Global Arab Network | Yemeni religious leader blames Iran for Houthi war

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Yemeni religious leader blames Iran for Houthi war

Global Arab Network - - Adam Turner

Monday, 05 October 2009 10:27

Yemeni cleric has accused Iran of inciting violence in the north of the country, where a predominantly Shia Muslim group is waging a war against the government.

Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zandani, the head of Yemen's Imam University, told supporters that Tehran was trying to promote the Shia ideology in the country by backing the Houthi fighters.

"The way events are moving in this country latest indicates to us that Iran wants to export the Shia ideology by force, which we utterly reject," al-Zandani said.

Fighters from the Houthi group, named after its leader, have been battling the predominantly government forces in Saada province since 2004.

The military launched a major offensive - dubbed Operation Scorched Earth - in the north on August 11 in an attempt to crush the group.

The conflict has divided the predominantly Sunni nation, with many demanding that it be resolved quickly as it has claims an increasing number of lives and drains the country's resources.

"I hope wise Sunnis and Shias will hold dialogue, determine what they have agreed on and work according to it, and determine what they have disagreed on and refer these disputes to their prominent scholars to give a final decision on them," al-Zandani said.

"Let them work according to what they have agreed on, and set policies for whatever they disagree on. But to doubt our religion, doubt our beliefs, pull our students, sons and people to their side and turn them against us, encourage them to carry weapons to kill us! This is rejected."

Iran denies
Iran denies Bahraini official’s remarks that Tehran interferes in Yemen internal affairs.

Iranian embassy in Bahrain in a statement published in a number of Arabic-language newspapers over Friday Prayers speech by a Bahraini parliamentarian who said Iran interferes in Yemen domestic issues wrote, Iran embassy in Manama, while rejecting the remarks emphasizes on Yemen national unity.

“Iran has always emphasized sovereignty, independence and national unity of Yemen. Iran and Yemen’s efforts were in line with accomplishment of peace, stability and security. We believe that intensification of a conflict that leads to bloodshed cannot aid peace, stability and national solidarity of Yemen,” the statement added.

Iran hopes through adopting good policy, wisdom and peaceful means by Yemen government, solidarity, security and peace would be established in the country, it said.

Head mediator in Yemen conflict on top of arms dealer blacklist
Yemen has circulated a blacklist of arms dealers, with chief mediator between the government and the Houthi rebels in Saada on top of the blacklisted.

The authorities warned against trading in weapons and dealing with Faris Mana'a, the chief mediator, and other arms dealers in Saada.

Violators would be punished as tough measures are imposed on weapons trade, the authorities announced.

Most of the Yemeni people have weapons, triggering extensive disarmament campaigns.

According to some reports guns in civilian hands outnumber the people in a country where carrying weapon has become tradition that a man without a gun means nothing.

In recent years, the authorities said thousands of people disarmed willingly and other thousands by the authorities as they launched anti-public weapon carrying drive.

Yemen, UN discuss presenting aid to displaced people
Yemeni Minister of Local Administration Rashad al-Alimi discussed on Sunday with UNDP in Yemen a number of topics related to presenting food and humanitarian aid to the displaced people and war-affected families in Saada, Amran and Hajjah provinces.

This came during al-Alimi meeting with the UNDP Resident Representative Pratibha Mehta, UNHCR Representative in Yemen Claire Bourgeois, UNICEF Representative in Yemen Aboudou Karimou and WFP Representative in Yemen Adham Musallam.

The UN officials praised the efforts exerted by the state and the local authorities to facilitate the work of the international organizations working in the country in the humanitarian field and presenting aid to the displaced.

Al-Alimi commended the support offered by the international organizations, affirming the government's readiness to tackle all difficulties that may hinder the works of UN office to ensure presenting relief services for the displaced because of the rebellion war ignited by al-Houthi rebels in Saada province.

He pointed out the government's efforts in presenting the relief and humanitarian help to the displaced people.

Al- Houthi rebels have been launching intermittent wars against the troops since 2004.

Since the fighting erupted in 2004, thousands of people, soldiers and insurgents have been killed in Northern Province of Saada, after the rebel group was founded by rebel leader Hussein al- Houthi who was killed by the army in September 2004.

According to the UN mission there are more than 160.000 displaced people due to the recent confrontations between the army and rebels.

The relief organizations face difficulties while trying to get the displaced because most of the people are not at camps. Many families moved to their relatives in other nearby areas. (Saba, ISNA, Aljazeera, Alarabiya)

Global Arab Network

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