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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Grand Ayatollah comes to the defense of Yemeni Shi'ites |
| 2005-05-18 |
| Iranian Grand Ayatollah, Hossein-Ali Montazeri, has issued an official statement calling for the international community to help the Shiite minority in Yemen. "It is not acceptable that the Shiites be persecuted for their faith in a country which defines itself Islamic, and all this in the face of a total lack of interest from the international community and worldwide public opinion," the statement reads. The Zaidi Shiites are thought to make up around a third of Yemen's approximately 20 million population, while moderate Shafi Sunnis make up the rest. Montazeri, one of Iran's highest ranking theologians, believes "the new wave of attacks against the Shiite minority in Yemen is a consequence of the increased presence of Wahabis in the leadership of the country." The Grand Ayatollah - who was the heir apparent, but was put under house arrest in Qum in 1997 for questioning the rule exercised by the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic - warns the Yemeni government "and all the dictatorial regimes of the region, to bear in mind what happened to Saddam Hussein." "Sooner or later - Montazeri warns - the dictators all meet the same fate and are expelled from power and literally kicked out by the people." Various Shiite religious leaders are reported to have been arrested in Yemen in the last few weeks, in the interests of state security. Yemen is trying to rid itself of its reputation as a haven for Islamic militants. Last year it closed down all unregistered religious schools, which were considered militant breeding grounds. That decision is also thought to have been connected to a three-month uprising against government forces by Shiites in the north of the country, led by radical cleric and former MP Hussein al-Houthi. The rebellion ended in September when the government announced al-Houthi's death. Hundreds more also died in the clashes, which resumed again last month for several weeks, led by al-Houthi's father. The Shiite rebels are not linked to al-Qaeda however, as they are reported to detest al-Qaeda more than they hate the Yemeni state. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 "...the dictators all meet the same fate and are expelled from power and literally kicked out by the people." well a lot of dictators die in their sleep... Khomeini comes to mind |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-05-18 19:42 |