SupportYemen: Silence Kills Yemen's Youth speak out to the international community, emphasizing their resistance to the attacks of government forces and their determination to continue demanding what they originally set out to achieve - equal rights, liberty, freedom from oppression and a dignified life.
SupportYemen: For Liberty In silent remembrance of the hundreds of lives lost in the youth's peaceful uprising against Saleh's regime. Friends and loved ones left behind continue their fight for freedom, justice and equality.
SupportYemen: What Would You Do? Some take basic human rights for granted, but for us, Yemenis, they are aspirations. We march for better education, better healthcare, freedom of speech, real democracy, for justice, and for dignity.
I have been tweeting, blogging, posting on different pages and groups on facebook urging people to #SupportYemen. Now I want to tell you why I support Yemen.
Yemen is my country, my homeland, the land of my ancestors and where my heart belongs. I support it and support the revolution because Yemen has been living in poverty, sickness and illiteracy for years. It is time for CHANGE. Yemen needs to rise after 33 years of corrupt rule and underdevelopment. Yemeni have the right to live a dignified life. They have the right to proper education, proper schools and teachers, proper health facilities, medicine and services. They have the right to express their opinions and not fear harassment, arrests and torture as a result. They have the right to feel safe in their country knowing that the army is there to defend and protect them, rather than defending the ruling family and killing them. They have the right to justice and an independent judiciary system. They have the right to elect and choose who to govern them and to know that Yemen's resources and financial aid is going to the proper channels for it's development and not to the bank accounts of the ruling family and corrupt regime members. Yemeni have the right to live in peace and safety and enjoy basic uninterrupted services, such as electricity, water and fuel.
Yemen is facing a grave economic, humanitarian and refugee crisis which is deteriorating as the revolution is prolonged due to Saleh's defiance to relinquish power. The current brutal regime needs to be removed immediately to stop the bloodshed and suffering of many Yemenis.
I live abroad and am blessed to have a good safe life and enjoy many services, and I want all my country men and women to live a comfortable and safe life too. My heart goes out to Yemen and the conditions the people have been living in, which just got aggravated since the revolution started, almost 9 months ago. So many lives have been lost and many are still facing continuos danger due to the ongoing violence and humanitarian hardship, yet the peaceful struggle continues.
I want my country to be safe so it can flourish and prosper. Yemen is a beautiful country and Yemenis have great potential and deserve a better life. There are many reasons why I support yemen, these were just a few.
Join us make that change by supporting Yemen.
Visit our Facebook page: #SupportYemen
Follow our twitter account: @SupportYemen
Visit our website: www.supportyemen.org (coming soon)
Volunteer to support our campaign, download and fill out this form
Donate to: YemenPeaceProject
Read: Yemenbloggers
Listen to: VoicesfromYemen, here is my voice: No 6 - @Noonarabia
Share the #SuppotYemen Video Campaign and any youtube videos related to Yemen and it's revolution such as this powerful one: Yemen: The Mother of All Revolutions
Use one of the #SupportYemen photos as your profile.
Follow Yemen's news, for reliable and constant updates visit this Facebook page: News of the Yemeni Revolution
Sign the petition: Saleh must be held Accountable
Write about Yemen in your newspapers, blogs, facebook profiles and tweets.
Follow events in your country through the #SupportYemen facebook page and join the protests.
Write to the policy makers in your country to support Yemen and impose sanctions against president Saleh. Lobby for Yemen's democracy and freedom.
Read this blog posting by a fellow activist for Simple Ways to Support Yemen from Abroad
The atrocities and blood shed in Yemen need to stop and we need the International Community's support and your support.
The people of Yemen have spoken and chose peace, therefore the international community has to firmly support Yemen inorder for the bloodshed and violence to stop.
"We have the dream, and we have the ability...we will not stop here, we will build our country," Karman said. "We tell Saudi that they should stand with the Yemeni people. And anyone who doesn't stand with our people, they are the losers. We know what it means to be free, and we will achieve it." Of today's vote at the United Nations, Karman said, "The international community has to create pressure on Saleh. ... "Dictatorships are going down and are done. There are a lot of scenarios for the end of those dictators...like running away like Ben Ali did. Or to be held accountable and prosecuted just like Mubarak, or maybe getting killed like Gaddafi. In Yemen, we will have our own scenario. We will not go in the direction of violence. And I ask the international community not to let Yemen go in that direction."
The Arab spring and the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria and Bahrain turned me from a spectator into an activist. As I was following news of the Tunisian's uprising which turned into a revolution and spread to the rest of the Arab world, my Arabism, patriotism and zeal grew which got me hooked to the TV and laptop for endless hours, following events, engaging in debates and expressing my views. My days suddenly turned into nights and I wouldn't realize it till the first rays of sun crept on me announcing the arrival of a new day.
