Combating Al Qaeda and Terrorism Against Faith

-The brotherhood-led protesters should demand Sharia and President Saleh would accept to end the crisis


-Democracy must be renounced.

By Nasser Arrabyee/13/04/2011

It would be a big mistake against Islamic faith if the new regime in Yemen after President Ali Abdullah Saleh continued to combat terrorism of Al Qaeda, said a Yemeni cleric from Salafi schools.

The Salafi cleric Abdul Majid Al Raimi was blasting opposition statements that the new regime after Saleh would be a real partner with the US and western world in combating the terrorism and Al Qaeda.

“The would-be new regime says it would be a sincere partner with the west in combating terrorism and Al Qaeda, and this a big mistake against Islamic faith,” said cleric Abdul Majid Al Raimi in an article published Wednesday.

Al Raimi, who runs a Salafi school in the capital Sana’a, strongly criticized the Yemeni brotherhood Islamist party, Islah, who leads the anti-Saleh protests in the country, for demanding the ouster of Saleh instead of demanding the Shariah, the Islamic laws.

He said President Saleh might agree and the crisis would come to an end if the protesters demand the Shariah.

“If the brotherhood demand the Shariah, the regime might accept and the problem will be finished,” he said.


“The protesters in the south and north are wrong to demand the ouster of Saleh, and the southern movement is wrong to demand the secession, they all should demand Shariah,” Al Raimi said in his article which was titled “This Is What We (Salafists) Warned Of”.

He said the brotherhood entered in a black tunnel when they adopted the democracy in early 1990s.

“So, Yemenis must renounce democracy that we warned of,” the famous cleric and influential mosque speaker in Sana’a Al Raimi said “The problem is not the inheritance (passing political power to children) or ruling for ever, the problem is the absence of justice and Shariah.”

Al Raimi statements came while three Yemeni conflicting political groups are not clear enough over an American-backed and Saudi-led GCC plan to solve their crisis.
The President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his party (first group) accepted the GCC plan that wants him to hand over his powers to his deputy. Saleh says he does not mind to do that in a constitutional way.

The Islamist-led opposition (second group) wants to make sure the GCC plan means Saleh’s stepping down not only handing over or authorizing his deputy.

The protesters in the sit-in squares in Sana’a and other main cities like Taiz and Aden (third group), refuse dialogue, initiatives or plans, at all, until the whole regime is collapsed.

However, it seems that all groups need to gain regional and international support especially from Saudi Arabia and US.
No one wants to anger these two big and effective players in the current Yemeni crisis.

The opposition are betting on their young people in the street, who are, in their turn, betting on the security mistakes taken by the authorities to repress the protesters when they try to march forward and surround the important and vital buildings of the government such as the Presidential Palace whether in the capital Sana’a or other cities.

The President Saleh, who is known for his extraordinary skills in tireless maneuvering, seems to be betting on the time and the position of US and Saudi Arabia in particular. The big concern for both is Al Qaeda which will be the big winner if Yemen collapses into chaos.

“President Saleh still can take the right decision in the appropriate time, that will satisfy those two big players, Saudi Arabia and US,” said senior official close to Saleh on condition of anonymity.

US and Saudi Arabia want a peaceful and smooth transfer of power from Saleh to a balanced and diverse group that will make Yemen move in the direction of combating terrorism and not strengthening it.

And although the three groups have reservations over the GCC plan, the defected army general Ali Muhsen agreed on it and urged his new allies in the opposition not to miss such an “important chance”, the GCC plan which requires all parties to preserve stable and united Yemen and end all kind of retaliations, trials, or revenges between the now conflicting Yemenis.

The army of the defected general Ali Muhsen is controlling the protesters in the sit-in square in the capital Sana’a. They cannot march forward freely without a permit from general Muhsen’s troops.

The opposition and their protesters in the streets considered their revolution came to an end when general Muhsen declared his support for their “peaceful revolution” against his historical ally and his cousin, President Saleh last month.
Over the last 10 years, President Saleh started to groom his son, Ahmed, for presidency and ignored general Muhsen.

Ahmed is the commander of the republican guards and special forces which include the American-trained and supported –counterterrorism forces.


In an exceptional meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh, the GCC foreign ministers late Sunday April 10th, suggested that President Ali Abdullah Saleh should hand over his powers to his deputy, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and form a unity government chaired by the opposition for formulating a new constitution and conducting elections.

Mr. Hadi is from the south. This is the most important thing that will force all parties to agree on him for succeeding Saleh during the transitional period which will be about 3-6 months.