http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021402988.html?wpisrc=nl_headline
In Yemen, female activist strives for an Egypt-like revolution
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Activist Tawakkol Karman, with her Facebook page open in Sanaa, Yemen, is the
face of activism in this poor Middle East nation, driving the anti-government
protests inspired by the populist revolts in Egypt and Tunisia. (Sudarsan
Raghavan - The Washington Post)
The government arrested Tawakkol Karman, right, white scarf, but within days
was forced to release her after mass protests broke out. (Sudarsan Raghavan -
The Washington Post)
Network News
By Sudarsan Raghavan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 15, 2011; 3:40 AM
SANAA, YEMEN - Tawakkol Karman sat in front of her laptop, her Facebook page
open, planning the next youth demonstration. Nearby were framed photos of her
idols: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
These days, though, Karman is most inspired by her peers. "Look at Egypt," she
said with pride. "We will win."
In a nation where women are considered second-class citizens, Karman is
determined to produce a nonviolent Egypt-style revolution. Young people in
impoverished Yemen are grappling with many of the same frustrations felt across
the region.
As the nation's most vocal and well-known activist, the 32-year-old mother of
three is helping to shatter perceptions of women in this conservative society,
while emboldening a new generation of Yemenis to demand an end to President Ali
Abdullah Saleh's three-decade-long grip on this country.
"We are in need of heroes," said Abdul-Ghani Al-Iryani, a Yemeni political
analyst. "She manages to do what most men cannot do in a society that is highly
prejudiced against women."
Since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down after nearly 30 years in
power Friday, thousands of reenergized Yemenis, from students to laborers,
lawyers to human rights activists, have taken to the streets of Sanaa and other
cities to speak out against Yemen's corruption, high unemployment and lack of
basic freedoms. The anti-government protests, while still small compared with
those that transformed Egypt and Tunisia, are getting louder and more
confident.
On Sunday, the protesters marched for the first time to the presidential
palace. And Monday, they clashed with pro-government demonstrators outside
Sanaa University.
"After Egypt, all the dictators in this region will fall, and the first one
will be Ali Abdullah Saleh," Karman said. "Egypt has given us a model, because
Mubarak was the strongest dictator in the region. We now believe we can bring
revolution here."
Unequal treatment
While women have actively participated in the protests across the Arab world,
the symbols of defiance have mostly been men. Tunisia had Mohamed Bouazizi, the
fruit seller whose self-immolation triggered the popular uprising that ended
the rule of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Egypt had Wael Ghonim, the Google
executive who energized the pro-democracy demonstrations that ultimately
pressured Mubarak to resign.
Few expected a woman to lead the charge in Yemen, where the vast majority of
protesters have been men. Most women here are not free to marry whom they want;
many are married off as children. In court, their testimonies are worth half
those of men. When women are murdered, their families are compensated at half
the amount they would receive for male victims. They are also treated unequally
in matters of inheritance. Violence against women is rife, human rights
activists say.
"Tawakkol is one of the bravest people in this country," said Khaled al-Anesi,
a lawyer and pro-democracy activist. "It is not easy for a woman to fight and
go to the streets demanding change in a country like Yemen."
Two weeks ago, Karman's brother Tareq approached her. A well-known poet, he
personally knew Saleh, and he was carrying a message from him.
"â'You have to control your sister. Anyone who doesn't obey me must be
killed,' he told my brother," said Karman. "This is the one threat I take
seriously."
To protect herself, Karman sent e-mails to U.S. Embassy officials and other
activists, describing what happened. In interviews, senior Yemeni officials and
members of the ruling party said they were unaware of the allegations. They
said Saleh would not make such a threat. But they also made clear that they
considered Karman a troublemaker.
"She doesn't respect the president, the government or the law," said Sultan
al-Barakani, a senior official in the ruling party. "She says bad things about
the president."
It was not the first time Karman had felt in danger. She has received numerous
text messages warning her to stop her activism or be killed. At a recent rally,
a pro-government mob attacked her with knives and sticks, but her supporters
protected her.
On the night of Jan. 23, Yemeni security officers arrested Karman and threw her
in prison on charges of illegally organizing demonstrations and inciting people
against the president. That triggered protests on the streets and more calls
for regime change. The government freed Karman after 38 hours, saying that her
family promised to restrain her.
Karman sees her release as a sign that Saleh was worried that the revolts
spreading across the Arab world could affect his rule. "He thought he could
shut down my voice or my impact, but he failed," Karman said. "It was only
because of the public demonstrations and the pressure that he released me. But
this is not the victory I seek. I was ready to stay in jail if the
demonstrations would have toppled Ali Abdullah Saleh."
Longtime activist
Karman was born in the southern city of Taiz into a large upper-middle-class
family. Her father served as legal affairs minister after northern and southern
Yemen unified in 1990. After civil war broke out two years later, he quit the
government but remained active in the opposition.
At Sanaa University, where she studied psychology, Karman became politically
active. She joined Islah, the nation's most influential Islamist opposition
party. First, she published articles on the Internet denouncing Yemen's rampant
graft. Then she lobbied for press freedoms in Yemen by staging sit-ins outside
the Ministry of Social Affairs. She managed to secure the release of several
journalists jailed for their writings.
Even Karman's attire is imbued with a sense of defiance. In a society where the
vast majority of women are dressed head to toe in black abayas, she favors a
pink, floral-patterned head scarf.
The day after Ben Ali fled Tunisia, Karman organized the first student
demonstrations at Sanaa University, calling for Saleh to step down. She used
Facebook and cellphone text messages to urge protesters to come out. And as
uprisings grew in Tunisia and then in Egypt, so did the demonstrations in
Yemen, culminating in some of the largest gatherings the nation has seen in
recent times.
But she's also aware of the obstacles to removing Saleh. The political
opposition, including her party, wants reforms rather than regime change. Civil
society is weak. Yemen's middle class is small, while illiteracy rates are
high. The Internet is not widely used, making it hard to stimulate change.
Still, there have been victories. Among a number of promised reforms, Saleh has
pledged not to run for office again when his term expires in 2013. Nor will he
anoint his son to replace him, he said.
That has only encouraged Karman, for she doesn't believe Saleh will keep his
promises. She is urging the United States, a key ally of Saleh, to support
Yemen's pro-democracy movement. She is calling on Yemen's political opposition
to follow the youth to the streets. She is organizing a massive protest for
this Friday, dubbed "The Day of Rage," duplicating the slogan used in the
Egyptian revolution.
She predicts the momentum on Yemen's streets will grow.
"I am sure all the people will rise up in revolt under the slogan 'Go out,' "
she said. "This is a historic opportunity that must be exploited."
This Story
a.. In Yemen, female activist strives for an Egypt-like revolution
b.. Clashes erupt in Yemen between pro- and anti-government protesters
c.. Labor unrest in Egypt, more Yemen demos
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