Whispers of the Pen: The Teacher’s Day
This year, the teacher’s day coincides with a state of oppression and humiliation against teacher, starting with arrests and detentions and not ending with depriving them of their salaries among all employees of this miserable state as the two governments agreed once and for all on one thing: deriving teacher to starvation!!
I still remember the names of my teachers who still represent the ideal to me. I still remember the brilliant judge Zaid Hanash Abdullah who seized my attention to the degree that I tried to mimic him but failed!! I still remember my late teachers like Mohamed Al-Gubairy, Said Al-Shanbaky, Said Ben Atia, Saleh Nagy, Mahmoud Ali, Abd Ellah Al-Sabty, Saleh Al-Fakeeh, Hassan Abbady, Ahmed Rageh and many others who formed my character and filled my memory, me and many other colleagues of the 1970s.
We grew up and finished our high school then the university. Our business interests diversified and so our familial, academic and career interests. Our memories were filled with tons of interests and information. But these names are still shining along with other names of Egyptian, Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi and Bulgarian teachers whom I will remember till the end of my days due to their deeds in opening my eyes to knowledge and training me on humanitarian and social interaction.
In 2009, I was on my way from Paris to Sanaa via Istanbul and I was very eager to visit my Bulgarian language teacher Mrs. Plag Kristeva and my mentor professor Ivan Kaltchiv, professor of philosophy, after 15 years of my departure of Sofia – Bulgaria. My tears dropped when Mrs. Kristeva said to me that thousands of her students stopped communicating with her as soon as they left Bulgaria. I was one of them, although I always remember her when I remember Bulgaria. I remember her good manners, honesty and humanitarianism.
In Yemen, teachers are the most neglected sector of the society, even when their salaries were delivered regularly. My apology to my teachers who are under negligence and indifference of those who lack the real meaning of knowledge although they are now in control of our life. Those who are ruining our life with their ignorance and inhumane behaviors. I apologize to my teachers on behalf of myself as I surrendered to life that excluded me from asking about you as the least payment of your enormous debts.
My apology, love and appreciation to you, who gave me the light of knowledge, sweetness of human relations and pleasure of education.
