This is very interesting info regarding Yemen
A radical mosque preacher in Sana’a was sacked earlier this week for preaching hatred and inciting violence against foreign interests in Yemen, Hamoud Obad, Minister of Endowment and Guidance revealed to the Yemen Observer. “The Imam of Abu Baker al-Seeddiq mosque in a neighborhood of Sana’a was fired from his job for inciting hatred and violence amongst the people,” the Minister said.
“He encouraged the mosque dwellers in an evening lecture to take revenge for their brothers and sisters in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and elsewhere by targeting foreign interests in the country.” Mr. Obad said that mosques are meant for God. “Mosques are places of devotion and worship, not for any other purposes,” he said in an interview conducted by Al-Nass Weekly on Monday, August 14. “In Arabic, Mosques are also called Jawam’e, which means a place in which people get together from different backgrounds for one function.
He said they would not tolerate any mosque preacher who incites hatred and violence. “Firm measures will be taken against any one,” he said. There are 82 thousand mosques of different capacities in Yemen, according to official statistics provided by the ministry. About 35% of mosques are controlled by preachers affiliated with the Islah party, according to Sheikh Yehya al-Najjar, Deputy Minister of Endowment and Guidance. The Salafi Sunnis, who belong to charitable societies, control about 15% of the mosques.
The question I have is was this done because the preacher was pushing violence in Yemen, or simply because he was pushing violence? Either way, this is a good start for the people of Yemen to show that they are not crazy, blood thirsty Islamic fascists who have no tolerance for anyone else, but people who respect others of faith and their own religion.
While I am in Yemen, get a look at the article about democracy spreading, in the form thousands applying for local council elections. So much for Bush failing in the spread of democracy in the ME.
