Excuse Me Your Majesty… We Ate the Grapes out of Our Windows!!
Many of us danced in joy for the independence. Our expectations were very high that revolutionists said to their sons “soon you will eat grapes out of the windows”!! These were our dreams and expectations. We didn’t know what might come next. But instead of ‘eating grapes out of our windows” we stuck to the ancient Arab saying “Those who don’t reach grapes say it is sour!!” For fifty-one years, we only got “sour” grapes that milts down all aspects of life. So, what are we celebrating today?! Do we celebrate “massive” achievements or ultimate poverty? Do we celebrate our modern stable state or renewable conflicts? Today, we are wounded people seeking shelters or even graves.
We are the rhetoric people who are very clever in generating slogans. From “No further talks as we own our decision” to “We danced eagerly and went home satisfied”, we wasted several decades in vain. We didn’t build a state of law and order. We only built frustration, hunger, security chaos and complete failure in running economic affairs.
How was Aden then and how is it today? Farewell to the days of “British investment”. Accept my apologies your Majesty, you and your civilized people who embraced many of the southern citizens, even those who participated in the battels of independence. To you I say: your achievements still remain in reality and in memory. How can we forget Queen’s Hospital, Aden International Airport, Aden International Seaport, Aden Oil Refinery – once the biggest in the Middle East – high-class institutes and schools, state of law, order and courts of justice, civilized cities, Al-Tawahi Golden Beach and historic Clock Tower and Al-Mualla main street that impressed the late Sheikh Zaid with its classy design.
Not very far, on Gebel Hadid, there was the “School of Future Leaders” where Sultan Qaboos of Oman studied and dreamed to make Omani cities look like Aden. And he achieved his dream and made Masqat one of the most beautiful and cleanest cities of the world.
How can we forget the exports of cotton to the whole world? How can we forget Khour Maxar with its magnificent villas and gardens, small Aden the pearl of the Arab Sea with its magnificent shores, cinemas, theaters, fine arts and port full of commercial and touristic ships?
Mohamed Omar Bahhah, in an article in Aden Al-Ghad on July 2nd, 2017, said: We should confess that during the British rule in Aden, the British established renovation and creativity that turned Aden into a modern city and created a civilized community amid tribal and Bedouin surrounding. This made Aden the miracle of cities and the fourth largest port in the world.
We went into union with our brothers in the north, hoping to establish a modern state and the result was shutting down cinemas and turning Aden into a village, without design, electricity, education or health care. Schools were replaced by open spaces and high-class clinics were replaced by primitive medicine. Well-planned districts were replaced by random surroundings. Even public clubs and parks were turned into private property. Al-Aqaba park was sold to Hameed Al-Ahmar, Gold Moore was sold to Beshr Abd Al-Hak, Aden Minor was owned by Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, Maasheeq was turned into a presidential resort and citizens of Kriterwere denied access to Hakat pool, Balquees Theater and Sea Shore Park.
Lands, under guardianship from 1967 to 1990, were distributed among vampires and evil traders. Cotton exports were stopped along with financial revenues. Even Taxi caps with its “London” color were force to change colors to high-mountains dark colors. Famous hotels of Aden became memory. Crescent Hotel, where queen Elizabeth stayed in 1954 during her historic visit to Aden, was destroyed and robbed. Rock Hotel was deserted. Ambassador Hotel is now turned in kiosks. Pearl Hotel and Garden Hotel were demolished. Marine Hotel and Club is now a place of ghosts. Even Aden Hotel, with its beautiful site in Khour Maxar, was bombed during 1994 occupation and destroyed in 2015. It is now a symbol of barbaric acts of invaders.
Aden museums were robbed and some of its artifacts were found inside the house of general Mahdi Koula in Senhan in 2017. Churches and temples, the symbol of coexistence and tolerance were bombed. Even graves of other religions were either demolished or built on. Children’s playgrounds and parks are now history.
You may ask about the oldest TV and Radio in the Arab Peninsula. The answer is that it is now a property of Abd Al-Rahman al-Akwa, in-law of Ali Saelh while their equipment was shipped to Sanaa. We have to watch Aden Channel from Sanaa or Jeddah!!
Citizens of Al-Tawahi were denied their only club to be turned into a square for concrete statues!! Aden Port was divided among Hael Said, Al-Ruwaishan, Al-Essa and Ali Maksa.
Tell me, what did we do for 51 years to be proud of and celebrate? I beg you a pardon again your Majesty as Aden, during your days of investment was magnificent and, on her revenues, the south prospered and the north lived. Dr. Al-Mukaleh said in his article in Al-Khaleej Emirati magazine: Investment were lost with the absence of economic, cultural and social projects. With its lose, we lost the promises of prosperity.
The quest is: What will come next? Reality is sieged by security chaos. State of law and order and prosperity can never be carried on slogans and marshes. Only brains, efficacies and investments can send us away from corruption. Only the hands of faithful and active men can do so.
Those who don’t read history should read it again and again so as not to be bitten by the same snakes for thousands of times.
