين يعيثون بحياة الناس وبأمن الوطن واستقراره في عملية منظمة تدفع باتجاه انفلات أمني يكون ضحيته المواطن والوطن بدرجة أساسية.


وسننتظر في الحركة نتائج التحقيقات التي يجب أن تكشف عن الجهات المتورطة خلف الاعتداء غير الأخلاقي، والذي يكشف أيضاً عن نوايا أصحابه ومن يقفون خلفه، وعلى إثر ذلك ستتخذ الحركة إجراءاتها لحماية أعضائها قانونياً.




صادر عن حركة الوطن للجميع
24/4/2011

An Appeal on Reconsidering Execution of a Yemeni Lady in Iraq

We urge you on behalf of humanity to help us to stop the excution of the 29 years old Yemeni woman ( Hasna Ali Yehia ) who is imprisoned in iraqi prsions and her only charge that she was married to the Qaida man ( Abu Ayyub al-Masri ) who was killed on 2010 _ and she didnt know that he belongs to qaida when she got married to him.

On Dec 24, 2010, it was published on http://www.yemenonline.info the following:-

A number of Yemeni human rights organizations call human rights activists in Yemen to protest outside the Iraqi embassy in Sana'a tomorrow morning to demand Iraqi government to release a Yemeni women that arrested last May with her 3 children Mohammed 5 years old ,Mariam 3 and Fatima 1 year and half.
Hasna was arrested on charges of terrorism because she was the wife of Abu Ayob Al-Almassri one of the Al-Qaeda leaders who killed by Iraqi forces last April.She had been married in the late nineties a man who holds an Egyptian passport who was working in teaching in Yemen. Hasna belong to Amran province north of Yemen.



Here is another piece written about her:-

Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
NGOs advocate for Yemeni detainee in Iraqi prison
Written By: Abdul-Aziz Oudah
Article Date: Oct 20, 2010


A Yemeni woman sits in the midst of Iraqi prisons and faces the prospect of execution at any time without any responsibility because she is the widow of al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Ayyub al-Masri

Hasna Ali Yehye Hussain, from Amran province north of the capital Sana’a, is mother of three, her children living with her in prison, because their father is al-Masri.

Hasna is appealing her sentence from her prison cell in Baghdad and asking for help from anyone who is willing and able. Her primary concern is getting her children out of prison.

The chairman of the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD) Mohamed Naji Alaw, states how hypocritical it is for the US to call for international human rights and Iraqi freedom an innocent women and her children are being held in Baghdad without any formal charges or legal representation.

“The charge against Hasna is that she hid her husband from Iraqi and American authorities. However, she was unaware of her husband’s terrorist activities when she aided in hiding him. She is being punished simply because of her marriage to al-Masri,” Alaw said.

Alaw described the American and Iraqi hadling of Hasna and her children as reprehensible behaviors.

He stressed continued communications with the Iraqi government and human rights organizations in Iraq through channels until Hasna and her children are freed.

He appealed to Iraqi government and human rights organizations to stand Hasna and to see that her freedom is returned to her.

Lawyer and human rights activist Abdul-Rahman has taken up the charge of defending Hasna’s in the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms. Barman said that he has been communicating with the victim›s family in Yemen, pointing out that the latest information he had was that she had been tortured at the end of the month of Ramadan. “Her Children are still wearing the same clothes they had on when they were brought to prison which have deteriorated into rags. They are living difficult satiations,” he said.

Many human rights activists in Yemen expressed deep concern about the possibility of the execution of al-Masri’s widow.

Last week a public campaign was launched in all the mosques in the Sana’a to defend Hasna. Thousands of leaflets have been distributed that offer the story of her arrest and demand the popular movement to put pressure on Yemeni government and U.S. troops in Iraq and the Iraqi authorities to release her.

Three months after her arrest she met the Guardian in a secure building in the heart of Baghdad. Her husband›s death had since been trumpeted by the US vice-president, Joe Biden, as a crippling blow to al-Qaida.

Hasna seemed lost – but circumspect. «You are the first man I have willingly spoken to apart from my husband or father for the past seven years,» she said, her uncovered face revealing Coke-bottle spectacles and pimply cheeks.

The petite Yemeni had spent five years being shuttled from one safe house to another between summons from her husband, with whom she had had three children. She had raised them alone. They now share her prison cell in the Iraqi capital. But they will soon be taken and made wards of a state that they don›t belong to. Hasna’s fate seems even more uncertain.
«I made no choices in my marriage,» she said, tears welling – offering a rare insight into life as a terrorist leader›s spouse. «I brought up my children in Tarmiyeh and Mosul [both hotbeds of the Sunni insurgency]. Even when I was with him in the house I was on the first floor and he was living in the cellar. I was not allowed to talk on the telephone or to listen to music or watch TV. There was one TV in the house, but it was in a private room used only by my husband and his group.»

Hasna was completely unaware of her husband’s al-Qaeda association. From early 2004, however, she had a sense that he was involved in fighting the Americans. «We were in Fallujah then and when the fighting started for the first time that year, I started to have doubts about my husband. After that I thought he was probably involved in killing Americans,» she added, suggesting she supported the notion of violent jihad against an occupying army.

«But when they told me [during interrogations last month] that he had been involved in killing innocent people, my son was screaming, saying: ‹Mama, mama, listen to what they are saying about him, it›s impossible.›»

She added: «I will lose my children soon – and for what? What have I done, and what have they done to live their life without a mother? All I want is to take them back to my father in Yemen and forget about Iraq. Yes, I have regrets. Of course I do.»

