Abdallah Aldabbi, born in 1919, is one of the most important people in the 1962 revolution. Even though he is facing hangover of stroke, his smile that he shows during our conversation tells me his cheerfulness. There is no doubt that he was one of the most important person of 1962 revolution because he was the one who was asked to be the first president.
During Imam’s era, only selected people were allowed to have an education. He was one of those. He studied in Israh’s school, and entered military training after he graduated from it. The phrase “Education is a light” is a one many Yemeni people have talked to me again and again. He was the one who was given the “light”. Because of the education, he realized how people in Yemen were facing unfairness.(He said “Zulm” in arabic) , and most of peaple were ignorant of how bad the situation was. This awareness aroused him to make the revolution, so as many other revolutionists.
He was working as an encoder since several years before the 1962 revolution until the night of the revolution. What he was doing was to encode the code of telegrams that Imam Ahmad sent from Taiz to his son in Sana’a. After the revolution of 1948, Ahmad escaped to Taiz, and he chose his son Badr to stay in Sana’a. By using the telegram, Imam Ahmad was telling orders to his son, including the order of to capture some suspicious people and put them into jail. Since Abdallah Albaddi was working as encoder, he was the first person to know Imam Ahmad’s order. “I let some people escaped ” he said with smile. “Imam Ahmad ordered to capture sheikh sinan. but he was a friend of mine so I told him to escape from Sana’a. After that, I told army in Sana’a to capture him, and I went to his place with bunch of soldiers. Of course I knew he had already escaped, though. ” he talked. It seems to me that the incident is already a funny story of old time for him.
Abdallah Aldabbi was a courageous man, it was not al all easy to plot Imam Ahmad because everybody was afraid of him. Imam was notorious for his mercilessness, cunningness and cruelty. He actually killed 3 of his brothers. “Even his son Badr was afraid of him” he said. Since Aldabbi spent plenty of time his Badr, he knows very well about him and he actually have a good relationship with him as a colleague. “I remember the day Imam’s army visited Sana’a. He knows that the army did not came here to kill him, but once the army reached in from of the gate of Badr’s house, Badr started to shake due to fear. ” He explained.
As he explains, Badr’s character was opposite to his father. “He was not as “strong ” as his father Ahmad. He was easy to influenced by others. He was generous, and he actually shares some feelings with revolutionists. Because he was also the one who realized the unfairness of Yemeni citizens. ” he explained. “However I have to say that he was too generous, and not smart enough as to become a ruler of the country”. He added.
After Imam Ahmad’s death, Badr succeeded to be a Imam, but it was not lasted more than 6 days. Albaddi advised him how to rule the country, because he was really a good friend of him. But due to his “weakness”, he was also get influenced by Imam’s family easily. This is why Aldabbi cound not help Badr anymore.
Q: I found it interesting that many revolutionists was raised in the orphanage. Did you actually learned there, or not?
A: No, I had not get education in the orphanage. I studies in Israh’s school at first, and joined a military school after that.
Q: What did you study there?
A: I studied Quran, Arabic, Mathematics and also some other things, but I do not remember accurately.
Q: Did idea of revolution come from the idea of Islam, or not.
A: Not really. Those people who cause the revolution were felling sad how people face unfairness. (In Arabic ) Revolutionist know how bad it was because they had a chance to know how the life in outside of the countries were. Many revolutionist had some education in Egypt,Syria or Iraq. They think that revolutions was necessary in Yemen in all aspect of life.
Q:About Imam Ahmad, I heard he was afraid by many people, how was the character of him?
A: He was a very strong man. He rarely gets influence by other people and He was also notorious for his cruelty. No one can be as cruel as him. He killed every single people who he doe not like, He even killed 3 of his brothers and some relatives. Everybody was afraid of him.
Q: What happened to the people who attempted the revolution in 1948?
A: He killed all influential and well-educated people, otherwise sent them to jail. Even the people who was sent to jail died in it because the bad condition of the prison. Some people were survived under the terrible condition, and went out after 7 years.
Q: Do you think that revolutionist cause revolution to please god, or just to get rid ofظلم?
A: We just wanted to get people rid of ظلم。
Q: What was your role in the revolution, and general Assallal?
A: I was a personal secretary of Badr. I worked as an encoder. Imam Ahmad was sending telegrams from Taiz to inform Badr of orders. My duty is to encode those telegrams and give those messages to Badr and people around him. Assallal was a head of guard of crown prince Badr in Sana’a, so he kept keys of storage of all weapons.
Q: please tell me more about Assalllal
A: He was courageous man. He saved revolution. No one wants to be a president because they thought it was too risky to accept it. Because all people were supporting Imam at that time. But he did not refused it.
Q: Is there any reason that many people supported Imam?
A: One thing is their ignorance, due to lack if education, people did not realize how bad the life is. Another thing is the way Imam dealt with tribes. He kept son of all Sheikh, the one who ruled tribe, and educated them by Imam’s family.
Q: Have you ever think of helping Badr?
A: Yes, I tried to advice him. Because he was not like his father(ahmad). His idea of ruling the country was opposite to his father. For example, Imam Ahmad did not want people to have education, Badr was thinking his father’s idea was wrong instead. However, due to his weakness, a weakness that he easily gets influence by others, he influenced more from Imam’s family. Then I gradually realized that he was not the right man to rule the country, so I gave up helping him.
About the 70 days siege
Egyptian army was escaped from Sana’a in 1968. All tribe’s man came to attack Sana’a. Sana’a was surrounded by tribes man who were against the regime of revolutionist. Since new government had already established army of themselves, they were strong enough to protect Sana’a. After 70 days of fighting, revolutionist won this war.