Tawakkol Karman: Revolution

“If you go to the protests now, you will see something you never saw before: hundreds of women. They shout and sing, they even sleep there in tents. This is not just a political revolution, it's a social revolution”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Tawakul Karman, Yemeni activist, and thorn in the side of Saleh (2011)

Women , Sleep , Singing

“My beliefs were that men and women alike have to be in this struggle together, and we cannot safeguard our country just with one wing. … Now our women are the leaders, not only political leaders, but also leaders that lead in every single front, and they are part of the main leaders of the revolution. And therefore, you can see that the rulers are afraid from women.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Democracy Now! interview (2011)

Women , Men , Parting , Country

“Requiring governments to make all publicly held information and data available to people — thus giving citizens a powerful tool to expose corruption — is just one aspect of the accountability revolution that can be unleashed if the report’s recommendations are implemented in full.”

Tawakkol Karman

2000s, Youth Q&A on the U.N. High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Agenda Report (2009)

People

“There have been violations in the protest squares, especially in Sana'a. This is natural when hundreds of thousands of people [protest] for extended periods of time. However, these violations are marginal, and do not tarnish the beauty of the revolution. We see rival tribes meeting and debating in their tents, and men and women struggling [together] in the square to oust the regime.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkul Karman – A Profile (2011)

Women , Men , People , Beauty

“Since the start of this revolution, we were able to get rid of a lot of the issues and the problems that this regime created. … We have the dream, and we have the ability. And we started to achieve a lot of our goals. And we will not stop here. We will build our country. And we’re not only talking about Yemen here. I’m talking about every nation or every people that are looking toward freedom.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Democracy Now! interview (2011)

People , Dreams , Problem , Freedom

“In my capacity as a leader of the popular and youth revolution in Yemen, I reaffirm our adherence to the peaceful nature of our struggle until the end. At the same time, I ardently call upon the free people of the world to examine what is happening in my country and Syria especially, and to honour their responsibilities to confront rulers who do not hesitate to carry out the most heinous crimes against people who have the temerity to demand their natural rights to freedom and dignity.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, The world must not forsake Yemen's struggle for freedom (2011)

People , Youth , World , Peace

“We in Yemen are no less thirsty for freedom and dignity than our brothers and sisters in Tunis…It was feared that the revolution would descend into violence and distort the image of the other Arab uprisings. But the Yemeni revolution surprised everyone with its astonishingly peaceful nature…What is truly regrettable, though, is that the world has not shown the least interest in what the Saleh regime does with Yemen and its revolutionaries…We in Yemen look forward to a clear stand from the UN, world governments and civil society organisations in condemning the violence of Saleh's regime.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, The world must not forsake Yemen's struggle for freedom (2011)

World , Fear , Peace , Nature

“My aim for now is to lead a peaceful revolution to remove this regime. I think if I can be in the street with the people I can achieve more than if I am the president.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Tawakul Karman, Yemeni activist, and thorn in the side of Saleh (2011)

People , Peace , Thinking

“If the US and Europe genuinely support the people, as they say, they must not betray our peaceful revolution. It is the expression of the democratic will of the overwhelming majority of the people of Yemen.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Our revolution's doing what Saleh can't – uniting Yemen (2011)

People , Peace , Support

“The young people of this revolution have made their demands clear: authority must be handed over to a transitional presidential council approved by the people…Yemen’s people have charted the course of revolution and we will follow this course to its end. We have left our authoritarian past behind. Now, we ask our friends in Washington and Riyadh to help us build a democratic future.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Yemen’s Unfinished Revolution, 2011

People , Past , Future , Help

“We are confident that our revolution has already succeeded and that the regime of Saleh has in effect, already collapsed.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Our revolution's doing what Saleh can't – uniting Yemen (2011)

Confidence

“I came from Yemen, the country of civilization, the Yemen that was led by two women, and it was one of the greatest countries in the world. We were led by a dictatorship regime, a corrupted regime. This regime was founded in killing others…My country has a lot of poverty, from a lot of diseases, from ignorance. And these are some of the reasons that led us to lead this revolution.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Democracy Now! interview (2011)

Women , World , Disease , Country

“With two civil wars, an al-Qaida presence and 40% unemployment, what else is President Saleh waiting for? He should leave office now…This revolution is inevitable, the people have endured dictatorship, corruption, poverty and unemployment for years and now the whole thing is exploding”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Tawakul Karman, Yemeni activist, and thorn in the side of Saleh (2011)

War , People , Waiting

“…The interim presidential council will take the reins from the ousted president and his regime…We take this possibility into account, which is why we have demanded that the interim presidential council represent all the national elements, in order to meet the demands of the youth and the people. We demand that the political elements suggest names to present to the youth, since we object to anyone seizing power after Saleh, whoever they may be. These fears exist in any revolution… Whenever officials stray from the straight path, the youth must be prepared to take to the streets in every province and shout: The people want to oust the official in charge, to hold the minister accountable, to prosecute the general.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkul Karman – A Profile (2011)

People , Youth , Fear

“The most important pretext for the ousting of President Morsi was the existence of division in Egypt…. My support for the 30 June movement in opposition to Morsi changed after the military coup, which went against all the gains and values of the 25 January revolution…Clearly, the leaders of the military takeover have something to conceal from the watchful eyes of the world…. I now feel I have a responsibility to warn the world of the fact that a fully fledged despotic regime is seeking to reinforce its foundations in the country.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Egypt's coup has crushed all the freedoms won in the revolution (2013)

World , Feeling , Support , Change

“What unites us in the Youth Revolution Council is the desire to oust the regime… We do not ask the members of the Council or of the Preparatory Committee about their source of authority, nor about their political, geographic, or sectarian affiliation… In this revolution, I have forgotten my partisan and geographic affiliations… I belong only to the people of the revolution. The revolution is a glorious [cause] that stands above any consideration.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkul Karman – A Profile (2011)

People , Youth

“Let us be clear: the Yemeni revolution has already brought internal stability to a state riddled with war and conflict.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Our revolution's doing what Saleh can't – uniting Yemen (2011)

War

“Women have become at the forefront of these demonstrations and lines in protests — in the medical camps, in the security services, in the strategic planning for the revolution and the strategic planning for the civil democratic society after the revolution.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Nobel Prize winner highlights women’s role in Arab Spring (2011)

Women

“Our party needs the youth but the youth also need the parties to help them organise. Neither will succeed in overthrowing this regime without the other. We don't want the international community to label our revolution an Islamic one.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Tawakul Karman, Yemeni activist, and thorn in the side of Saleh (2011)

Youth , Communication , Help

“Soon after the military coup that deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy, I announced that I would join the pro-Morsy demonstration outside of Cairo's Rabaa al-Adaweya square…I wished to protest the killing, forcible disappearance, and jailing of coup opponents…I declared publicly that I was going to Rabaa al-Adaweya to defend the gains of the Jan. 25, 2011, revolution -- freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the right of the people to select their rulers.”

Tawakkol Karman

2010s, Morsy is the Arab World's Mandela (2013)

People , Peace , Freedom