Guul Amir Saleh we will miss youA Yemeni businessman in his early thirties is driving his Porsche through the streets of the capital, Sana’a, posting posters of President Ali Abdullah Saleh wherever he goes.
Though still relatively young, Mansoor al-Qulaisi is well respected amongst his peers, called by his friends and relations “Sheikh”. Both opponents and loyalists of the regime have grown to respect the young man for his integrity and strength of character.
In spite of the growing trend against the Yemeni President, al-Qulaisi remained true to his convictions. “I felt he has been wronged somehow.”
“The Opposition left no space for a healthy political dialogue, all they seemed to care about was to oust President Saleh from power as quickly as possible with no regards to what could happen to the country if such an abrupt change in leadership was to happen. When the President tried at the very beginning to bring the political factions to the negotiating table I tried to tell my friends to end the demonstrations but they did not listen and went out in the streets anyway,” said the thoughtful young man while chewing a Qat leaf.
“It is as if people were trying to settle an old score with the regime,” he added. Al-Qulaisi explained that he had been impressed by President Saleh’s willingness to admit that on many levels the country had been wronged, meeting with clerics and scholars such as Sheikh al-Zindani to identify his failures. Al-Qulaisi revealed that he himself heard the President tell Sheikh al-Zindani: ‘if I’m wrong, tell me.
There were mistakes made and whatever you see suitable for correction will be approved.” The young loyalist however said he was disappointed by the clerics “volatile” loyalty as they were quick to criticize President Saleh while away but were full of praises in his presence. A Business Administration graduate, al-Qulaisi said that he was never been content with the overall performance of President Saleh’s regime. “However, my concern for my country made me side with the president…
All of the opposition arguments have been barren, -blocking out streets, bombing mosques, storming houses, and so on.”
Qulaisi said he once went to Sana’a Change Square and joined a comrade at a tent, listening to a lecture he said was delivered by an academic instructor. Qulaisi did not like the lecture and condemned it as misleading. He said that the instructor was saying that no matter how bad the situation seems to get, the economy would not be affected.
Based on Qulaisi narration, the instructor argued that only Saleh would suffer from a possible collapse of the economy. “I told him ‘do not fool us as we are fully aware of what’s going on’,” Qulaisi said. But then Qulaisi was taken away by what he called “the Security Committee” of the square and went through a brief interrogation.
“They said I was of the National Security. When they were trying to take me to the Islah-owned detention center, an acquaintance of mine appeared and freed me.”
Al-Qulaisi’s friends said he spent thousands of dollars in favor of President Saleh’s media campaign. “Financial loss was not my concerned as much as the happiness I would observe in the eyes of people [in support of President Saleh]. Half of the posters assigned would be taken by residents who take them to their homes or post them on their cars, shops…”
Some business partners of al-Qulaisi abandoned him and joined Change Square, which led him to lose several lucrative contracts. He also revealed he had received threatening messages through mobile and emails telling him to stop supporting President Saleh.
Despite the danger al-Qulaisi is refusing to give in. His car was once attacked by a group of thugs and the young man barely escaped unscathed. Since President Saleh media campaign came to an end based on the President’s personal request, al-Qulaisi is now embarking on a new campaigning genre.
He is finalizing a small book titled “Posters talk”. The book is a collection of posters depicting one year in Yemen’s political crisis. Signed under his name, the book is to be published soon.
“Those who know me well realize that I had no partisan affiliation before the protests broke out. I wanted to put my name on this project to prove to people that I am under no political pressure. I am only promoting my beliefs. I am a business man after all.”
