As religious and national holidays arrive in Yemen, they serve to reopen deep wounds left by the absence of state institutions and their collapse. Amidst these traditionally joyous occasions, the stark reality compels Yemenis to recall a past era characterized by national dignity and citizen respect. The name of the martyred leader, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has become a prominent feature on social media and in conversations among Yemenis, both domestically and abroad, symbolizing a time of statehood, stability, and national succession. This spontaneous and growing public remembrance, intensifying with each passing year, is not merely a fleeting sentiment but a conscious popular referendum. Millions of Yemenis are comparing two distinct periods: the era of the state, prosperity, and security led by the martyred leader, and the current period of chaos, destruction, and poverty that began with the turmoil of 2011 and was exacerbated by the Houthi militia's devastating war. The commemoration of Saleh during holidays and occasions has transformed into a recurring public poll reflecting affection for a leader who lived among his people and died defending his country, his birthplace, and the republic. The era of President Ali Abdullah Saleh was distinguished by the establishment of a truly inclusive state that embraced all its citizens without discrimination based on lineage or sect. Religious holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and national occasions, like the revolution and unity anniversaries, held a different significance, reflecting societal stability and peace of mind. During these blessed days, the leader made a point of sharing in the people's joy. The capital, Sana'a, and other governorates were adorned with festive decorations and lights, while public squares and parks became venues for spontaneous celebrations. The state, through all its service and security apparatuses, mobilized to ensure citizen comfort and provide recreational opportunities. Eid was more than just an official holiday; it was a national demonstration of state authority and security, allowing citizens to travel freely and safely across the country without fear of harassment or detention. A fundamental pillar that made holidays and occasions in the era of the martyred President Saleh a source of genuine happiness was the economic and living standards enjoyed by the populace. State employee salaries and dues for retirees and social security recipients were disbursed with strict regularity and well before Eid, often accompanied by bonuses to help families meet their needs. The national currency maintained a stable purchasing power, protecting citizens' savings and ensuring vibrant markets. Foodstuffs, clothing, sweets, and livestock were available at reasonable prices due to strict state oversight and subsidies on essential goods and petroleum products. Heads of households did not worry about providing new clothes for their children or the customary Eid gifts, as incomes were commensurate with the cost of living, allowing joy to enter every Yemeni home. The presidential addresses delivered by President Ali Abdullah Saleh to the Yemeni people on the eve of every Eid and national occasion were a eagerly anticipated political and social tradition. These speeches were characterized by simple, direct language that resonated with ordinary citizens. The leader consistently emphasized values of tolerance and reconciliation, urging national unity and encouraging people to rise above petty disputes. These addresses often included announcements of new development projects, such as schools, hospitals, roads, and universities. The presidential palace and officials' offices were opened to receive citizens and well-wishers from all segments of society, embodying a tangible bond between leadership and people. Religious occasions were not exploited for the imposition of taxes or the delivery of sectarian sermons that sow hatred, but rather served as an opportunity to renew loyalty to the nation, the revolution, the republic, and unity, fostering hope and optimism for a better future for Yemen and its generations. National occasions during the era of the martyred leader Saleh were accompanied by major development transformations that reshaped Yemen's landscape. The celebration of the September and October revolution anniversaries and the glorious Unity Day on May 22nd typically marked the inauguration of hundreds of strategic projects directly impacting citizens' lives. The country witnessed unprecedented urban and developmental progress, including the construction of thousands of kilometers of roads, dams, water projects, and the extension of electricity grids to rural areas. Universities and health centers were established in every governorate. The extraction and export of oil and gas stood as tangible evidence of wise leadership harnessing national resources for development, turning national holidays into genuine celebrations of achievement, construction, progress, and prosperity, imbuing those days with a sacred place in the hearts of Yemenis. The Yemeni tragedy began and its chapters of suffering unfolded with the onset of widespread chaos in 2011, events aimed at dismantling the state and its institutions under hollow slogans. This chaos tore apart the social fabric, fragmented the nation, and dealt a fatal blow to the national