Yemeni Salafis reject terrorism accusations

Mohammad Bin Sallam
Published:21-01-2010

SANA’A, JAN. 20 ­— A Yemeni Salafi sheikh has refuted allegations made by the German press that the Dar Al-Hadeeth Center for Islamic Studies in Sa’ada is encouraging terrorism.

German officials reportedly said that German Muslims had been invited to be trained in the Sa’ada center, where they said students were urged to attack Christians and Jews.

According to a traditional Salafi sheikh based in Sana’a who asked for anonymity, students at the center are trained to use of light weapons, but only to be used if necessary as a self-defense and that the training started only after the students felt increasingly threatened by the Houthis.

The German accusations against the center follow the failed attempt, by Nigerian youth Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to blow up a Detroit-headed plane on Christmas day, and the increased international focus on Al-Qaeda in Yemen as a result.

Adulmutallab, who attended university in London, has admitted to having received military training and equipment from Al-Qaeda in Yemen.

“The students and their supervisors in Sa’ada, where civil war is spreading, are in touch with Al-Qaeda elements. It is believed that there are training camps belonging to the mentioned center,” the spokesman of the General Prosecution in Munich told the German press.

According to the German press, many new converts to Islam from Europe and the US are still studying at the Dar Al-Hadeeth Center for Islamic Studies, among them are ten Muslims from Germany. The Yemen Times was unable to verify these figures.

The Dar Al-Hadeeth Center for Islamic Studies was established in 1979 by Moqbil Bin Hadi Al-Wade’e, a Salafi scholar and is an Islamic center for teaching Quran sciences and the traditions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

The center’s establishment was funded by the Islamic Scholarship Fund in Mecca and, before September 2001, had reportedly attracted 5,000 students from countries all over the world.

Unlike the Iman University in Sana’a, where different Islamic ideologies are taught, Dar Al-Hadeeth only teaches the Quran and the Hadith, according to the Salafi source.

The Dar Al-Hadeeth Center became the center for Salafism in Yemen, but now has branches in other parts of Yemen as well. Dozens graduate from the center and with their own interpretations now manage their own Salafi institutes. Examples include the Ma’bar Center headed by Mohammad Al-Imam in Dhamar and the Marib Center headed by Egyptian Abu Al-Hasan “Al-Maribi” in Marib, in addition to many other small centers in Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, Ibb and Hadramout.

Traditional Salafism is not political
According to Abdulfatah Al-Hakimi, a Yemeni academic, Al-Wade’e was particular is arguing for a split between religion and politics. Among his strict views, he rejected political associations and viewed elections as invalid. He also disapproved of eating with a spoon.

Al-Wade’e’s stand against forming political associations which led to a serious split among Salafis, starting in the early nineties. After the death of Al-Wade’e in 2001, an argument about who would succeed him as head of the Dar Al-Hadeeth Center led to a split in Salafism in Yemen. Sheikh Yahya Bin Ali Al-Hajori has now taken up his position.

A new, more active Salafi trend has appeared with the founding of the Al-Hikma Al-Yemeniyya and Al-Ihsan charitable associations. Abdullah Al-Zaidy, the head of Al-Hikma Al-Yemeniyya has published a magazine titled Al-Forkan in which Sheikh Al-Wade’e’s thoughts are refuted.

Where the followers of recent Salafi trends can be involved in politics, the followers of Al-Wade’e’s more traditional Salafism are usually not.



