The political development of modern Yemen is inextricably linked with the pro Ba’ath political party. The party originated in Syria in 1947 and its influence rapidly spread to almost the entire Arab world, including Yemen. The main motive of its activities was the struggle to preserve stability and peace, which for Sana, trying to overcome the military intervention and the humanitarian crisis, is of particular relevance.
About this, specifically for World Geostrategic Insights, Denis Korkodinov talked with Galeb Hijab, head of the Ba’ath political party in the Al-Mahve province of Yemen, and member of the Central Committee of the Yemeni Party Branch.
1) The political party “Baath”is quite popular in the Arab world. So, in addition to Syria, where this party originated, its branches operate in Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Palestine. In addition, there is a pro-Baath National Democratic Assembly on the island of Bahrain, and the Abu Qifah al-Arabi organization exists in other countries of the Persian Gulf, and the Ahvaz Arab Revival Party in Iranian Arabistan. Thus, in the Arab world, the Ba’ath movement is represented quite widely. What explains the popularity of the Baath party?
– The main reason for the popularity of the Ba’ath political party is due to the fact that its ideology is shared by most Arabs just because it is suitable for governing a nation. This is a powerful incentive for state development and pan-Arab unification. We are trying to revive the lives of nations that are in a difficult situation. This applies not only to Syria, which gave rise to the Ba’ath Party, but also to Yemen, as well as other countries that are experiencing various difficulties, primarily related to military actions. The ideology of the party is the beacon in the life of every Arab, who is so lacking in the modern cruel world. We are constantly developing and trying to come to the aid of every person who turns to us.
2) The Yemen crisis, unfortunately, did not turn out to be a pan-Arab threat that could rally the region. It not only highlighted the existing schism among the Arab states, but also became a factor intensifying this schism. What reasons could have affected the emergence of this split in the Arab world regarding the problems of Yemen?
– Any national ideology in the Arab world should be based on the ancient historical heritage of the Arabs as a single nation, which has always promoted tolerance and equality far from extremism, alienation, as well as racist tendencies. However, many of us have come under the rule of ego-centrism and money, the possession of which obscures the mind and leads to a split.
This mercantile spirit is the main reason why the Arabs still cannot unite: according to tradition, we are united, but when it comes to overcoming common difficulties, we find ourselves divided. Yemen’s problems are clearly demonstrated. Many countries of the Arab world are too immersed in solving their own problems, while they show at least indifference to Yemen.
In addition, in Yemen, many of the most controversial interests of external forces are intertwined, with the result that our country has become a field for clarifying relations, including through weapons. This state of affairs is not normal. Therefore, we are forced, as a rule, to solve our problems on our own. We are fighting for our ideals, which should be of all the Arabs, but, unfortunately, many Arabs from other countries do not yet understand this.
3) The conflict on the territory of Yemen, becoming one of the manifestations of the so-called “Arab Spring”, revealed many divergent challenges. So, first of all, this is an external conflict. Yemen throughout its history has been interested in various international forces that viewed this territory as their own. For example, England, the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and other countries repeatedly tried to control Yemen, starting from the XIX century. In addition, the conflict in Yemen is a manifestation of an internal political crisis. Yemen was almost always in a state of civil strife: the civil war of 1962–1970, the short truce of 1990–1994, discontent of the Shiite tribes during the time of President Ali Abdullah Saleh from 2004 to 2010, and, finally, the modern period of conflict between Hussites, Hadists and the Southern transitional council , from 2011 to the present. Does this mean that peace in Yemen is impossible until the internal groupings of forces agree among themselves and the international community does not cease to consider Yemen as a sphere of their interests? What should happen so that there is no conflict in Yemen?
– Members of the international community view Yemen as a threat. However, this is a misconception, since Yemen has always pursued the goal of ensuring peace not only in its own country, but also in the Middle East as a whole. We have never attacked anyone, we weren’t bent on plans to overthrow political regimes that we did not like in the international arena.
We stand for stability and harmony. What is happening in Yemen now is not a civil war, in the full sense of these words. We found ourselves separated as a result of external intervention, the goal of which is to destroy our country. Meanwhile, the international community is mired in Yemen’s “swamp”. That is why we still can not agree among themselves. If there were no external participation, then there would be no problems and negotiations. Be that as it may, we believe that the military intervention against Yemen will end soon. After that we can sit down at the negotiating table. No matter how long the war lasts, Yemen will be the winner. Peace will come if the international community wants to sincerely support it in Yemen.
Ending the war is not impossible in Yemen, and peace in our country is in two steps, but the international community solves its own problems and overshadows the problems of Yemen. For example, the Yemeni tragedy is overshadowed by partial solutions, such as Hodeida, Taiz. Peace could be very easy to reach, if the authority of the international community will be reestablished, and if the United Nations will act properly in accordance with the international law and the principles and objectives on which it is based, we will find peace.
Image Credit: yemenwatch.net