No, it is not because everyone is chilling out at a qat chew.
Firstly we need to consider Yemen as three different areas, North, South and Sana'a. Popular uprising is already happening in the south with almost daily events, but it doesn't make much difference to life in Sana'a. If a popular uprising is to force the President out, it has to happen in Sana'a and all the people need to be unified in the effort.
It may seem suprising to many, but however unhappy people are with the government, they don't necessarily hate the President. He actually still has quite a lot of support from the general population. Even those who agree he is corrupt and at times acts contrary to Islam, they won't support an uprising against the President for two main reasons.
Firstly, the common sentiment is that there is no one else who could possibly replace him and do the job of Ra'is al-Jumhooriya (President of the Republic).
Secondly and rather interestingly, many believe that uprising against him is haram (Islamically illegal) because he is a Muslim leader who establishes the prayer.
In the hadith narrated by Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja'i:
The Messenger of Allah (sas) said "The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you and for whom you pray and who pray for you, and the worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you and to whom you curse and who curse you."
Then the sahaba asked the Messenger of Allah, "should we not rid ourselves of them?" the Messenger of Allah replied, "No, not so long as they establish prayer amongst you." (Muslim)
So from this hadith, a large number of Yemenis (in Sana'a) would not uprise against the President. This is also the official stance of the country's main respected scholars, including Shaikh Abdul-Majid Zindani, the Rector of Al-Eman University.
May Allah strengthen and guide the Yemeni people along His path - Whether their stance is right or wrong, they are a people who think about Allah before acting against their ruler.
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4 comments:
I don't agree that uprising against Slaeh is unlikely. The fact remains that Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the middleeast and Saleh and his family are billioniares and own places and healthy bank accounts in Yemen and abroad. Many yemenies live undegnified life unemplyed ,in poverty and see daily a corrupt regime like Egypt in many ways.The seed is therefore there for popualr uprising to get things right. I think history repeat itself when Jamal abdulnaser inspired the army officers to topple the Imam.. now the egyptian peaple are leading the way for the yemeni people to aspire to get yemen cleaned out of all corruption and build a real democratic united society.
I agree with your comments. It is possible, but for now, there is not enough momentum. And as i mentioned in the blog there are so many people I have spoken to that feel it haram to go against the leader, and another group who think it impossible. I see the lives of the people everyday and feel something has to change.
I agree when you say that a popular uprising in Yemen is unlikely. Just about all the people around me support the President, partly because of the hadith you stated in your post, and partly because we have freedom in this country. This is a precious good! What people want is lower prices, but they don't see what good it would do to change the government. Chaos would break out. And as long as so many people go into the streets to support the President (like yesterday), the other 'camp' has little chance.
Whatever happens, Yemen will not be the same as it was before the protests started. I ask Allah to bless this land and change the condition of the people for the better. Amin
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