My story with Qat- Part 4

Yemen without Qat!

Anis Albasha

How would Yemen be without Qat?! This is a question that I've always been asking myself. In view of the fact that Qat is a common denominator of 90% of the Yemeni people and since Yemenis and Qat are irrevocably linked, I can't help but think how life in Yemen would be if there were no Qat!

People who chew Qat as an antidote to their problems won't like to take part in this imaginary scenario. That’s probably because they don’t know any other way to make their troubles less unbearable.  On the other hand, there are some Yemeni chewers who ask themselves the very same question, especially those who travelled outside Yemen and saw different places free of that hideous shrub. Yet, when I was in Yemen, I rather preferred to dream about this scenario alone because whenever I asked some of my friends to dream with me, they would say something like: “Interesting! Let’s get together this afternoon, chew some Qat and think about it!”  The reason behind such a response is that many of them can only dream under the influence of Qat!

The picture which my mind draws as an answer to that question is so exquisite and entrancing. With all the potentials, natural beauty and manpower that Yemen enjoys, I am adamant that without Qat, the life of Yemeni people would be so much different.

First of all, without chewing Qat, people would not act oblivious and live in a complete denial when it comes to their daily life problems. Rather, they would realize that there are serious issues in life that need to be addressed. Yemenis would be able to see their reality as it is and would try to improve it. Social life would be quenched and fulfilled with other options away from Qat. Yemeni people would aspire for an entertained life which would lead eventually to the establishment of many parks, playgrounds, sport clubs, theaters…etc, and this would allow people to socialize and spend time with each other without the need to stuff their cheeks with Qat green leaves.

The absence of Qat would pave the way to the Yemeni Mocha Coffee to flourish and regain its glory as the best Coffee in the world. Yemeni farmers would be able to cultivate Coffee beans and export them to Europe and to the rest of the world.

It is astonishing to know that, 40 years ago, Yemen was rich in natural resources and the country was patricianly self-sufficient in cereal and other crop supplies, and recently because of Qat growth, Yemen has imported between 75% and 90% of its food requirements. 

In fact, numbers reveal shocking facts about the deleterious effects of Qat on the local economy. For instance, while the most productive arable lands in the country have been reserved for Qat production, Qat production and consumption contribute to 6 % of the GDP growth and to 14% of the total employment! So, if there were no Qat, Yemeni farmers wouldn't trade their vulnerable food crops for Qat, rather they would focus on Yemen's most valued food assets such as Coffee and grapes. Moreover, the absence of Qat would help with the issue of water scarcity. According to experts, Qat growth has significantly drawn on the country's water supplies and the lands used for growing Qat consume more water than any other crops in Yemen.

So, from an economical perspective, we can say that without Qat, Yemen would gain its momentum. If experts said that the most efficient way to save the country from starvation is to promote the renaissance of its own agricultural industry by resorting a healthy balance between Qat and food crop cultivation, we can imagine how would it be if there were no "balance" and it were all for food crop. Yemeni children wouldn't suffer from malnutrition and they would be able to eat fruit and vegetable which have a unique taste. I have been to many places such as Egypt, India, Sweden and Germany and I've tried different kind of fruit and vegetable from those lands, but I've never found the irreplaceable distinctive taste which Yemeni crops enjoy. 

In addition to that, if there were no Qat, workers and employees in Yemen would work for actual 8 hours a day and there would be no crazy scrambling or rushing out of offices before 12 o'clock in order to catch Qat markets. Besides, there would be no "Qat bribe" which has to be paid in order to get any official/government business done. 

All the above aforementioned could be real if Yemeni people paid attention to the seriousness of Qat issue and took brave actions against this ugly plant which consumes their money and their time for nothing in return but detrimental effects.

Long time ago, I realized that Qat is a serious problem and I didn't allow it to be even a minor part in my life, however, Qat has been always there provoking me even when I was outside Yemen.

I remember once when I was in Egypt, I got into an unfriendly discussion with a bunch of Egyptians on the train about Yemen. One of them tried to provoke me by saying – mockingly- it must be hard for me not to chew Qat while staying in Egypt!

In India, the view of people chewing Paan – a preparation of combining betel leaf with areca nut -was a kind of déjà vu that reminded me of Yemeni people chewing Qat. Furthermore, once they knew that I am from Yemen; many western people asked me about Qat, not about any other Yemeni good things like Mocha Coffee for instance.

All this has increased the hatred inside me towards Qat. At the same time, I am feeling good because I have strived hard ad nauseam to avoid Qat and to look for other options that kept me away from it. But I feel frustrated when I see how much my people glorifying and adoring Qat. 

One time, a friend of mine went on training to Holland, when he returned he told me about the unbelievable beauty he had seen in that country. He said that once he was setting in the balcony and looking at an idyllic spectacular view which he had never seen before in his life. To my surprise, he also added that, at that very special moment, he wished he had a bundle of Qat which would really fulfill his pleasure! 

Thinking of such incidents make the conception of 'Yemen without Qat' sounds pathetic, at least at the short term. However, it might be changed at the long term since recently there are many people who disdain Qat, especially among youth. For me, I think that I have my carte blanche over Qat and there will be no more chapters of my story with Qat – or that's what I hope- since thousands of miles are separating us now. As long as Qat is banned here in Germany, I don't think it has a chance to tease me again.  

Nevertheless, I can't deny the fact that I am gravitating towards more and that's why I keep thinking about the idea I started this article with. Will it come true one day? I have no clue, but as it is said, sometimes things become possible if we want them bad enough.