Armies of Liberation

We all knew already that al Hittar, the Minister of Endowments and head of Yemen’s dialog program, is a hard core Salafi, yes? (Dialog with the Houthis was never an option.) The Wisdom and Charity org is al Hikma, (al Hekma depending on my mood), inconclusively linked to training and shipping fighters to Iraq (under the auspices of ye old “top military leaders”.)

So, predictably they determined that calls against Yemen’s unity are un-Islamic and protecting unity is an Islamic duty. Sounds rather fatwa-ish. Al Zindani who has some progressive tendencies called for a national conference and, while recognizing injustices, naturally framed the issue in terms of a foreign conspiracy.

Yemen Observer
Hundreds of Salafis headed by Shiekh Abdul-Majeed al-Zindani, Rector of al-Eman University and Judge Hamoud al-Hitar met in the first congregation of its kind to discuss the consequences of current events in Yemen, its unity, and future.

The meeting titled “Yemen’s unity and its current challenges” discussed the view of Shariah law which calls for unity among the nation.

“Yemen today is in a critical situation and is subject to many dangers where many conspiracies are convened against it from the inside and outside,” said al-Zinidani. Al-Zindani said that there have been mistakes and injustices, but all of these can not justify the call for separation. Al-Zindani then, for the second time, called for a large congregation that will include representatives from all parts of society: authority, opposition, and other movements, in a free conference that will guarantee open discussion of all issues Yemen faces, with no interference from foreign parties.

Al-Zindani said that foreign forces want to see Yemen collapse for their own interests, and they have the means to achieve their goals.

Shiekh Abdul-Aziz al-Dubai’a, Head of the Yemeni Wisdom Charity Organization, warned of the calls for separation, describing it as a sign of ignorance and pre-Islamic attitude, and calling upon all scholars to fight those calls for sedition. Al-Dubai’a said that Islam is the unifier of all, if applied completely. “The existence of corruption and injustices that we are all against should be fought within the frame of legislations, and not by methods which turn people to chaos,” said al-Dubai’a.

Al-Hitar said that protecting Yemen’s unity is an Islamic duty, addressing the attendees, calling them the keepers of the Qur’an and the Islamic teachings, who carry the responsibility of protecting the nation from sedition. He said that the religious scholars present here are the representatives of goodness and peace.

The participants of the congregation came from all governorates of Yemen, from what is known among the people as “The New Generation of Salafis”. The gatherings will last for two days where several working papers will discuss issues related to Islam and its views on the importance of protecting unity.

On the first day of meetings, the participants discussed the solutions provided by Islamic Shariah law for the current crises in Yemen, which would help to strengthen Yemeni unity.

This congregation is the largest gathering of Islamic groups that Yemen has witnessed in the past few months.

There was zero presence of women in the congregation.

from the National:

the National SANA’A // A religious hardliner warned yesterday of foreign plans to divide Yemen and called for unity in addressing the country’s problems.

Sheikh Abdulmajeed al Zindani, the rector of the religious al Eman University, which is accused by the United States of financing terrorism, was speaking at a meeting for about 800 clerics representing the Islamist Salafist movement. They gathered in Sana’a to debate issues facing the country in light of increasing demands for separation in the south.

“Yemen is today in a critical situation, facing challenges and conspiracies from both inside and outside. Things are moving fast and the people behind this from outside forces have the power to make them run in line with their objectives,” said Sheikh al Zindani, without naming the foreign forces operating against Yemen.

“Now, we started to hear about another movement in the desert provinces; they want to establish small states whereby they can control the oil resources. Do you believe that such big fleets are in the sea hunting down for ordinary pirates? They are there to control oil and its waterway,” he said.

He touched on the controversy in the south, saying: “Injustices and wrongdoings have to be addressed immediately. One of the main injustices is the looting of land in the south, which has generated grudge and grievances.”

Sheikh al Zindani, who is close to Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president, added that these issues should be part of a discussion involving all interest groups. Mr Saleh’s government is facing an on-and-off insurgency in the north and a secessionist uprising in the south, in addition to economic hardship throughout the country.

“We should address our disputes by dialogue and not war and destruction, [which serve] the plots of the foreign forces. However, we should have guarantees from all forces starting with the president and all active players that they will accept the outcome of such a [proposed] conference.

“Splitting Yemen and a civil war will only serve the enemies of Yemen. Similarly, keeping unity and addressing injustices, respect of constitution and law will be a key factor to find our solutions,” Sheikh al Zindani said.

Ahmed Hasan al Mualem, a Salafist leader, said he was troubled by calls for uprising. “Revolting against the ruler is prohibited in our doctrine. We are supposed to stand against a call for revolting or disobeying the Muslim ruler even if it comes from an outstanding cleric, let alone those people [referring to the southern movement leaders], who have deviated from our religion and abuse our religion and interests,” he said.