Hasna is from the city of Amran. In 1998 she married a man named Youssef Haddad Labiban Egyptian who came to Yemen with a false passport to become a teacher then left to the UAE, and then moved to Jordan, then to Iraq under the excuse of work.

Hasna with her three children, Mohammed (5 years) and Mary (3 years and a half) and Fatima (a year and four months) Travel led to Iraq in 2002.

نداء استغاثة لايقاف اعدام سجينة يمنية تدعى حسناء

إسمحوا لي أن أعرض عليكم قضية أخت يمنية أسمها حسناء علي يحيى متزوجة من شخص مصري قتل غيلة في العراق بتهمة مقاتلة الاحتلال الامريكي وقبض عليها مع أولادها الخمسة أكبرهم يبلغ من العمر أربعة أعوام والصغرى فتاة بعمر سنة وأربعة أشهر مسجونين بزنزانة لا تصلح لحيوان هي وأطفالها الخمسة بتهمة التستر على إرهابي ولم يتم إثبات التهمة وتم تعذيبها مرات عديدة وعلى الرغم حتى لو ثبتت التهمه فالعقوبة السجن مدى الحياة ولكن تم الحكم عليها بالاعدام وسينفذ الحكم في الخامس عشر من الشهر القادم. إنني أرجو فيكم الاخوة والنصرة لنشر قضية هذه الاخت لمنع تنفيذ الحكم وللعلم لم يتبق على تنفيذ الحكم سوى ايام معدودة فقط وكلا بما يقدر علية.

المصدر هنا

Ali Saleh and Gas

As a response to the sever cooking gas shortage around the country due to the current political turmoil, protesters at the change square have already accused Saleh about the sever problem and they came up with this creative photo!

The Week of the Last Chance

“Friday of the last chance,” that was the title of yesterday at the change square when tens of thousands of protesters attended and expanded till they reached the largest street in Sana’a; al-Steen St. They were telling Saleh that his time is about to be up. As I was leaving the square today, I heard the announcement coming from the stage that this week was called “the week of the last chance.” There is a collective sense of that it’s about to be over somehow!



The latest news says that Saleh accepted GCC plan, handing power to VP in 30 days. Still, the JMP has conditioned the initiative. Nevertheless, the square is still full with protesters and tents. Thousands are still protesting tirelessly and want the ouster of Saleh and his family, no matter what.


Till the officials reach a deal that suits everyone, life at the change square is nothing but interesting!

While I was entering the square, I noticed that there was a big tent with a large banner that says “Civil disobedience”. Apparently, they were about to start a seminar on the subject-matter which indicates that Sana’a will follow the other provinces and start civil disobedience as well and paralyze life in Sana’a; as a method to put greater pressure on the government.



I walked ahead and lifted my head up and saw a beautiful long banner that says “Integrating women and youth in administrating the state and its institutions.” I couldn’t help it but become glad to see that the “women” word was placed before everything else. That was made as a response to Saleh’s offensive words against female protesters’ presence at the square, I thought.

Then, I moved on walking and suddenly heard the national song was being played. Automatically, tribal men stood up right away and paused respectfully for the national song. I was blown away to see that! The fact that they already are protesting peacefully; leaving their weapons at homes and coming for peaceful protests amazes me and now seeing that made me fly out of joy. They are demonstrating how they are way more civilized than how the world thinks of them.

Walking through the tents while it was a little bit rainy, felt wonderful. I turned left to see inside one of the tents and I saw men glued to a tiny TV; watching a political program and the presenter was a woman! “Oh! How lovely!,” I secretly/smilingly said.

These days, football matches between the classico; Real Madrid vs. Barcelona are taking place and Yemenis are crazy about football, in general, and crazy about those two teams, in particular. Hence, I found out on big banner that there is a special place for watching the games at the change square!

Next, I reached the central spot at the square. The ground was full of water because of the rain. One woman from the protesters was comfortably sweeping the ground to move the rain water away and make the ground drier for the others. A great sense of collaboration can be felt easily at the square.

I stood up there and had a quick chit chat with an old lady; one of the protesters. “I have two sons and they are still college students. They protest everyday and made shifts to sleep over at the square. They always participate at the rallies. I’m scared for them that one day they might be victims of the aggressive oppression by the security forces and yet I can do nothing to stop them from going to the protest. They are so driven that nothing can stop them. They have already faced oppression acts from the security forces and yet that made them more determined to continue protesting,” she told me. “What does their father think?,” I asked. “Let them protest! The future is theirs. I don’t want them to suffer and live a miserable life like how you and I did and had. Let them protest!,” she answered.

Then, we were interrupted when al-Arabiya TV channel crew came to shoot with me about blogging, at the change square. “Gosh! I told you all that smoothly while you are waiting for TV crew to come and meet you. You are not an easy girl!,” the woman loudly told me while I was walking away with the crew.

بلاغ بشأن واقعة الاعتداء على الناشطات الحقوقيات و الصحفيات خلال مسيرة نسوية

في تاريخ 15 ابريل ، خاطب الرئيس علي صالح الجماهير في ميدان السبعين و انتقد اختلاط المعتصمين بالمعتصمات في ساحة التغيير في صنعاء مما أثار غضب و استهجان كل المعتصمين سواءا رجال ام اناث. ردا على خطاب الرئيس شكلت مسيرة نسوية حاشدة في اليوم التالي و كانت من اروع ما تكون ولكن! اثناء المسيرة تم الاعتداء على مجموعة من الناشطات الحقوقيات و الصحفيات المشاركات في المسيرة. تم الاعتداء بالضرب و الاهانة عليهن من قبل مجموعة من الرجال. كثرت الاقاويل عن مدى صحة الخبر و ماهي حيثياته.. والان اليكم ما كتبته الاستاذة هدى العطاس التي كانت واحدة من المعتصمات الاتي تم الاعتداء عليهن.


