There are rumours everywhere, and this time they're stronger than ever!
The rumour is that Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of Yemen, has died!
...
Maybe it's just a lie, like what they show on TV and in his meetings, and everything seems normal. So maybe this rumour is nonsense, and maybe it's just Qat thinking, like Yemenis say!
But I did not hear about his death from one, two, three, four or even ten people! These people I know and I do not know, and they are not from one area, but many areas in Yemen. Even people who have come from Saudi Arabia are saying this!
So is he really dead?
I have no idea, but there's no smoke without fire, as the saying goes.
If he really has died, why are they not declaring it?
Maybe the system belonging to the Yemeni president is not able to cope with such a big loss, so they are trying to decide what to do!
Also, we all know that the Yemeni president is ill and has cancer, so when will this rumour be cleared up? Is it true or false?
The president's illness seems clear in the media, but nothing really shows anything. People have been talking about it for months!
The rumour that the Yemeni president has died is still a mystery until now. It could be true, or it could be a lie in April, although we are still in February!
History will never delete this period of time when we are experiencing one of the most horrible colonial periods in history, and one of the worst examples of it.
They fired millions of people from their land and are oppressing millions more under their apartheid regime. Even in Israel itself, there is an apartheid system that separates Jews from the original Arabs, who were not fired or killed when this cancerous country came into existence.
Palestine has been in a state of disaster ever since Israel came to prove by gun and blood that they are stronger than any law in the world.
When I first heard this girl, I was shaking so much. NEVER have I felt such a strong reaction to anything before. Every time I hear her, I feel like my entire existence has stopped for her. I can't explain it!
I don't know what language it has been translated into!
I will translate the poetry into English so you can understand what she is saying. So, here is each tent in Arabic and English:
فلسطين
"Palestine "
ِفلسطينِ، انا اسمي فلسطين
"Palestine", my name is "Palestine" نقشت إسمي على كل الميادينِ
I sculptured my names on all fields
بخط بارزاً يسمو على كل العناوينِ
By a prominent line transcends all addresses حروف إسمي تلاحقني تعايشني تغذيني
My name's letters; follow me, live me, feed me
تبث النار في روحي وتنبض في شراييني
Scatter the fire in my soul and pulses in my veins
جبال النهر تعرفني مغاورها وتدريني
River's mountains caves knows me and flow me
بذلت الطاقة الكبرى وقلت لامتي كوني
I gave the great energy, and I said to my nation to be
صلاح الدين في اعماق اعماقي يناديني
"Salahuddin" in my deepest depths calling me *
وكل عروبتي للثار للتحرير تدعوني
And all my Arabism for revenge for the liberation is calling me
ورايات التي طويت على ربوات حطينِ
And flags, which were wrapped upon the knolls of "Hattin" *
وصوت مؤذن الاقصى يهيب بنا اغيثوني
And the voice of "Aqsa" muezzincalls upon us: Help us **
وألاف من الاسرى وألاف المساجينِ
And thousands of internees and thousands of prisoners تنادي الامة الكبرى وتهتف بالملايينِ ARE calling the nation's major and shout to millions
تقول لهم الى القدس يا قبلة الدينِ
Saying them to "Jerusalem", O religion's kiblah ***
إلى حرب تدك الظلم تزهق روح صهيونِ
For a war destroys the injustice and kills the spirit of "Zion"****
...
...
إلى حرب تدك الظلم تزهق روح صهيونِ
For a War destroys the injustice and kills the spirit of "Zion"
وترفع في سماء الكون اعلام فلسطينِ
And rising in the universe's sky the "Palestinian" flags
* Hattin is the name of the area in Palestine where Salahuddin defeated the Crusaders many centuries ago.
** + *** The Aqsa Mosque is located in Jerusalem and is of great importance to Muslims. Before we started praying towards the Kiblah in Mecca, we prayed towards the Aqsa Mosque.
Kiblah is the place where we pray.
A muezzin is the person who calls for prayer in mosques.
**** Zion refers to Zionism, to the movement behind the existence of Israel in Palestine and all the disasters that have befallen millions of Palestinian people. :(
The South Revolution took place on 14 October 1963 against British occupation, and so this year's anniversary celebrations were planned to take place in Radfan, where the revolution started. This year was different to all previous years!
This celebration is different because of the situation in southern Yemen. We have a southern problem or southern crisis because of what happened in 1994 between the south and the north of Yemen. As a result, the north won the war, and since then, the south has been in a similar situation to a second occupation. Even though they say we are united with the north, in fact, that was the hope of the people of the south and the north. But after the war, and because of the corrupt government practices in the north, we believe that this is not what we wanted when we formed a union in 1990. Anyway, despite all this, the celebration this year was a stand against the government to get our rights, the rights of the people of the south, the rights to our land, our money, our laws, our food and our life. Now we are living in worse conditions than under British rule, and this government is a loser, with President Ali Abdullah Saleh at the helm for about 30 years!
He rules the country as if it were his own. He is our 'dictator' and Yemen is hurtling towards disaster. He is a loser in the north, let alone the south.
On 13/10/2007, while people were preparing for the Revolution Festival, the president wanted to thank us in a special way.
The four people killed :(
injured man
His soldiers killed four people because they wanted to be at the festival to prepare it. They didn't have any guns; they just wanted to be there. But they certainly didn't want them to be there. We have to imagine what could have happened if these people had guns.
Well, of course, 17 people were also injured. I wanted to show you a picture of the person who was killed, but the picture is so bad and horrible. But again, I think it's better to show you what we're dealing with here. Sorry again for showing you the pictures.
On 14/10/2007, the festival took place. We did not want to stop it because of the people who were killed, and their families said that they did not want the government's purpose to succeed. So it was the biggest demonstration against the government.
It was supposed to be even bigger, but the army cut the roads between the southern districts and prevented people from reaching the festival. And after all, they're saying we're having democracy in Yemen!
Thank you to our government for their surprise on our revolution anniversary!
Otherwise, they know that if the UK was fired on in the past, we are sure that North Yemen would not have a better ending than the UK. And this is just the beginning. We will fight for our rights, and if you hear any shots in the south, they will be in our chests. But Ali must think: How long will we continue to fight peacefully?
God bless the people of the south and bless southern Yemen. God is always on the side of justice, wherever and whenever.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
The demonstration took place on 13 October, following the killing of four people.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
One of the four people killed was Mohammed Naser.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
Demonstration on the anniversary of the Revolution on 14 October.