The two-day meeting was organised by the al Hikmah al Yamaniah Charitable Society, one of the main Salafist societies in the country.

According to Hasan al Hashidi, the media officer of the General Salafi Forum, participants represented more than 35 Salafist institutions.

Hamud al Hitar, the minister of justice and religious guidance, welcomed the gathering, considered to be the largest for Islamic groups in the country this year. He described it as demonstration of the provisions of the Quran and the unity principle of Islam.

“We in the government welcome your advice and recommendations. You are doing a good job, but we want you to do more in defending unity and enhancing it through your work in mosques,” Mr al Hitar told the participants.

“We are living a serious stage where conspiracies are convened against Yemen and its stability and unity. You have to be callers for good and peace, explaining to the people what they should do to defend this unity which is the grace of Allah.” According to Abdulellah Haidar, a specialist in al Qa’eda and Islamist movements, the conference was meant to support the ruling regime by providing a religious basis for the unification.

“This gathering is nothing but a response to the government response in influencing the public through religious discourse, putting the unification in a religious context. The regime needs this religious legitimacy for the unification. This is very dangerous and reminds us of 1994 when the Islamists played an important role in fighting against the socialists in the south,” he said.

For the past three years, the southern part of Yemen has been hit by protests from people complaining about economic and political marginalisation. These demonstrations have turned increasingly violent.

While the government conducted military parades to observe the 19th anniversary of the unification between the north and south on May 22, violent protests demanding separation were taking place in the southern port city of Aden. Four people were killed and more than 30 injured.

Naser al Khubaji, one of the main leaders of the southern movement, said the Salafist meeting was irrelevant.

“This is their business. But for us, the unification does not exist any more since the 1994 war. We are under occupation now and we are fighting peacefully to end this situation.”

Arab Reform

Yemeni Cleric Sees Foreign Conspiracy
Nasser Arrabyee
29 May 2009
Sana’a: A prominent cleric has said that a foreign conspiracy was behind the unrest in southern Yemen.

Addressing about 1,000 Salafi scholars on Wednesday, Shaikh Abdul Majeed Al Zandani said the deployment of warships in the Arabian Sea is also part of the alleged conspiracy.

“Do you think they came to breathe the sea breeze or spend holidays, or to strike pirates as they say? No, the matter is much bigger than piracy; it is flagrant interference in the affairs of the region including Yemen,” said Al Zandani.

“For the oil of Muslims in the Gulf countries, there was the invasion and war on Iraq, and for the oil of Muslims in Darfur, there is now this heated campaign against Sudan,” he added.

He said however, that religious scholars as well as President Ali Abdullah Saleh still have the ability to get Yemen out of the current crisis. “The solution is at the hands of the scholars and obeyed leaders. It’s only them. When they get angry, people get angry, and when they are satisfied, people get satisfied,” he said.

The cleric also disclosed that a new rebel movement was formed in the desert region of Yemen, which includes Mareb Shabwa and Al Jawf, and Hadramout.

“If this movement, which is in the region of oil, succeeds, then we’ll have the Yemeni desert issue in addition to the Moroccan desert issue,” he said.

Ahmad Al Mua’alem, southern leader of a Salafi association in Hadramout, called on the people to obey the president and urged them to stand up against anyone who disobeys him.

“We refuse disobedience to the ruler [president] and we call for combating anyone who rebels against him,” he told the Salafis “If necessary, stand up against those who disobey the ruler even if they are respected clerics, let alone those deviants who do not care for religion,” Al Mua’alem said referring to secessionist groups and religious scholars who support them in the south.

Judge Hamoud Al Hetar, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, who was also in the meeting, said he is supporting those who are calling for unity and refusing secession.

“This meeting of the scholars of Yemen is a sign of freedom,” said Al Hetar, who was presented by the Salafi organisers as the inspiration of the meeting.

For his part, Abdul Aziz Al Dubae, Chairman of the Salafi Al Hekma Al Yamania, a charity organisation which also organised the meeting said: “We are here to confirm that we refuse sectarianism, regionalism and we would say that calls for separation are prohibited in Islam, and we are obligated to combat such calls.”

The meeting brought together Salafi scholars, and tribal shaikhs, from the north and south like Hadramout, Shabwa, Abyan, Aden, Lahj, Al Dhale’e, Yafe’e, Taiz Ibb, Hodiedah and Sa’ada, “It’s a call for all Yemenis to come under the flag of Quran and Sunna, reject the differences and refuse calls for separation.

“If there is corruption and mistakes we should treat them,” he said. The Salafis who organised the conference are viewed by observers as “liberal Salafis” compared to other Salafis who ban the forming of associations and even posing for pictures, like the two Salafi centres in Ma’abar and Sa’ada which boycotted the conference.