كلمات الاستاذة / هدى العطاس
صور الاستاذة / اروى عثمان


بلا غ بشأن واقعة الاعتداء

نحن الموقعون أدناه الذين تم الاعتداء عليهم من قبل لجنة النظام في ساحة التغيير – صنعاء ومن ضباط وجنود الفرقة الاولى مدرع وذلك في المسيرة المشتركة عصر يوم السبت تاريخ 16-ابريل 2011م. ونعرض هنا تفاصيل الاعتداء الذي وقع علينا.

- نؤكد أولا أن مسيرتنا كانت نظامية تم الترتيب لها مساء الجمعة مع العديد من التوجهات والكتل والشخصيات داخل الساحة. وقد قامت الاخت هدى العطاس بالتواصل مع الاخت أمة السلام الحاج إحدى ناشطات التجمع اليمني للأصلاح في الساحة ممن يسهمن في تسيير المسيرات، وقد تم الاتصال بها للترتيب لمسيرة مشتركة تجمع الجميع رجالا ونساء ردا على خطاب علي عبدالله صالح الذي يتوسل التحريض على المعتصمين والمعتصمات في ساحة التغيير.

وقد طلبت الاخت أمة السلام فرصة لإجراء اتصالات وعرض "الامر على جهاتي", ووعدت بالرد عقب ذلك. ثم ردت بعد ذلك بالايجاب بل والاستحسان, وتم تحديد موعد المسيرة في الثالثة والنصف عصر السبت بحيث يتم التجمع في الساحة على أن تنطلق المسيرة في الرابعة عصرا. ترافق ذلك بالترتيب مع العديد من التكتلات ومنهم تكتل التحالف المدني مع الاخ سهيل تكتل وطن لدعم النساء،

مع الاخت انتصار سنان وتكتل شباب الصمود عبر الاستاذ عبدالكريم الخيواني والاخت نوال الكبسي والاخت سامية الاغبري وغيرهم من الشحصيات والتكتلات وتم التواصل كذلك مع لجنة النظام عبر الاخ علي العماد الذي قال مشجعا: غدا سنسلمكم الراية. وتم الاعلان عن المسيرة في مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي.


- في الثالثة والنصف عصرا توجهنا إلى الساحة من أجل المسيرة لنفاجأ بأول انتهاك لما رتب له حيث تعمدت المنصة أن تعلن أن المسيرة مسيرة نسائية فقط. تواصل الاستاذ عبد الكريم الخيواني بهدى العطاس فذهبت الى المنصة وتم تصويب الأمر حينها والاعلان عن مسيرة مشتركة للجميع, وما إن غادرنا إلى موقع انطلاق المسيرة حتى عادت المنصة مجددا لتعلن الاكتفاء بمن ذهب إلى المسيرة من الرجال وتطلب من الرجال الموجودين في الساحة عدم المشاركة بدعوى أنها سستسير لهم مسيرة رجالية خالصة اليوم الثاني.

- قبالة كلية العلوم ( مكان تجمع المسيرة) لم تسمح لنا لجنة النظام ونهرت المعتصمات بعنف لدفعهن للالتحاق بمسيرة النساء وعدم مرافقة الشباب فأستهجنا هذا التصرف وأخذنا بالسير والهتاف والتحق بنا أخوات أخريات من اللواتي أجبرن على الالتحاق بالمسيرة النسائية. أثناء ذلك كانت عناصر من اللجنة الامنية تقوم بالصراخ في وجوهنا ودفعنا قسرا للالتحاق النساء وتمنع الشباب الذين معنا وهم يقومون بعمل طوق أمني لحمايتنا من المسير.


- عندما بلغنا جسر مذبح تم استدراجنا إلى كمين فقد تقدمت عناصر لجنة النظام اربعين مترا باتجاه مذبح فتبعناهم باعتبارهم من اللجنة التي تنظم وتحمي وإذا بالعشرات منهم يتعاضدون بسواعدهم مشكلين حلقة لاحتجازنا. كان بين هؤلاء أشخاص ملتحين متقدمين في العمر قياسا إلى أعمار عناصر اللجنة, وقد تورط هؤلاء في التحريض على ضربنا والتوجيه بضربنا.

- وجدنا انفسنا نضرب نحن اللواتي داخل الدائرة حيث تفرقت الأخريات اللواتي كن معنا أثناء الالتفاف إلى مذبح. حاولنا فك الطوق وتفادي الضرب وفك الطوق المسيج علينا فأمعن المعتدون بالضرب والشتم. وعندما حاول الشباب المشاركون في المسيرة الدفاع عنا تم الاعتداء عليهم بقسوة.

- خلال الاعتداء بالضرب لجأ بعض عناصر لجنة النظام إلى التهديد بالتشهير بالمشاركات, وقد توعد أحدهم المشاركات بأنه قد التقط صورا لهن وسوف يقومون باجراء مونتاج للصور بالفوتوشوب ونشر صور مفبركة لهن في مواقع الانترنت بأوضاع مخلة.

