opinion
Martin Griffith, Welcome to What Was Left of Adan!!
Dear Mr. Griffith, welcome to what was left of Adan as we, and the whole world, know it. Mr. Griffith, I think you may ask us “would you go to Sanaa?” and the answer will be “thousand of high-rank civilian and military leaders already went. Even humble citizens went to Adan seeking union and hoping to foster solidarity and to expand a homeland. We merged land and fortune. We ignored historic and cultural facts hoping that good wills alone may change reality, create a new history and produce a cultural mix that includes best of the best in both countries. But, what was the result?”
Adan, as you can see, became a city of ghosts. Pre-1990 Adan no longer exists Mr. UN Special delegate. Joy, happiness, security, safety and comfort, all became a past. They changed Azan of our mosques and denied us the right to pray “Taraweeh” in Ramadan, although we prayed in their mosques and never resented their religious beliefs. Adan no longer has a university that can compete on the international level. Labs and hall were destroyed, and scientists were forced to leave, the sole of since and knowledge was killed right here. Adan that was declared by UNESCO as an illiteracy free city in 1985 was governed by illiterate conquerors. Its exemplary schools turned into impoverished overcrowded rooms full of students and empty of science.
Adan, that never heard of an electric blackout for more than a century now rejoices if electric current or water supplies are restored for a few hours a day. Thousands of military and civilian cadres were humiliated and oppressed in Sanaa and then transferred back to Adan, not to occupy their previous positions, but to live without a job. Many of them died of oppression. The admiral became a fisherman, the general turned to selling fruits the air fighter became a taxi driver, the professor worked as a baker and the teacher became a night watchman by the door of an arrogant northern general who came from Sanaa. They took our jobs and still demanding of union or death!!
Dear Mr. Griffith, my brother died of grief while he was a hero of the revolution, the republic and the union. His son was killed in Sanaa just because he belongs to Adan. I and my brother were jailed several times while we were university professors who had only our pens to demand the reform of the union after 1994 occupation, not just us, many others might suffer a more devastating destiny and maybe we were the least suffering cases among them.
Mr. Griffith, welcome to Adan but we apologize that you will not find a cinema or a theater hall for entertainment. you will hardly find a newspaper to read. You will not find a club or a garden to walk in. our artists and intellects grew old and sunk in sorrow. The city of intellects no longer exists.
Mr. Griffith, don’t forget to bring your handkerchief to dry the tears you will shed, as we know that you are a kind-hearted man and, of course, you will feel sorry for thousands of widows and orphans. You will feel sorry for our youth bodies, crippled by war, hunger and disease. You will feel sorry for the destruction of thousands of houses, schools, colleges, mosques and factories destroyed in 2015 war.
We went to Sanaa twice. In 1990 we hoped for union and in 1994 we hoped for reforming union. In both times, we went in peace. They came to Adan also twice, in 1994 and 2015. In both times they came with missiles, bullets, tanks and troops. In both times, they came under one notion “Either Union or Death”. This made us unable to distinguish between “Union” and “Death”.
Dear, Mr. Griffith, did you come to offer children and grandchildren to commit the same mistake of their fathers and grandfathers? Of course, you will talk about guarantees but we think that even our armed forces will not be enough (as they outnumber us). Guarantees of our brothers in the Gulf initiative and UN decisions may not be sufficient. We bore their northern president, who seized power by military force, for 24 years, but they couldn’t bear a southern president, who was democratically elected by them, for one year. They conspired against him till they forced him out of Sanaa, and thanks to God alone, he might by a martyr right now.
Mr. Griffith, welcome to Adan and I hope you may bring a fuel can with you so that you can use your car or take a ride in what is left of Adan streets. Bring a battery with you so that you can see at night. Please, don’t bring in any children so that they don’t panic because of darkness, explosions and car bombs. These are the gifts they sent us with every visit of a foreign gust to Adan.
Dear, Mr. Griffith, you may see some light, feel peace and may be little hope here or there. You may see a school or a university that works. You may see a sick man gets medication or feel some security. You may see the airport functional and see port full of human aids carriers. You may see some trials of development and restoration. You may see all this because of the efforts of our brothers in the Arab Coalition. They are supporting us and cooperating to return life to normal. But you will never imagine the destruction unless you recalled the memories of London destruction by Nazi during WWII. Only then you will figure out that we did a lot despite all difficulties.
Mr. Griffith, welcome to Adan, the bride of the Red Sea and Arab Sea, where you will feel warmth of peace and love. You will meet friends there. You will see proud citizens who pray only for god and never ask anything but from him.
Dear Mr. Griffith, welcome to Adan, as despite anything, we are still able to welcome our guests and show them warm hospitality.