I became an online activist, initially overtaken by the Egyptian revolution when I started my activism on Facebook. As the revolution in Yemen started to evolve and was filling the news along with the Libyan one, I shifted from the Egyptian revolution, since Mubarak was ousted and besides there were so many other hundreds of thousands covering it, and I started focusing instead on the rest of the Arab revolutions, but mainly Yemen's and hence I shifted from Facebook to twitter, which I felt was more dynamic and powerful.
Twitter transfered me to many places at once. I felt I was in Tahrir in Cairo, in Benghazi in Libya, in Change square is Sanaa, in Hama in Syria and in Manama in Bahrain. Just by following a certain timeline I heard the chants and the explosions and I felt the pain of the wounded and the loss of the martyrs.
I was actually apprehensive at first and worried when Yemen's revolution started. Yemen has the highest gun per capita ratio after the US and I thought it will turn into a blood bath from day one, but was pleasantly surprised, and so was the rest of the world. It turned into the most peaceful revolution of the Arab Spring due to the protesters commitment to peace, despite the regimes violence and killings. I never imagined the revolution would drag this long, nor for the suffering to be this severe. I pray for a peaceful resolve soon, although I doubt it will be a peaceful one, nor soon.
I was taught to stand for what is right and fight for what I believe in and was fortunate enough to travel the world and have a good education. I hope all the people in Yemen will soon enjoy this right. Therefore I used all my knowledge and skills to speak out and advocate for the freedom and democracy of my country, and so did many other Yemeni activists in Yemen and abroad. We joined our efforts and collaborated to support Yemen and the revolution and together we will persevere, despite anyone or anything.
Before the Arab Spring started I was a wife and a mother of four (one is in heaven) and that was my main job. I suddenly became a full time online activist, an addicted twitter and a blogger besides all my other duties. I can't wait for all this chaos and violence to end, for everyone to enjoy safety and stability, to move on and start rebuilding. We all want and need peace and stability in our lives and soon. I salute all online activists and stand in awe for the freedom fighters who suffered and struggled, advocating for change in their country, I pray for the ones who were in the front lines and paid the price with their lives, blood, sweat and tears. May God bless all the revolutionaries in the Arab spring and beyond and have mercy on those who sacrificed their lives for all of us to live a better life. We will win and we owe it to them to make our countries better.
"A dreamer is one who can find his way by moonlight and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world" Oscar Wilde
I dream of a Yemen where everyone has a roof on top of their head
I dream of a Yemen where everyone has a meal on their table
I dream of a Yemen where poverty is addressed and managed
I dream of a Yemen where electricity and water are a norm not a privilege
I dream of a Yemen where health and education are a basic right
I dream of a Yemen where infrastructure is actually built not just planned
I dream of a Yemen where a woman in labour can see her newborn *
I dream of a Yemen where an infant * can survive and grow into a healthy child
I dream of a Yemen where a child can safely go to school, instead of work or be wed
I dream of a Yemen where freedom, justice, and equality are a reality
I dream of Yemen where rights are respected, granted and opinions freely expressed
I dream of a Yemen where we can choose who represents and leads us
I dream of a Yemen where there is no North or South
I dream of a Yemen where injustices and grievances are rectified
I dream of a Yemen we all, equally strive to repair and rebuild together
I dream of a Yemen where positions are earned due to merit not family name, gender, tribe or region
I dream of a Yemen with a civil state that adheres to human rights and gender equality
I dream of a Yemen where a woman's role is not confined to her household or family
I dream of a Yemen where Qat chewing is an old shunned habit
I dream of a Yemen where water is efficiently used to irrigate crops
I dream of a Yemen where fields and valleys are filled with coffee and grapes
I dream of a Yemen with no association to al Qaeda and terrorism
I dream of a Yemen as a tourist destination for heritage and hospitality
I dream of a Yemen as a haven for tourists to admire and enjoy
I dream of a Yemen who's resources are reinstated, enhanced and generated
I dream of a Yemen who's lands and ports are respected and safeguarded
I dream of a Yemen where neighboring countries leave us alone, if not wanting our well-being
I dream of a Yemen where foreign companies are not exploiting us
I dream of a Yemen where western and regional forces can't choose our leaders, nor shape our future
I dream of a Yemen where dominant political figures empower our youth to lead
I dream of a Yemen where change yearned for, is attained and dignity restored
I dream of a Yemen where precious martyrs lives are not lost in vain
I dream of a Yemen where no further blood is shed nor homes destroyed
I dream of Yemen where the revolution albeit the longest will be the most peaceful
I dream of a Yemen who's revolution succeeds and is taught in history books
I dream of a Yemen which we struggled for, become what we want and more
I dream of a Yemen that is respected and esteemed by the world
I dream of a Yemen that can once again be called Arabia Felix
I dream of a Yemen that we can all return to and proudly say is our homeland
"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe"- Gail Devers
Yemen's revolution continues to be the longest of the Arab Spring Revolutions. It started on the eve of Mubarak's stepping down on February 11th and so far is into it's sixth month and counting. In order to understand what made Yemen's revolution drag this long, one has to examine the players. Besides the regime headed by the President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his relatives, comprising of his son Ahmed: Head of the elite Republican Guards, and nephews Amar: Deputy Director for National Security, Yahya: Head of Central Security Forces and elite Counterterrorism Unit, and Tarik: Head of the Presidential Guards. There are also the local players, the opposition which are made of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) a coalition of Islamist, Socialist and tribal elements. Then there is the Ahmar family consisting of 10 brothers, who's father Abdullah Hussein Alahmar was one of the founders of the Islah Party, an Islamist party of the JMP. Sadeq is the elder son who succeeded his father as leader of the Hashid tribe confideration, Hamid a powerful businessman, controls Saba Phone one of the two main mobile networks in Yemen and was considered a possible successor to Saleh; Himyar, who was deputy speaker of parliament, and Hussein who is the leader of Hashid tribe. Whoever has been following Yemen's revolution is familiar with the wars that have raged between Saleh and Alahmars in Hasaba in the capital Sanaa, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries from both sides.