- صعقنا من المفردات البذيئة والقبيحة التي كالها لنا عناصر في لجنة نظام يفترض أنها على مستوى رفيع من الخلق والتهذيب. ولم يكتف هؤلاء بالضرب والشتم بل قاموا بطرح الاخت اروى عثمان أرضا واندفع بعضهم بهمجية وحقد إلى ركلها بأقدامهم فيم البعض الآخر يحاول انتزاع الكاميرا بالقوة منها, وقد كادت تختنق بسبب رباط الكاميرا الملتف حول عنقها. وقد سارع الأخ حمدي ردمان لمساعدتها على النهوض وحمايتها من المعتدين عن الارض محاولا تنبيه أحد المعتدين وهو رجل ملتح كان يحرض على ضربها ويشارك بنفسه بالضرب.


حينها وصل ضباط وجنود الفرقة إلى موقع الاعتداء فانفتح جزء من الحزام البشري الذي يحاصرنا, وقد
ناديناهم طلبا لرفع الأذى عنا وحمايتنا لكننا فؤجئنا بأعقاب البنادق توجه الينا وإذا بنا نضرب بأعقاب البنادق علاوة على الأيادي والأقدام. واطلق بعض ضباط وجنود الفرقة الرصاص في الهواء ثم وجهوا فوهات البنادق نحونا لتهديدنا ومنع أي محاولة منا للتقدم الى الامام, وقاموا باتنزاع أجهزة التيلفونات والكاميرات الخاصة بعدد من المشاركين والمشاركات, كما اتنزعوا شنط بعض المشاركات وقاموا بمصادرة البطاقات الشخصية والبطائق الصحفية للزميلات.

- بدأ ضباط وجنود الفرقة بعملية اعتقال للشباب وقد سمعنا أحد الجنود يهدد أحد الشباب بأنه إذا قاوم الاعتقال سيقتله لأن لديه اوامر, وعندما حاولت بعض المشاركات الدفاع عن الشاب عاود المعتدون من عناصر لجنة النظام ومنتسبي الفرقة ضربنا.

- تم اعتقال سبعة من الشباب المدونة اسمائهم أدناه, وأخذهم إلى مستشفى العلوم والتكنلوجيا. وبعد ذلك لم يسمح لنا بالمسير بل قيل لنا: أنتن معتقلات هنا في هذا المكان. تواصل بعضنا بأهلهن وازواجهن وجاء زوج الأخت هدى العطاس الأستاذ سامي غالب وزوج الأستاذة أروى عثمان الأستاذ منصور هائل وآباء بعض الشابات, وقد قرر الجميع البقاء في المكان امام مستشفى العلوم حتى يفرج عن الشباب المعتقلين. وانضم إلينا العديد من الحقوقيين وممثلي منظمات المجتمع المدني والصحافيين. وأجرى بعض المنضمين اتصالات بالدكتور ياسين سعيد نعمان وآخرين, وقد تم الافراج عن الشباب المعتقلين. وإعادة بعض الأجهزة المسلوبة مثل كاميرا أروى عثمان وكاميرا ابنتها, والكاميراتان كانتا قد هشمتا.


- توجهنا إلى الساحة وانضم الينا العشرات من شباب الساحة غاضبين لما حدث لنا وكانوا يهتفون ضد لجنة النظام. ودخلنا إلى المستشفى الميداني للتحاور مع رؤساء لجنة النظام نبيل الجرباني وعماد المؤيد وآخرين دخلوا الناشطات والشابات وبعض الشباب من المعتدى عليهم وبحضور بعض المحاميين وممثلي منظمات المجتمع اليمني للدفاع عن الحقوق والحريات ووليد العماري من لجنة المنصة شرحنا لهم ماحدث بالتفصيل. واتفقنا على موعد اليوم الثاني عصرا لوضع معالجات.


- ما أن غادرنا الساحة حتى فؤجئنا بحملة شرسة ضدنا متورط فيها عناصر إعلامية وحقوقية من حزب الاصلاح وترتكز هذه الحملة القميئة على قصص مختلقة تسيء إلينا وتحولنا إلى مذنبات ومذنبون يستحقون ماحدث لهم. هذه الحملة هي بمثابة استمرار للجريمة المروعة التي وقعت علينا أمام جسر مذبح. بين هولاء المتورطين في الحملة الاعلامية موسى النمراني المسؤول الإعلامي لمنظمة هود الحقوقية وسمير النمري المصور في قناة الجزيرة. وماجد الدهيم وآخرين.


- تمكن بعض المشاركين والمشاركات من التقاط صور يظهر فيها عدد من المعتدين من عناصر لجنة النظام وعناصر الفرقة. كما نستطيع التعرف على الآخرين لو رأيناهم.

- إن أحزاب اللقاء المشترك مجتمعين وحزب الاصلاح بوجه خاص, مدعوون إلى ضبط سلوك عناصرهم في الساحة ومحاسبة الذين قاموا بالاعتداء علينا وكذلك من قاموا بحملة لتشويهنا بعد ذلك وأن يقفوا بحزم أمام هذه الاعتداء وغيره من الانتهاكات التي طالت المعتصمين والثوار, فهذا الاعتداء المروع ليس الأول ولن يكون الاخير إن لم يتم معاقبة المعتدي والمسيئ وأيقاف أية سلوكيات مشينة وقمعية تشوه نقاء ثورتنا ومطالبها التي لن نبارح الساحات حتى تحقيقها والنصر بإذن الله ولن نتأثر وسنواصل مع اخواننا الثوار في الساحات والنصر معقود بنواصي صمودنا وستصمد ثورتنا حتى تصل إلى غاياتها وتحقيق أهدافها ببناء دولة مدنية حديثة يسودها القانون والمواطنة المتساوية والحقوق والحريات.


- وإذ نعرض هذه الحقائق امامكم فأننا نؤكد عزمنا على مقاضاة كل الجناة المتورطين في هذه الأعتداء المروع.


