The crisis in Yemen has further divided our already divided Arab American community. The violent outcomes of the “Arab Spring”, especially the Syrian war, have pitted many community members against each other and fueled the sectarian rhetoric in the Arab world as well as Arab America.

And now comes the war in Yemen, which is turning our Yemeni brothers and sisters against each other. There is intense passion about the unfortunate events in the cradle of Arab civilization, but emotions should never rise over the voice of reason.

We urge our fellow Arab Americans from the Yemeni community to manage their disagreements in a peaceful fashion and refrain from name-calling and insults when discussing the conflict in their homeland. Vilifying opponents turns political arguments into personal animosities. 

The Arab American community is already divided by nationality, sectarianism and political allegiance. The crisis in Yemen will inevitably add one more demarcation line in the community. It is a divisive issue. We cannot wish away the disagreements, but we can have a productive approach to make the diversity of opinions a ground for dialogue, not futile yelling, screaming and fighting.

From the luxury of safety in the United States, Yemeni Americans are not in danger, unlike their brethren in Yemen. Local Yemenis have an opportunity to start a conversation without the sound of gunshots and explosions in the background.

Hence, they should focus on their collective goals and common interests. Evacuating American citizens in Yemen and helping them come back to the United States; speeding up the immigration process for Yemenis whose visas are pending and increasing humanitarian aid to the country’s civilian population are demands that all Yemeni Americans can support. Therefore, they should rise above their differences and form a united front behind mutual objectives that benefit their community.

If we scream at each other, insult each other and assault each other, it will harm all of us; it won’t benefit the parties we support in the Middle East. 

If Yemeni Americans antagonize each other, they antagonize the entire community. Anti-Arab and any Muslim bigots are watching us and waiting for the slightest opportunity to paint us as violent and extreme. What each of us does reflects on all Arab and Muslim Americans.  

Influencing American foreign policy on key strategic issues is beyond the ability of our community, but what we can do is set an example on civil, democratic disagreements within the boundaries of the Constitution that grants us freedom of speech.

We ask Yemenis to learn from the meaningless chaos that is unfolding across the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Egypt to Libya. The Lebanese massacred each other for 15 years and the result was a divided, destroyed country they are still struggling to heal. Civil wars are futile.

At The Arab American News, we have voiced our rejection of all forms of foreign intervention in Yemen. However, we did not take a side in Yemen’s internal conflict.

We did not and do not attack community members who have different opinions. Our pages will remain open for dialogue and welcoming of all opinions that meet our editorial guidelines.