Written by : Wesam Abu Baker Basindwa

Tawakkol Karman is a human rights activist and the premier media face of the Yemeni youthful revolution.

Karman, however, has not emerged and become active only today, at a time when struggle against injustice and corruption is considered by some as “an infection, mimicry or alleged heroism”, but rather she had gone out to give the right word and face the inequity at a time when the regime was still at the height of its glory. She shook the throne of the regime while people were either indignant but silent or adulatory.

She fought in defense of political, social, legal and media rights until protests organized by her became quasi-periodic. In 2009, Reporters Without Borders named her on a list of seven women who led change in the world. Today, Karman is seen as among the first who called for revolution, and the regime knows this fact well. As a result, she was put on a list of 500 most powerful women in the world. All these rewards granted to her are well-deserved.

In several recent meetings, she appeared to be exhausted and have lost at least 5 pounds. Nevertheless, her words are still powerful, carefully selected and courageous. Before call for public marches and zero hour, she talked bitterly about delayed escalation and decisiveness.

When time came, she was leading the lines of youths shoulder to shoulder and she faced just the same the others faced. It is right that some people were killed or wounded, but a lot of achievements were made. Differences in views happen, and we understand that, especially when concerning mechanisms of escalation.

When, however, it has come to distrust, accusation and offence, it could be nothing but jealousy and competition at the wrong time. At such moments, there is no room for jealousy and competition only if they were for the sake of serving and loving the revolution and defending its gains.

Karman has gained fame and built a media presence, and deservedly so. She has paid a lot for such things although they were not within the circle of her care. Pretending to express sadness about martyrs and have the sense of proportion reminds us of the pre-Arab revolutions pragmatic talk. Such a talk serves nobody but the regime. The more time passes the more appropriate it is for the regime to find a ground for sneaking and inciting seditions and chaos. Labor pains were necessary as there is no revolution without sacrifices. Nevertheless, the regime remains fully responsible for this.

Changing the revolution to only art galleries and workshops is exactly what the regime wants. Moreover, the regime officials themselves have clearly expressed that many times when they said: if the youths continued to stay at the protest squares, no one would attack them because doing so neither threatens, overthrows the regime nor does serve the revolution.

Then what is the alternative? They are talking about escalation of an 8-million fasting people. With our respect to the idea, we are talking about 40% of the Yemeni population who are under poverty line, this means more than 8 million fasting people forever, but the regime has not fallen nonetheless. Talking about worship and invocation is a daily stuff. However, God does not help those who don’t help themselves.

During revolutions, there is no room for talk about peril because this is, once again, the language of the regime. Karman and those with her have done great. Moreover, the today's martyrs are the martyrs of freedom and bravery. This is a testimony for a woman I have never known in person. Nevertheless, she remains the pride of the free Yemeni people, revolution in general and women in particular. Go ahead, Karman!