النصر للثورة الشعبية السلمية والعزة والكرامة لكل ثائر وثائرة في ساحات الحرية والتغيير في أرجاء اليمن.


- أروى عبده عثمان
- هدى العطاس
- جميلة علي رجاء
- وداد البدوي
- إلهام الكبسي
- سارة جمال
- بشرى العنسي
- آسيا ثابت رفعان
- أمل علي مكنون
- إميليا طه
- مي النصيري
- حمدي ردمان
- وليد القدسي
- محسن الاغبري
- بسام مغرم
- حمدي سلام
- هلال العباسي
- وجدي العبسي

Yemen's tribes 'put differences aside' to protest for change

I was interviewed by CNN.com and I really spoke from my heart about the wonderful new Yemen and its tribes. Tribes amazed me with their decent and civilized attitude towards the revolution.


By Catriona Davies for CNN
Photos by Ahmed Abdulmoula

(CNN) -- While Afrah Nasser, a 25-year-old Yemeni journalist, has been reporting on the protests sweeping her country over the past two months, one thing has surprised her more than anything else: the lack of tribal infighting. She has been amazed to see people from different tribes protesting side by side with a common purpose of forcing the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power since 1978.

Nasser, the only female journalist on the Yemen Observer, said: "Tribes who have long-term revenge issues are coming to the protests peacefully and united. "They are living in harmony with one voice and in agreement that they want Saleh out."

More than 100 people have been killed in violent clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators and security forces in recent weeks, according to estimates by Amnesty International.

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council is trying to find a way to resolve the crisis, and the United Nations Security Council was unable to agree a joint statement when it met on Tuesday.
Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East and tribal loyalties often trump national identity.

In February, leaders of two prominent tribal groups, the Hashid-dominated National Solidarity Council and the Baqil tribe, said they would send members to join the protests calling for Saleh's resignation. Saleh is himself a member of the Hashid tribe.

Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist for the Dubai-based Gulf Times and the Egypt-based Al Ahram, said: "The tribal leaders are the key players in society. Politicians in the ruling party are not as influential as the tribal leaders. "A lot of the most influential tribal leaders have now declared their support for the opposition. However, Saleh still has the support of some people from all the tribes."

The tribal system is strongest in the north, where there are three main tribal groups -- Hashid, Baqil and Madhaj -- with many smaller tribes within them, Arrabyee said. He added: "Over history, Hashid and Baqil are often described as the 'wings of the ruler.' Yemen has no good institutions and no rule of law, so tribal leaders are the real government."

Nasser added: "There are too many tribal leaders and each leader has their own supporters from the same village or area. These tribal leaders are usually older, wealthier people with influence over the younger members of their tribe."

Gabriele vom Bruck, a senior lecturer in Middle Eastern social anthropology at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, said: "The tribal system, at least in the north, has remained very entrenched and some tribes are quite independent of the government, with their own legal systems.

"It's less so in the south, where the tribal system was partly dismantled by British colonial rule."

Against this background, the tribal unity observed by Nasser during the protests could represent a dramatic shift. Nasser said: "One thing that makes me optimistic is people are showing a new civilization and acting peacefully in the face of violence by the security forces.
"In normal circumstances, if a guy is killed, members of his tribe or family will go after whoever killed him for revenge.

"But in these days, family members are not fighting back, they are remaining peaceful and taking it as a sacrifice. It's a new experience for Yemen and it's really remarkable."
Bruck was more cautious on whether the bridges formed between tribes would last beyond the protests.

She said: "My worry is that the opposition's only common demand is that they want Saleh to go, but beyond that they have very little in common. Once Saleh goes there could be a return to the infighting."

Another key issue for the future of Yemen will be whether al-Qaida can be kept at bay.
Arrabyee said: "Yemen will become a better place if we can establish a modern secular state that will respect freedoms and rights.

"We also need a government that will continue to fight terrorism. Al-Qaida is a real threat in Yemen, not only because of the terrorists hiding in the mountains, but because of the
sympathizers who are hungry and see corruption, poverty and unemployment everywhere."

However, Nasser said: "I believe the issue of al-Qaida is propaganda. If there's a violent act it's because of frustration. If you take a teenager with no education or prospects, he will be prey to anybody to buy him and tell him to do violent acts.

"The only bad thing is bad government causing a bad situation that leads people to be frustrated. "We need democracy and for everyone to have their rights and equal opportunities."

Message to Saleh

You can see the photo of president Saleh pausing before his supporters who are on the other side of the photo. Today, he was respectfully pausing for Yemen's national song and was about to deliver a brief speech. While he was uttering the "usual" words, I had in my mind the following quick message to him.


Dear Mr. Saleh,

I see that you have supporters; chanting for you "People wants Ali Abdullah Saleh". And I see you only speak to them and NEVER EVER speak to the other side; at the change square!

I was wondering; since you pay for all your supporters or you don't, your supporters might be benefited by you in someway or another. I'm sure that gathering all these people is costing you something. I was wondering, where were you all these years! where was all that money, when Yemenis needed it the most?! Why didn't you work all past years to make sure that ALL the people love you?!

In addition, what kind of a fair president who keeps giving speeches and never speak to the whole nation! Why are you keeping on marginalizing the revolutionary youth?!

Anyhow, I'm not curious at all to know the answers. I think I already know.

My blog, CNN.com and Yemen Observer

I just had the most awesome celebration at Yemen Observer where all the staff came and brought chocolate cake to celebrate the recognition I just received from CNN.com .

