When someone asks me... what is your problem with Aidarus al-Zubaidi?
Ahmed Nasser Humaidan
An article on the situation in south Yemen, differentiating between supporting the Southern Cause and critiquing its leadership, such as Aidarus al-Zubaidi.
When someone asks me: What is your problem with Aidarus al-Zubaidi? And then adds: Or is your problem with the South? I find that the question itself reflects a crisis in understanding the nature of political disagreement.
I am not against the South; rather, I believe in the justice of the Southern Cause. I see that the South has suffered a historical injustice, and Aden was at the forefront of the cities that paid the price for conflicts and exclusion.
I am also proud of my southern identity, without denying my Yemeni identity, as I do not see the two identities as contradictory.
But believing in the justice of the cause does not mean granting any leadership immunity from criticism.
National causes are measured by the justice and institutions they achieve, not by the slogans they raise.
The hope was that the Southern Cause would turn into a project for building a modern state based on law, citizenship, institutions, and respect for political pluralism.
However, what happened, in the eyes of many, was a gradual shift towards power struggles and the prioritization of narrow loyalties over the inclusive national project.
That period also witnessed painful events, including assassinations and liquidations that sparked widespread controversy, some of which were covered by media and human rights reports. Regardless of the criminal responsibilities determined by the judiciary, the political responsibility for managing this phase and protecting society remains with the leadership.
Rejecting assassination and political liquidation is not a selective stance, but a firm principle.
We rejected it when it targeted others, and we reject it today regardless of who is targeted or who benefits.
A nation cannot be built with weapons against opponents, nor can justice be established outside the framework of the law.
If we look at the reality in Aden today, we find the question is no longer: Who raises the slogan? But rather: What has been achieved for the citizen? Has the state become stronger? Has the judiciary improved? Have security and services returned? Does the citizen feel that the law is the ultimate authority? These are the questions that should be asked.
The Southern Cause will remain greater than individuals and more enduring than positions, and it will only triumph if it transforms into a state project governed by law, not a power project governed by the balance of force.
Criticizing the leadership is not hostility towards the South, just as defending the South does not mean absolving any leadership of its mistakes. Homelands remain, but people pass on, and history judges not by slogans, but by results.
المصدر: Almahriah Net
