Amida Shulan
Historian and Writer
Mohammed Ahmed Shulan and the Heroes of the September 26 Revolution
My father, the late revolutionary and freedom fighter Mohammed Ahmed Shulan, was one of five Yemeni patriots who signed, alongside President Gamal Abdel Nasser, the document proclaiming the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic: Ahmed Mohammed Nu’man, Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Zubairi, Mohammed Ali Al-Aswadi, and Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Baydani.
Shulan was part of the generation that paved the way for the September 26 Revolution and embodied its values throughout his life: overthrowing tyranny, establishing the republican system, building a national army, expanding education, and achieving social justice. These principles he instilled in us, his children, so that we grew up understanding love of the homeland as a responsibility, not just a slogan.
Revolution Is Not Just History
I was raised deeply rooted in the principles and objectives of the September Revolution—not only through books, but through daily life itself. My father’s memoirs spoke of Yemen before the revolution: a land shrouded in darkness, ignorance, poverty, and oppression, and how the revolution opened the doors to light, knowledge, and equality.
We learned that the goals of the revolution were not mere historical bullet points, but a generational legacy passed down as a sacred trust.
Sixty-four years on, Yemen’s journey remains filled with challenges and aspirations. Despite political upheavals and turbulent transformations, the spirit of September has endured—and will continue to endure—in our collective memory and in the hearts of future generations.
I witnessed how schools were established, universities expanded, and how people began to talk openly about their rights and demand them. True, official support was not always adequate, and much of the growth emerged from individual efforts or community initiatives. Yet, this itself is proof of the vitality of the people and their faith in the possibility of change.
As my father used to say: “Revolutions are never straight lines; they are long journeys marked by triumphs and setbacks alike.”
Successive Generations and the Responsibility of Continuity
Each generation leaves its distinct mark on the national experience. My father’s generation carried the first torch of change, confronting the immense challenges of building a state from scratch.
Our generation faced a different task: safeguarding those gains, correcting the course, and adapting to the changes of the modern era.
The new generation today holds tools that were unavailable before—technology and global connectivity—giving them the ability to innovate and provide fresh visions, provided that their roots remain grounded in the values for which their forefathers sacrificed.
I fully recognize that the road ahead remains long, and that revolution is not merely an anniversary we commemorate every year, but a responsibility renewed with every dawn. Just as my father and his fellow revolutionaries instilled in me the love of country and the duty to work for it, so I feel bound to pass this message on: the homeland is not an abstract idea, but everything we build with our own hands to make it a better place for ourselves and for those who come after us.
Between Yesterday and Today
For me, and for an entire generation that believed freedom and dignity are rights inherent to every human being, the September 26 Revolution remains more than an event—it is a living testament.
May God bless the soul of my father, Shulan, and all those who lit the dawn of September. May we remain faithful to what they began, holding fast to the dream of a free, united, and prosperous Yemen.
Between yesterday and today, hope remains the unbroken thread binding generations together, and the principles planted by the pioneers remain the compass that guides our steps, no matter how rough the road may be.