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n.murshed2010.01.29usacould we replace these schools with lets say an engineering school, or a medical school or just a vocational school that has real life practical application?Post a Comment

Also a former British student at Dammaj2010.01.28SanaaThese are lies spread by the German media. The Salafi ideology is based on Quran and Hadith and refutes strongly the takfiri ideologies of Alqaeda and also the Houthis and secessionist demontrators. It calls people to follow the religion of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam which forbids the killing of non-muslims who come to visit muslim countries, forbids taking a flight and blowing it up, forbids living in a non-muslim country and ranting rubbish about their country and then using your position to kill a few. In fact, you should be a good example to them, not freak them out by always talking about blood on the streets like the takfiris do. This is what I remember at Dar Alhadith with Sheikh Muqbil and Sheikh Yahya, and others. We never had weapons training, and were never offered, it does not exist. After the civil war I am sure the students have had to be careful for their own safety, but mashallah, while the region around them has been destroyed by fighting and sectarianism, they have kept well away from this evil and carried on studying their religion. That is how they survived and still exist today, their call stronger and better. Nowhere is there any peace in Sadah region except Dammaj village where people live in peace, even the students and Shia villagers live side by side and dependent on each other. The German report is a gross fabrication.Post a Comment

Osama2010.01.28America. Manchesteryou gotta write to make people aware of what it is going to happen soon, you all know about the meeting held soon by the U.S and other countries. Wake up Post a Comment

D.M.2010.01.26USAThe typical muslim country and or arab country spends 30 percent of their curiculum on islamic studies. How benefical is that when most if not all these countries are impoverished? Please, let us look at this objectively. The “sunnah” means following the ways of someone who lived in a different time era, more than 1400 hundred years ago. Now the salfais view of the sunnah is to follow it exactly. How the helk is that not going to produce clashes with today’s world? We, as Muslims, have to really critique ourselves objectively. It is not a sin punishable by death to critique a way of life that is out of date. And please, lets not just blame the people that follow this system and not the system itself. And yes, i am a muslim, from yemen.Post a Comment

Abu Salman Al Sawahie2010.01.25Saudia Arabia, Dammamwe are in a very critical situation that really needs from us to be one hand against enemies. Such stories will rais to devide Yemeni people and make them fighting to prove their different beleives and points. Let us all pray that Allah will look into Yemen Nation with His mercifull eye.Post a Comment

Hassan Basarally2010.01.25TrinidadA couple of questions: 1. You say"Unlike the Iman University in Sana’a, where different Islamic ideologies are taught, Dar Al-Hadeeth only teaches the Quran and the Hadith, according to the Salafi source." Isn't the "salafi source" the Quran and Sunnah, how can anyone have a problem with that? Also the Iman University is known as a breeding ground of the Ikhwan al Muslimoon in Yemen. This group advocates violent removal of governments. Sre they not a real threat to Yemen? 2. You say "Al-Wade’e’s stand against forming political associations which led to a serious split among Salafis, starting in the early nineties." What evidence is there of this split? 3. You say "After the death of Al-Wade’e in 2001, an argument about who would succeed him as head of the Dar Al-Hadeeth Center led to a split in Salafism in Yemen." Again any evidence? 4. You say "A new, more active Salafi trend has appeared with the founding of the Al-Hikma Al-Yemeniyya and Al-Ihsan charitable associations. Abdullah Al-Zaidy, the head of Al-Hikma Al-Yemeniyya has published a magazine titled Al-Forkan in which Sheikh Al-Wade’e’s thoughts are refuted." What thoughts are refuted?Post a Comment

FormerStudent2010.01.24USIt shows how stupid you are Mr/Mrs spokesman of the General Prosecution. You dont deserve anymore comment Post a Comment

the cheetah2010.01.24askmeEnemies of Islam are always working and fabricating stories and actions to invade, colonize, and control Muslim's freedom, wealth, and properties. They use their names and shapes to smear (to defame) their reputations. They consider Muslims stupid human living. This is politics games…etc Basically, they make seditions among ethnic, belief, and schools. Making Muslims much weaker, weaker, weaker. Through their tongues and people. Post a Comment

FormerStudentofDarulHadith2010.01.24USYeah you are right. Do you remember the stupid ass George W Bush and his WMD? That dumb ass finally succeeded in murdering Sadam Hussein. Why? He said because he tried to murder my daddy. I believe there's another reason too, it's oil. So let's see what they have in store for Yemen.Post a Comment