Tribute to Yemeni Youth Activist

Omar Mohammed Batwil, a young man from Yemen, was born in Aden.

His father was a well- known poet, famous in Yemen, named Mohammed Omar Batwil.

He was the middle son in his family. Omar's interests were psychology, philosophy,

comparative religion, equestrianism, and he loved reading very much and culture

in general. He used Facebook to write his posts. Many people, including myself,

admired his views, his enlightened, intelligent ideas, and his beautiful spirit that

loved peace and coexistence. His posts criticized religious bigotry and

extremist groups. One of his most famous quotes, which I have pinned on

my profile on

Facebook and Twitter for a long time along with his picture, is: "

When they know the difference between a scholar and a priest,

they will regain their minds." And he used to say:"

The difference between me and them is that I see God in flowers,

while they see Him in graves."

Also, for a period before he was killed,

Omar Batwil was receiving threats from anonymous figures, but no one was able to

protect him. No specific authority worked to protect him. On April 25, 2016,

in the city of Aden in Yemen, they shot him, and we all saw his

pictures on social media, drenched in his blood, after the bullets tore through his

flesh and body. Omar Batawil died while still a teenager; to me, he was

always a child. His father, the poet Mohammad Omar Batawil,

died after years of grief, he died of grief over his son Omar,

specifically in 2021. There was a hashtag that spread everywhere and we all

tweeted under it, which was:" Omar Batawil is a human cause."

And these words are still ringing in my ears even now, and I have not and will

never forget this brave, courageous, and smart young hero.