SANAA, Yemen — As Yemen's minister of human rights, Hooria Mashhour knows she has her work cut out for her.
International organizations continue to raise concerns about human rights violations in the country, ranging from revolutionaries being detained to schools being occupied by armed groups. Moreover, Mashhour says the country is "collapsing" on security, economic, social and political fronts, and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his supporters are stunting the country's transition from his 33-year rule. And yet, Mashhour says, there's no alternative but to be optimistic. In her mind, the way forward calls for innovation — finding new methods to tackle terrorism and other towering problems. In place of drone strikes, which she says leave innocent people dead, other strategies to target extremists should be explored.