My blog was among one of the ten must-read blogs from the Middle East, according to CNN.com's list due my active blogging and reporting about the protests and Yemen's Uprising. Though, I have to say that I dedicate this recognition to Yemen who without I'd have never had such recognition. I just love my country and I happen to love writing as well. I bet there are millions of youth like me who love Yemen so deep and for me it was my love for my country AND writing that made the difference.

Thank you CNN.com, thank you Yemen Observer and thank you my beloved country; Yemen.

Yemenis demand Saleh prosecution Munir al-Mawari

A very insightful interview with Yemeni journalist, Munir al-Mawari. He said it ALL! Bless you Munir ♥

Schizophrenia - إنفصام في الشخصية

On Friday, the president addressed his supporters and criticized women's presence at the pro-democracy protests. Today, on one of the main national newspapers it was written in a big title (please look at the picture) that women are half of the society.

I can't find any better words to comment than; Schizophrenia!!!

الشعب مالك السلطة ومصدرها

كلمات / أمل ناصر

تصوير / أحمد عبد المولى

حكايتي مع الدستور تعود إلى بضعة سنوات مضت هي سنوات اغترابي. في بداية رحلتي المستمرة خارج اليمن بدأت تنهال علي الأسئلة عن الوطن وماهيته. هذه الأسئلة نادراً ما تأتي على بال الشخص وهو ينعم بهواء بلاده. في معرض بحثني عن تعريف للوطن ولليمن بالأخص بدأت بقراءة كل ما تحط عليه يداي مما يتعلق باليمن تاريخاً وسياسة ًواقتصاداً وغيره عليَ أجد تعريف لليمن وفي البدء كان الدستور.

قراءتي الأولى لدستور وطني –للأسف- كانت وأنا في التاسعة عشر من عمري. أقول للأسف لأنها جاءت متأخرة وكلي حسرة أني لم اقرأه من قبل, لاني لم اعرف ما هي حقوقي وواجباتي من قبل حتى وان كانت "ماقبل" تعني عدم أهليتي للتصويت فنحن شعب لا نرى أهمية التوعية السياسية إلا وقت الانتخابات.

أتحسر على أني قبلها لم اعرف الأسس التي تقوم عليها الجمهورية اليمنية وأن هنالك الكثير من المتعلمين ممن يمضون في حياتهم دون أن يقرأوا مادة واحدة من الدستور وتزيد الحسرة عندما أفكر في أكثر من 50% من شعبنا ممن لا يستطيعون القراءة والكتابة فهل يا ترى سيجدون من يقرأ عليهم مواد الدستور؟

قد تبدو قراءة مواد الدستور ترفاً للبعض في بلادٍ نهشها الفقر والفساد لكني أرى أن الوعي بالأسس التي أقيمت عليها البلاد هو من صلب المواطنة وبداية الطريق لحل المشاكل التي تؤرق المواطن. فالعلم بالحقوق هو شرارة المطالبة بها لاسيما تحت نظام دكتاتوري يتخفى بالديمقراطية كأغلب الأنظمة العربية.

معظم الدساتير العربية تتشابه وتكاد تكون متطابقة بغض النظر عن بضعة مواد في دساتيرها كمادةٍ في دستورٍ عربي تشير نصاً إلى أحقية حزب معين في حكم البلاد. العامل المشترك الأكبر بين هذه الدساتير هو أنها وردية تقارب وردية أفلام خمسينيات القرن الماضي حيث يفترق الحبيبان لأن الباشا يقف عائقاً في طريق هذا الحب. فالشعوب العربية تواقة إلى الديمقراطية ودساتيرها –اغلبها- ديمقراطية فأين المشكلة إذا؟ المشكلة في الباشا الدكتاتور الذي يتفنن في الالتفاف على الدستور ليضمن لنفسه فترة أخرى في الحكم أو ليبرر لشعبه حرباً أهليةً أخرى.

وتستمر قراءاتي للدستور في فترات متقطعة, عندما تقصف طائرات أجنبية أبناء بلادي العزل اهرع إلى الدستور علي أجد ضالتي التي تبرر هكذا تدخل لأجد المادة 48 فقرة –أ- ( تكفل الدولة للمواطنين حريتهم الشخصية وتحافظ على كرامتهم ...) فأتساءل عن أي كرامة نتحدث هنا! وعندما يعتقل صحفي ويتم إخفائه في سجون الدولة لحوالي الشهر دون زيارة أو أي اتصال مع العالم الخارجي أجد أمامي المادة 42 ( لكل مواطن حق الإسهام في الحياة السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية والثقافية وتكفل الدولة حرية الفكر والإعراب عن الرأي بالقول والكتابة والتصوير في حدود القانون) والمادة 48 فقرة –د – (عند إلقاء القبض على أي شخص لأي سبب يجب أن يخطر فوراً من يختاره المقبوض عليه ...).

تستمر هذه القراءات إلى قبل بضعة اشهر عندما كانت حمى التعديلات الدستورية مشتعلة في اليمن لأجد نفسي ذات يوم اخرج هاتفي من جيب معطفي وإذا به مفتوحٌ على أول صفحة من الدستور اليمني. نعم فأنا احتفظ بنسخة من الدستور في هاتفي لكن لا ادري ما الذي فتح تطبيق الكتب واختار الدستور اليمني خصيصاً دون بقية الكتب ليفتحه. تنتابني غصة وأنا اقرأ المادة 4 (الشعب مالك السلطة ومصدرها ...) وأفكر بمشروع التعديلات الذي كان يصبو إلى السماح لرئيس الجمهورية بعدد غير محدود من الفترات في الحكم ولا يزال هذا الرئيس يصر على أن الشعب فعلاً هو من يملك السلطة, السلطة التي سمحت له وعائلته باستباحة مقدرات البلاد ونهبها بينما يقبع أكثر من نصف اليمنيين تحت خط الفقر ويعانون من الأمية والجهل. هذه هي السلطة التي يملكها الشعب على الأقل صورياً هي نفسها من يدافع عنها باستماته وحتى آخر "قطرة دم".

