Women hail joint Arab action

Several Arab women across the Middle East have come out in support of the Kingdom’s action in Yemen.
Nashwa Al-Ruwaini, a well-known Dubai-based television presenter, said that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and other Gulf Cooperation Council leaders managed to form, in a short time, an Arab coalition against a “terrorist and sectarian militia that seized power by force.”
Arab women have a major responsibility in this critical situation, especially those working in the media, to correctly reflect what is happening and rally behind the men, she told a Riyadh-based daily.
Suhair Al-Qaisi, an Iraqi journalist, said Arab women have throughout history supported men during critical battles. In Iraq, women protected their homeland side by side with men, she said.
Nadia Abdurazzaq, an Emirati lawyer, said that Decisive Storm was an important battle in the history of the Arab nation because it would restore the legitimacy and dignity of the Yemeni people.
Nagwa Mousa, a Riyadh-based Egyptian quality control consultant, said that the battle has come at a critical time. It has made Arabs proud because they have been unified, and have shown that they would not accept injustice and oppression by a group supported by a foreign country.
Dubai-based Algerian television anchor Lubna Deeb said the operation has demonstrated the skills and capacity of the Saudi Air Force and its allies to cripple the Houthi militia.
The operation would ensure that the Houthis have their supplies cut off from outside forces. An additional positive outcome now has been the plans to form a joint Arab defense force to protect countries in the region, she said.
Zainab Mahdawi, an editor and content producer at Dubai Media Corporation, said the time has come for the Arab world to be decisive in solving political and security issues faced by most Arab countries. Operation Decisive Storm was a “courageous step” to tackle the growth of terrorist groups in the region, which have already indoctrinated some people.
Habiba Talib, an Algerian journalist, said that after the loss of Iraq, Syria and Libya, Arab countries have learned their lesson and collectively hit back at the group that was trying to control Yemen. She said the Kingdom led by King Salman was playing a major role in unifying the Arab and Muslim world.
Sahar Bakr, an Egyptian journalist working in the United Arab Emirates, said she supported the military intervention in Yemen and the formation of a force to protect Arab countries.
Sali Assad, the editor in chief of Laith News Agency, said the military action was welcome and showed that the Arabs have to take decisions to deal promptly with any force trying to destabilize the security and stability of the region.
Hanan Dhahir, a UAE journalist, said she supported the Kingdom’s operation, and any other action that would deter groups from spreading terror. She hoped the military operation would ensure the Houthis realize their mistake and decide to live peacefully in Yemen, a country that has been their home for thousands of years.
Awatif Rashid, an Iraqi living in the United Arab Emirates, said the operation would counter the expansionist plans of the Islamic State group and another foreign power. Arabs were now more confident about defending their land and holy shrines, she said.