Shepherding the Sheep

Yemenat

Ahmed Saif Hashed

My younger sister, Nadia, shared the task of shepherding the sheep with me. She would often deliberately defy me, ignoring my calls and rebelling against my authority, treating me as if I were an old man burdened by age and senility.

I would strike her repeatedly and with severity, sometimes leaving me feeling exhausted. Unfortunately, I repeated this behavior once with my son, Fadi—a regret I still harbor deep within me.

I remember it with great sorrow, filling my heart with grief and remorse.

Thus, violence recurs, and cruelty in interactions is passed down from father to son, and from son to those beneath him. This dynamic is mirrored in the authority of a president over his subordinates, a manager over his employees. This situation is not limited to individuals in society; it extends to nations and what is referred to as the international community.

The relationships between nations often center on the subjugation of weaker states by more powerful ones.

The weaker nations compensate for their vulnerabilities by exerting dominance over their own people, intensifying oppression, humiliation, and subjugation.

They persist in coercing and subjugating their citizens through every available means of repression, wielding the power and influence they possess, particularly the resources of the people they oppress.

* * *

Our flock of sheep was small at first, but it grew in number, never reaching a large size. I herded the sheep during my youth, still a child exploring the thresholds of life with my tender fingers. I have many stories and deep connections with the sheep.

The sheep belonging to my parents filled my small world with memories that have proven resistant to fading over the more than fifty years that have passed. No sunset or forgetfulness has erased them.

My memories of