ويبدأ نقاش دستوري محموم بين الأصدقاء فيقول لي صديق بأننا في اليمن نقدس الأشخاص على النصوص فالنص الدستوري والتشريعي لا قيمة له أمام أشخاص معينين. ويلوم صديق أخر مجلس النواب الذي لا يمثل الشعب ومصالحه وإنما يمثل الرئيس وعائلته. أمازحهم قائلة بأني أتمنى لو اربط مادة تحديد فترات حكم الرئيس بحجاب أو بعمل أو أن يتم وضع مادة تمنع تعديل مادة تحديد فترات الرئيس فيرد أخر بأنها بسيطة وأنهم سيعدلون مادة المنع ويحذفوها ومن ثم يعدلون مادة تحديد الفترات فنجد نفسنا عدنا إلى حيث ما بدأنا.

الآن مع انتهاء الحديث عن التعديلات الدستورية أو عن أي سيناريو لتوريث الحكم وتحول الحديث نحو أسس الدستور الجديد والجمهورية الجديدة التي ستقام بفضل ثورة اليمنيين المستمرة في ميادين الحرية في كافة أرجاء اليمن لا أستطيع سوى أن احلم معهم بدستور جديد.

دستور أفضل, حقوق أكثر..
دستور يتم تطبيقه على ارض الواقع ولا يبقى حبيس الورق
دستور يعطي المرأة تمثيل برلماني اكبر
دستور يساوي بين جميع أفراد الشعب وبين الجنسين في كافة الحقوق والواجبات
دستور ينص على إلزامية التعليم كخيار أساس لحل مشكلة الأمية التي تشل اليمن
دستور لا يتم تعديله على هوى البعض .
دستور لا يعطي صلاحيات مطلقة لرئيس الجمهورية
دستور ينص على فترتين رئاسيتين كسقف أعلى مع 4 سنوات لكل فترة.
دستور يضمن شفافية جميع قرارات رئيس الجمهورية
دستور يحترمه الجميع, والرئيس خصوصاً
دستور يكتبه برلمان نزيه منتخب يمثل جميع أطياف الشعب.

والاهم من هذا كله أن يعي المواطن اليمني أن هذا الدستور تمت كتابته من اجله ومن اجل الحفاظ على حقوقه وحقوق الأجيال القادمة من بعده فلابد لكل أفراد الشعب من الإطلاع عليه.
احلم بيوم أجد فيه نسخة من الدستور في كل بيت يمني .

ساحة التغيير قبل دقائق - Change square, minutes ago

I was there and saw it myself :( Peaceful demonstrators faced aggression from security forces. Here you can see the aftermath. An ambulance rushing injured demonstrators to the small hospital at the change square in Sana'a. Tens, if not hundreds, were injured after security forces stopped them from rallying through some of Sana'a's streets.

Islah party's website hacked موقع حزب الاصلاح تعرض للقرصنة

اذا دخلت لموقع الاصلاح في خانة من نحن ، تجد الرسالة هذه:: نحن دعاة الفتنة. الحرب الاعلامية الباردة في اليمن تصل لذروتها! ياترى ماذا بعد!!

If you visit Islah party's website and go to who are we section, you'll find the following message; we are advocates of sedition. The cold war in Yemen's media is heating like never before. I wonder what's next!!

My blog is one of the ten must-read blogs from the Middle East, CNN.com - مدونتي ذكرت في موقع السي ان ان

انا مش مصدقة وسعيدة ان مدونتي ذُكرت في موقع (سي ان ان) كواحدة من اهم 10 مدونات في الشرق الاوسط :D

I'm in disbelief and happy that my blog was featured on CNN.com's list of 10 Must-Read blogs from the Middle East :D

Here is the piece from CNN.com :-

(CNN) -- Political unrest across the Middle East has increased appetite in the wider world for comment from within the region, and some are turning to bloggers for insider views on the events unfolding on their television screens.

Social media -- including blogging, Twitter and Facebook -- has played an often-crucial role in organizing the protests sweeping the region. But it's not all politics, and blogs about the ups and downs of daily life can offer a fascinating glimpse of real life in the Middle East.
Here, we have drawn up an entirely unscientific list of 10 of the most interesting blogs from the region.

The bloggers come from a variety of backgrounds and countries. Our only criteria were that they are based in the region, write mostly in English and have something worth saying.
Politics in Egypt and the wider Arab world.

Arabist is popular for its insightful comment on Egyptian politics. Often thought provoking, it's a good place to monitor developments in post-revolution Egypt.

The principal blogger on this site is Issandr El Amrani, a freelance journalist and commentator for several international publications. El Amrani was born in Morocco, and has lived in Cairo, Egypt, since 2000.

The Saudi woman who got tired of reading "expert" opinion on her country Riyadh-based mother of three and post-graduate student Eman Al Nafjan, 32, set up her blog Saudiwoman as a response to reading non-Arabs and non-Saudis giving expert opinions on life and culture in the kingdom.

She said: "I felt that I would rather represent myself instead of having others speak for me. There was no long-term plan but eventually I became addicted to it. To me it's an outlet and a way to voice my concerns about everything, including Islamophobia, human rights violations and women's movement in Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian/Israeli conflict." Saudiwoman was a finalist for Best Asian Blog in the 2011 Bloggies.


