Dr Mohamed Al Rumaihi
When did some Yemenis discover Tehran? Was this discovery out of a ventured love for Tehran’s socio-political/ religious project? Or was it an attempt that carries undercover hatred to their brothers in the Gulf, despite all the support that the Gulf people gave to them? Or was it spite before being built on sincere belief?
Was it the belief of some Yemenis that the Guardianship of the Jurist (Wilayat Al Faqih) will put Yemen in a better situation?
All these questions come to mind when we think about the Yemen crisis and its absurd developments.
We will not talk here about the people of Yemen, whom we love, but about some elites that settled in governance and missed having a local project that enables them to face the Yemeni hardships realistically without escaping forward in search of illusions.
The conflict in Yemen and around it has been there since the 1960s in our modern times, when some elites of Yemen found that they cannot afford to remain behind in the race for time, settling in the dark ages, by following namely the rule of the Imamate that put Yemen in isolation and ignorance. That was the interest of the Yemeni elite, however, that did not convince the masses.
Since the fall of the Imamate, the multiplicity of elites that ruled Yemen kept themselves in an ivory tower, manoeuvring and accumulating wealth for personal interests without offering a plan to save Yemen or at least the majority of Yemenis from poverty and ignorance.
Yemen, on the other hand, is a pluralistic country. It has geographical variety and varied human resources. No wise person will overlook the interests of the Yemeni majority in favour of some ruling elites who strayed from the right track.
Historically in the Gulf, or at least during most of the last century, local traders either young or old would never trust a treasurer with their money unless it is from Hadhramaut, Yemen. Sincerity and loyalty were the characteristics of
those people.
Also, people of south Yemen inhabited far-away countries, and thanks to their exemplary behaviour, they conveyed the message of Islam to many communities, which did not know anything about this religion, especially in south Asia.
As of today, in many places in the world, there is an active Yemeni Muslim community, as in Sheffield in the northeast of Britain. Also, there is a huge number of Yemenis who have really contributed to development activities in the Gulf.
Most of these people are the enlightened Yemenis who refuse to restore the rule of the Imamate of the Houthis, even though it will be introduced in a new form. These Yemenis have a duty to raise their voices against the controlling
armed minority.
What we have here is a continuation of the mentality of the adventure of a small governing elite that wants to capture Yemen, all of Yemen, to its project which is no more than acquisition of wealth and power. In turn it will be able to mortgage Yemen to a regional power that will have nothing to do with the history of Yemenis or their interests.
Some Yemenis tried to discover the Iranian Crescent before it was due and they are waiting for the full Arab moon, which is close to illuminating Yemen’s future.
Indeed, what Yemen is passing through today is misery, but for sure there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
The writer is an academician and researcher in GCC affairs.
