Among the fangs of war, Yemenis extract their solace with artistic and cultural activities that show a unique beauty that reflects the extent of persistence and challenge in facing the country's pain resulting from years of bitter conflict that continues to this day.
And the Yemenis - known for their love of literature and the love of art - have been practicing various cultural activities during the war period, as an expression of continuous determination that follows a difficult path that was not without the ease of the widespread cultural beauty.
And with the sounds of shells, bullets, and the roar of warplanes, beautiful songs produced during the war resound in their ears, and poems whose beauty was composed despite the difficult circumstances of a country rich in culture and ancient heritage.
It is noteworthy that a real cultural movement has emerged recently in the various Yemeni governorates, whether those under the authority of the legitimate government, or those ruled by the Houthis.
In addition to the internal movement, Yemenis have been remarkably active abroad, organizing art and cultural exhibitions, contributing to publishing Yemeni books, and introducing the culture of their country abroad.
Yemenis organize art and cultural exhibitions to introduce their country's culture despite the atmosphere of war (German)
Over the past years, book fairs have been organized that witnessed a great turnout in several governorates, such as Taiz, Marib and Shabwa, despite the ongoing war.
Ironically, for example, the Marib governorate (in the east of the country) did not enjoy the organization of any book fair in its history except during the war period, as it held two exhibitions that were attended by hundreds of thousands of visitors, according to official statistics.
Presence in writing
Yemenis repeatedly struggle to prove themselves through various means, including staying "on writing" and staying up to date.
The writer and journalist Saqr Al-Sunaidi is considered one of the most prominent authors during the war, as he published a book entitled "Raafat's Journey".
Al-Sunaidi says - to the German News Agency - that "the book (Raafat's Journey) is part of the general scene that reflects the image that the Yemeni has become. away from the homeland at this stage, and he was forced to leave.”
Commenting on the cultural movement in times of conflict, Al-Sunaidi explains that "the war stopped book fairs, especially in Sana'a, but it did not stop writing."
And he added that the writers continued to be present and tried to prove their presence on more than one occasion, and that recent years witnessed the opening of a Yemeni publishing house, “Addresses” in Cairo, in addition to “Arwaqah” and “The Yemeni House.”
He explained that all these houses participate in international exhibitions, and have presented hundreds of titles to writers who are still at home, or who have been displaced by the war.
Al-Sunaidi continued, "The Yemeni writer is living a reality that made him rush to prove that he is still alive and writing, and that the war has not diminished him and his writing abilities."
Also, according to Al-Sunaidi, the war was considered by many as a fertile material for reshaping it and turning it into texts, as we read many books coming from the rubble.
Al-Sunaidi stresses that "the war imposes a double responsibility on those working in the literary and artistic fields, and forces them to try to stand up and express their presence with all the power they can, and to try to make the sound of their papers a stronger impact than the sound of bullets."
A remarkable presence of Yemeni women
The cultural contribution was not confined to the category of men, but there were women who were prominent in the time of the conflict, and were able to engage in art, culture and heritage remarkably.
In this context, Jihad Jarallah, a writer and visual artist, believes that "during the war in Yemen, cultural contributions became more evident than ever before, as harsh conditions always prompt people to question life and the nature of their existence, and perhaps push them to discover other means to express their feelings." .
She added, "We are witnessing a movement in the field of culture and the arts. There are many female writers and visual artists who appeared during wartime, perhaps more than men. Women, by their nature, desire to search for space through the arts, to express their ideas, identities, and questions about life, existence, and different circumstances."
Jarallah responded to those who believe that cultural activities are a luxury in times of conflict, by saying that society needs them to the same extent as is required in times of peace, as they "not only represent a means of rapprochement, expression and a kind of psychological treatment, but also an important tool for preserving memory."
And in light of the difficult circumstances that Yemen is going through, the artist relies on "informal initiatives and organizations, and the individual efforts of activists and those interested in the cultural field, to continue to push the activity of this field until peace prevails in the country, and then the role of the official authorities comes."
cross-border cultural movement
Over the past years, many Yemeni authors have been able to print and publish their books in foreign publishing houses, as part of the cultural movement led by the elite.
For example, many Yemeni books were printed and published in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in addition to holding cultural and art exhibitions there. The last of these active activities abroad was the establishment of an exhibition of plastic art in Cairo, in which 70 Yemeni artists participated.
In this exhibition, which was held a few days ago, multiple paintings of Yemeni heritage, environment, culture and civilization were presented, with an idea of the plastic movement in Yemen being conveyed to the younger generation, and the steadfastness of these artists in the face of the difficult circumstances that their country is going through.
In the context of this movement, Muhammad Saba, director of the Yemeni House for Books and Heritage in Cairo, told the German News Agency, "We are trying to publish Yemeni books and distribute them to libraries abroad, in addition to participating in foreign cultural exhibitions, and delivering Yemeni books to other countries."
Saba added, "The presence of Yemeni books in international exhibitions is very important... We believe in the need for Yemeni books to reach readers abroad, so that the world knows what is going on inside Yemen, and knows the civilization, culture, heritage, writers and poets of the country, and all fields."
He stressed that "publishing the Yemeni book is everyone's responsibility, calling for the need to support authors in the matter of publishing their books," noting that most Yemeni authors bear the costs of publishing their books because there are no supporting bodies, "while they are supposed to be supported in this important cultural and knowledge field."