Last week, the Telegraph ran this great video of protesters in Yemen dancing, which reminded me of Emma Goldman’s famous quote: “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”
One thing that’s painfully clear in watching this video, however, is the complete absence of women.
The protests have continued this week, as has the crackdown by government security forces. There was a report on NPR yesterday that cited activists who claimed at least 30 protesters were killed over the previous night.
Nevertheless, the protests continued yesterday. As the video below shows, despite hugging and kissing soldiers at a demonstration in Sanaa, the troops still opened fire, killing at least one person and injuring eight others.
Regarding the absence of women, this is definitely to be expected in Arab culture. (I can’t help but recall my first all-male Arab dance party on an overnight ship between Genoa and Tunis. A blast.) Yemen is particularly conservative. Even wedding parties are sex-segregated; the men dance with men and women dance with women. Dancing in public like this just isn’t something one would do with the opposite sex, as we would expect in the US.
Thanks for explaining this Nathan. I knew that was true to some degree, but I felt like I couldn’t use Goldman’s quote without pointing out that she probably wouldn’t be welcome at this protest in particular. That of course doesn’t mean that I don’t support the protesters in Yemen or think that they are struggling for a just cause.
Oh, no, I wouldn’t accuse you of not supporting them! We just need to remember that what’s a political statement in one place isn’t one in another, and vis versa. Men in Yemen can hold hands in public without thereby exhibiting their homosexuality, for instance, just as men and women can dance together in our culture without being indecent. In this case I think we can agree that what’s really “painfully clear” is the violent repression! The absence of women is kind of a separate issue.
Thanks keeping an eye on Yemen, anyway. Too easy to miss these days.
I knew this when I made the comment. I find it ironic,that the men want freedom from an oppressive govt,yet women are kept as an underclass,at home,covered,not even permitted to drive,much less protest or Allah forgive-dance!
Peace,love and freedom for all<3