economy by targeting oil pipelines and electricity towers, disrupting production and investment. Despite the wisdom and courage shown by President Ali Abdullah Saleh in managing the crisis and his commitment to preventing bloodshed through the signing of the Gulf initiative and the peaceful, democratic transfer of power, the forces that led the chaos failed to preserve the state. They proceeded to divide spoils and positions, paving the way for the emergence of destructive agendas that lay in wait for an opportunity to overthrow the republican system. The catastrophic coup orchestrated by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militias in September 2014 delivered the fatal blow to the Yemeni state. Upon seizing control of the capital, Sana'a, and other governorates, these sectarian militias systematically erased national identity, destroyed state institutions, looted military camps, and transformed the country into a vast prison. Under the rule of these theocratic militias, religious and national holidays transformed from seasons of joy and celebration into occasions of sorrow and mourning, serving to impose foreign sectarian ideologies on Yemeni society. National celebrations of glorious revolutions were replaced by imported sectarian and religious festivals that entrenched division and societal polarization, advocating death and destruction instead of life and construction. Mosques and schools were turned into platforms for disseminating sectarian venom and hatred, inflicting a deep shock on the Yemeni psyche and leading to profound regret for the era of the state, order, and the republic. The catastrophic economic practices of the Houthi militias cast a dark shadow over the lives of Yemenis. They have withheld salaries of civilian and military employees for years, constituting one of the longest periods of mass starvation in modern history. The militias confiscated foreign exchange reserves and plundered public revenues from taxes, customs, and Zakat, redirecting them to what they term "war efforts" and enriching their sectarian leadership. This was accompanied by a terrifying, historic collapse in the value of the national currency, leading to unprecedented, exorbitant increases in the prices of essential goods and petroleum products. Yemeni families became incapable of affording basic sustenance, let alone the requirements of holidays. Eid under Houthi rule became a heavy burden, threatening the dignity of household heads and filling children's hearts with sorrow and regret, as the signs of joy vanished, replaced by queues for scarce relief aid. Among the most egregious tragedies experienced by Yemenis under the ongoing Houthi coup is the oppressive siege imposed by the militias on Yemeni cities and the obstruction of main roads connecting governorates, particularly the suffocating and continuous blockade of Taiz and other regions. Travel to visit family and relatives during holidays and occasions, once a pleasant journey of a few hours on safe, paved roads during Saleh's era, has become an ordeal of days traversing rugged, mountainous, impassable routes. Travelers are subjected to various forms of abuse, extortion, detention, and looting at newly established militia checkpoints. Freedom of movement and social security have completely disappeared, leaving Yemeni families fragmented and deprived of kinship ties and gatherings due to frontlines and mines planted by the militias everywhere. The Houthi militias did not stop at withholding salaries and destroying the economy; they also turned holiday seasons into periods of systematic extortion and looting of merchants, shop owners, and vendors. They impose exorbitant and continuous financial levies and tributes under various invented sectarian pretexts, compelling many merchants to close their businesses and relocate their capital abroad. This systematic pressure has led to a severe market stagnation and a reluctance among citizens to purchase due to their financial inability. The customary festive atmosphere of Eid has vanished from city squares and streets, replaced by slogans of death and images of the deceased and the numerous cemeteries established by the militias everywhere, transforming the general scene in Yemen into a somber, funereal panorama that constantly reminds citizens of the vast difference between a state of construction and life and the Houthi state of death and destruction. All these painful comparisons between Yemen's past security, stability, and prosperity under President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the current catastrophic and tragic conditions have elevated the name of the martyred leader to a national icon that never leaves the minds and hearts of any honorable Yemeni citizen. The widespread public remembrance of Saleh during every Eid and occasion serves as a collective cry of rejection against the Houthi theocracy and a clear expression of longing for the state, the republic, order, and law. Yemenis of all political orientations now acknowledge that the leader's era was the golden age of contemporary Yemen, and that he was the safeguard for the country's unity and stability. Therefore, he remains alive in their collective memory, inspiring present and future generations with values of struggle, republicanism, and freedom until the state is restored and Yemen is cleansed of the abomination of the oppressive Imamate coup. |
