Guerrilla History Yemen's History of Resisting Empire w/Isa Blumi, P. 1 [Adnan Husain Show]
Aug 15, 2025
Isa Blumi, a historian and Professor of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at Stockholm University, dives deep into Yemen's robust history of resisting colonialism and its geopolitical significance. He discusses Yemen's encounters with empires, especially British colonial ambitions, and emphasizes the cultural resilience amidst ongoing humanitarian crises. Blumi connects Yemen's struggles to contemporary movements, showcasing its solidarity with Palestine and critiques foreign interventions, particularly U.S. policies that have shaped its quest for independence.
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Highland Resilience Against Imperialism
- Yemen's highlands fostered resilient, self-sufficient societies that resisted external imperial control.
- Their moral economy and Islamic legal practices conflicted with Atlantic finance-capitalist extraction models.
Maritime Networks Shaped Southern Yemen
- Southern Hadramawt integrated into Indian Ocean trade, building diaspora networks across Southeast Asia.
- Those maritime ties made southern Yemenis more amenable to British and commercial alliances than the mountainous north.
Self-Sufficiency Shaped Political Culture
- Northern Yemen kept Atlantic capitalism at arm's length by remaining largely self-sufficient and agriculturally resilient.
- That autonomy reinforced a distinct political culture skeptical of centralized finance and external control.