Bahrain's "Blogfather"

Mahmood Nasser Al-Yousif, the author of Mahmood's Den, is a long-time blogger who has been described as the region's "Blogfather."
Al-Yousif was recently arrested and briefly detained by the Bahraini authorities. He describes his blog as "an Arab man's attempt at bridging the cultural gap. Trying to make a difference. Failing a lot. Succeeding once in a while."


Young Yemeni woman reporting on protests

Afrah Nasser is a 25-year-old journalist at the Yemen Observer. Nasser has been blogging for just over a year, featuring politics, news and views. Her recent posts have been about the protests in Yemen and include updates from Sanaa's Change Square, a focal point for protest in the capital.

She said: "I love to blog about political topics especially since the revo started. It's my gateway to express my views freely. However, that caused me trouble sometimes."
Nasser said she recently received a threatening message on her Facebook account. Her response? She just translated it from Arabic to English and posted it on her blog.


"Rantings" from Egypt

The Rantings of a Sandmonkey was an anonymous blog until its author Mahmoud Salem went public, saying he had been attacked close to Cairo's Tahrir Square during pro-democracy demonstrations in February this year. Salem said his car was destroyed and he was beaten up by pro-government thugs in the days before the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

Sandmonkey has just won the best English language blog -- a people's choice award -- in The Bobs, Deutsche Welle's Blog Awards. German broadcaster Deutsche Welle said in its citation: "The activist blogger's witty and courageous writing has called for freedom and democracy in Egypt long before this year's uprising."


Flower of Jordan

Naseem Tarawnah, a 24-year-old Masters student, writes the blog BlackIris, named after the national flower of Jordan. Tarawnah, who lives in Amman, wrote on his blog: "From cultural journeys to poetic ramblings, this blog was created, amongst many things, to address Jordanian issues ranging from the political to the social and to chronicle the extraordinary voyage of metamorphosis that this nation has embarked upon."

Tarawnah is also co-founder of 7iber, an online citizen media platform in Arabic. Black Iris has won two Brass Crescent Awards for Best Middle Eastern Blog.

Poetry and politics from Gaza

LivefromGaza: 360 square km of chaos is the work of Lina Al Sharif, a 22-year-old English Literature student at the Islamic University in Gaza.
Lina, who started LivefromGaza in 2007, said: "The purpose of my blog is to reflect on the life in Gaza, in general, and on my life particularly.

"My blog's biggest achievement has been in giving a chance to the people of Gaza to narrate the situation as experienced by them.
"I believe my blog helps me to share and to educate people, not just on the hardships, but also the good times."


Definitely not silly, but she is Bahraini and worth reading

Amira Al Hussaini is regional editor for North Africa and the Middle East on Global Voices, an international community of bloggers. She has her own blog, called SillyBahrainiGirl, but is more active on Twitter. She says in her blog: "A Bahraini girl is never silly but there are some factions out there who insist that we are not given our place in the society."

Want a break from politics? Try 248am for a slice of Kuwaiti life

Mark Makhoul, 32, a creative director at an advertising agency, began his current blog, 248am, in 2005. Mark's wife Nataly Tawil, a designer, makes occasional contributions to the blog. The pair are both Lebanese and live in Kuwait.

While it may not offer the political insight of some of the other blogs on the list, it does present a slice of life in Kuwait, covering art, technology and more, with lots of reader contributions. And it's not entirely without controversy ... Makhoul is apparently being sued by a Japanese restaurant chain over a negative review.

For something completely different ...

Cartoonist Maya Zankoul, 24, has gained international attention for her blog, Maya's Amalgam, consisting mainly of her illustrations.

Zankoul, who grew up in Saudi Arabia and now works in Lebanon, said: "The workplace in Lebanon was not allowing me to fully express my opinion about the things I was noticing about living in Lebanon and the Lebanese society, so I decided to start my own cartoon series, telling stories from my daily life, from my point of view -- all in illustrations." Maya's Amalgam has been online since 2009 and her blog illustrations have been made into two books.

LES BAUX DE PROVENCE

يعرض الفنان التشكيلي اليمني العالمي ناصر الاسودي اخر مجموعة فنية له التي عمل عليها لمدة سنة تقريبا، يعرض مجموعته في جنوب فرنسا خلال الفترة المذكورة اعلاه.

و قال الاسودي عن المعرض ، " هذا المعرض يعتبر امتداد الى التجارب السابقة.


Yemeni - international artist, Nasser al-Aswadi exhibits his latest collection of art paintings that he worked on for about one year, at southern of France during the mentioned dates.

"This exhibition is regarded as an extend for my previous work," al-Aswadi said.

مسيرة "رجالية" بعيون فتاة يمنية في صنعاء - "Men's" Rally and a Yemeni girl in Sana'a

قبل دقايق كنت وسط مسيرة ضخــــــــــمة "رجالية" تدور حول شوارع صنعاء. شعور رااااااااااائع ... مالقيت الا كل الود و الاحترام من الشباب المتظاهرين ^_^ بارك الله فيهم و عاشت اليمن بلادنا حرة ابيه ياااااااارب

Minutes ago, I was at a "Men's" rally where hundreds of thousands of Yemenis marched through Sana'a's streets. I marched with them. Keep in mind that Yemeni women never march with men for social, cultural and/or religious reasons, but I did it! It was an amazing feeling.. I had nothing but looks of respect and care from the men demonstrators. Long live my beloved people and my country ^_^ !