There is also General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, head of Yemen's 1st Armored Division and the commander of the Northwest Military District whom defected following the March 18th Massacre in Sanaa. He is not related to the al-Ahmars.
Last but not least are the backbone of the revolution, the Youth, who are a civil movement comprising of diverse age, economic, social, and educational backgrounds as well as geographical, tribal, religious and political affiliations. They are the people in the sit-ins, filling squares across Yemen, marching the streets daily and in millions on Fridays "chanting for freedom, justice, order and a civil government, with a clear message aimed at peace, stability and basic human rights."
There are also two prime players who are "outsiders". Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, our next door neighbor, and the world greatest power and advocate of human rights. This of course adds to the complexity of an already complicated familial, tribal and political complicated scene. So unlike other revolutions, not only is Yemen's revolution fighting against the local "hijackers" but also against these two unwanted yet dominant foreign players. Both the US and Saudi Arabia have different interests in Yemen which they both want to safeguard by jointly keeping the status quo, even if that means the demise of the revolution and the Yemeni people in the process.
Saudia Arabia is clearly against democracy in Yemen or any other Arab country for that matter. It has long considered Yemen as it's backyard and doesn't want the revolution nor "God forbid" democracy crashing into it's front door. "Keep Yemen weak" is what King Faisal is quoted to have said to his sons on his death bed. And they have done a good job at that, keeping many Yemeni government officials, tribal leaders on their payroll and funding internal conflicts.
Then comes the US's role in Yemen, which has primarily been to fight terrorism and al- Qaeda and defend the US from any possible threats, with a policy of "the end justifies the means". Al Qaeda and security isn't seemingly all the US is after in Yemen, it has a bigger and more ambitious aim. Certainly Yemen is poor and doesn't have much oil yet it has a very strategic location rendering it important to the US. It has Bab el Mandab where 3.3 million barrels of oil a day flow through this narrow strait to Europe, the US and Asia. It is worth highlighting that controlling this waterway, which is one of the most important seven water chockpoints, is vital in the US trade war with China.
As the prolonged Revolution in Yemen turned into a political crisis and resulted into power outage, water, fuel, economic and humanitarian crises, the Yemeni youth and people at large are the ones paying the most with their lives, blood and their suffering from the impotence of the JMP, Alahmars and Ali Muhsin who joined the revolution without bringing about the needed change; Saudia Arabia's attempt to subvert Yemen's revolution through the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) initiative and the US orchestrating behind the scenes, not finding a suitable successor for Saleh, forcing the deal down Yemen's throats and launching "robotic assassins" a.k.a drones on Yemen's territory.
Some describe Saleh's assassination attempt and treatment in KSA as a trip from hell and back. Well the GCC deal seems to have survived as well. Saleh appeared at ease and fully recovered yesterday receiving John Bernann US Counter Terrorism Chief, who urged him to accept the power deal. And as the White House statement points, the economic assistance to Yemen is contingent upon the GCC proposal being signed and implemented. It is the Yemeni people who are living in hellish conditions and who will continue to die and suffer should Saleh remain a day further in power.
I wish too see my country democratic, developed, united and above all independent. Yemen has paid a hefty price through it's peaceful protests calling for change and aspiring for democracy, yet the future remains uncertain. Beside the photo above, these two photos represent my conflicting feelings about Yemen's future. The first is of a little girl with the words "erhal" i.e leave on her forehead and a pondering look if Saleh ever will, and the second is of another girl with Yemen's flag on her cheek and the word "alnasr" i.e "victory" on her forehead and a hopeful look in her eyes of a promising future ahead...
