Tawakkul Karman in India

Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman on Thursday said only a peaceful revolution could finish authoritarian rule in the Arab world. “Every dictator is a terrorist. Both feed on each other. Only a peaceful revolution can finish them,” said Karman while delivering the fifth Babu Jagjivan Ram memorial lecture on a visit to New Delhi.
Karman, 33, is the youngest recipient of the Nobel peace prize, having won it in 2011.
Stating that the youth in the Arab world came out on the streets to protest against the dictatorial regimes, she appealed to the younger generation to join the government after the polls in her country. Noting that all sections of the society participated in the Arab spring, Karman said the new government in Yemen would provide equal citizenship to all. “Dignity and freedom are equal to democracy,” said Karman.
“The Arab Spring came as a response to the need for a life of dignity and equality by the local youth,” she said.
Mentioning Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr as inspirations, she said: “Gandhi inspired peace struggles the world over. The youth who participated in the Arab Spring too were inspired by his teachings.”
Dismissing rumours spread by the ruling establishments in the Arab countries that their removal will only worsen the situation, Karman said believing in such falsehood would only prolong dictators’ rule.
The activist also appealed to the international community to exert pressure on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad as people in Syria were looking for equal citizenship.
According to Karman, the common factor in the Arab spring was that the citizens were denied freedom by the ruling establishments and the dictatorial regimes over the past many decades.
“We are very much concerned about the situation in Syria. A lot of bloodshed has taken place and it is getting worse every day. Unfortunately, the international community has not been very decisive in stopping the bloodshed. That is why the Bashar regime continues its killing and oppression of Syrian people,” said the young activist in an interview with Indian daily The Hindu.
Titled the “Mother of the Revolution” and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and peace campaigner Leymah Gbowee for “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights,” Karman also put the role played by the social media in perspective.
“Facebook and social media helped a lot for those struggling for freedom. But TV channels also gave power to the revolution. Where there was more pressure the social media certainly helped. Like in Tunisia where even three to five people couldn't meet each other if they wanted to…through Facebook they could.”
“Some groups attack democracy. I don't excuse anybody but we have to give some space in democracy for every movement. Marginalise any movement and they are pushed to terrorism. They [Islamists] have changed. They are against my ideas and work but I am so happy they have entered the political life in Egypt and Yemen. They were against democracy but now they are in political life. I am sure most of them represent people's voices because when you are in opposition, you are closer to people.”
Asked by The Hindu why the building of democratic structures in Yemen was taking time, she pointed out that even in Europe true democracy took decades to build. “I am confident that the Arab world will take less time than Europe. I am sure we will not take a lot of time, Inshallah.”
In Yemen, the process of revolution should take its time. “We are not in a rush. We will continue our contribution till it fulfils all its tasks crowned by building a modern civilian regime. We were able to tackle Saleh's regime. Now there is no more possibility of its repetition. The second step is to reorganise and unify the Army which was affected by the uprising,” she said to the paper.