September 21 Revolution: Eleven Years of Breaking Guardianship, Building Sovereignty, and Supporting Palestine
Eleven years have passed since the dawn of September 21 announced the birth of a new Yemen out of suffering and foreign guardianship. The revolution was not a fleeting event in the diary of days, but rather an earthquake that shook the thrones of tyrants and their lackeys, opening a luminous page written by popular will through blood, awareness, and faith.
Today, on its eleventh anniversary, Yemenis rekindle the flame of their glorious revolution with greater steadfastness, strength, and confidence, knowing that what they created was not a momentary outburst of anger, but a historic path that altered equations, redefined the meaning of freedom, sovereignty, and dignity, and made Sana’a a beacon of national decision-making, while positioning Yemen at the forefront of supporting the causes of the nation—chief among them Palestine and Gaza.
Why Did the September 21 Revolution Erupt? Root Causes and Immediate Triggers
The September 21 Revolution did not emerge in a vacuum, but was a natural response to years of foreign dependency and guardianship that shackled Yemen’s decision-making, opened the country to American and Saudi influence, and left sovereignty plundered, resources looted, and the people trapped in hunger and poverty. Among the most prominent causes were:
A. A long history of dependency and guardianship
Domination by regional and international powers turned national decisions into a game of embassies and external interests.
Military and intelligence interventions weakened state institutions, marginalizing national resources in favor of foreign agendas.
B. The failure of ruling elites and the rise of power centers
The army was used to protect family and elite interests instead of defending the homeland, fueling exclusion and public anger.
Systemic corruption: embezzlement, ghost jobs, land grabs, and distorted privatization that left the economy fragile.
C. Economic and social collapse
Rising poverty and unemployment rates.
Weak health and education systems; widespread child malnutrition.
D. Security breakdown and the spread of terrorist groups
Terrorist organizations exploited the security vacuum, targeting livelihoods and stability.
Assassinations, bombings, and armed expansions plagued many provinces.
E. The political spark
External initiatives like the Gulf Initiative sought to re-engineer the political landscape, suffocating genuine national alternatives and pushing the street to rise in defense of national sovereignty.
The convergence of these economic, political, security, and cultural factors produced a popular uprising on September 21—an eruption demanding sovereignty and genuine national governance.
The Revolution’s Character and Goals
From its victory, the revolution carried the project of building an independent national state grounded in faith, unity, and inclusivity.
National vision: Not a call for exclusion, but for partnership and domestic peace (the Peace and Partnership Agreement was one example).
Core goals: Restoring national decision-making, building a sovereign national army, fighting corruption and redistributing wealth, strengthening food security and local development, and defending the causes of the oppressed.
Faith-based and ethical methodology: Rooted in Quranic values, stressing resilience, self-reliance, and human dignity.
What Changed After September 21?
Sovereignty restored: Foreign control over state affairs ended; Sana’a reemerged as a center of independent decision-making.
Army rebuilt: From a tool of repression into a national defense force with new deterrence capabilities (ballistic and hypersonic missiles, drones, naval power). These developments placed Yemen in new regional equations, forcing Washington and Tel Aviv into unprecedented deterrence calculations.
Internal security: Decline of extremist groups, stronger security control in many regions.
Economy and society: National agricultural campaigns revived valleys and wheat farming; growing local industries in medicine and food; rising culture of “buy local.” Measures resisted economic sabotage and currency flooding with counterfeits. Small and medium projects emerged as alternative sources of livelihood.
Regional politics: Yemen’s position toward Palestine moved from slogans to action: mass rallies, naval and missile operations that disrupted Israeli logistics, ports, and airports—altering regional balances.
Achievements and Symbolism
The September 21 Revolution gave Yemenis back their voice, dignity, and identity, reminding them that independence is earned, not granted. It built defensive and economic foundations that turned Yemen into a key player in the regional resistance axis.
Despite facing immense external aggression and blockade, the revolution has remained a bulwark against total collapse, a living project proving that freedom a