Local Editor
Like most Yemeni teachers in the northern provinces, Ayman Mamoon, 54, has not received his salary for a year and half. He has already sold his wife’s jewellery to support seven family members. Now that the money from the sale has gone, he has had to sell another valuable family possession.
After much thinking, Mamoon decided to sell one of two rifles he inherited from his father – as the price of a gun was equivalent to nine months' salary.
Owning firearms is a source of pride among Yemenis. And selling them off carries deep shame. Yemenis use firearms at weddings and other occasions, firing them in the air to mark the celebrations. But Mamoon, casting aside social norms, sold his weapon off to buy desperately needed food for his family.
"I hesitated before selling my rifle, but there was no other choice to get money, so I decided to sell it and face the criticism of the society," Mamoon told TRT World.
Mamoon took one of the rifles and went to sell it at Al Turba market, 70 kilometres from Taiz city. He received for $960 (YR450,000) it, which was enough to buy basic food supplies for ten months.
"I am so lucky that I inherited two rifles as they help me to overcome the suffering of the life and I do not worry about the future because I still have another one," he said.
Mamoon stated that some of his neighbors denounced him for selling the rifle, but once he explained the reason, they understood.
Before the war there were at least 60 million pieces of arms owned by civiliansin a country of less than 25 million people; Yemeni fathers would pass them down to their sons or buy them from markets.
There are still some old markets in several provinces in Yemen where people can buy and sell arms; Juhannah market in Sana'a province is one of the largest.
For rich Yemenis, owning finely wrought, valuable guns is a high-status symbol.
Abdul Hakeem al Massani used to work as an accountant before the war, so he bought an expensive rifle. But when the war broke out, he lost his job and his situation gradually worsened until he became impoverished.
"After I lost my work and I did not get any chance to work, I decided to sell my rifle," Massani told TRT World.
He sold his rifle for $1,280 (YR600,000) and opened small shop that helped him earn $2 (YR1,000) per day.
"I am sorry about my rifle but I am also happy that I had a rifle to sell," he said.
Source: TRT World, Edited by Website Team
