HOPE Forum Calls for equal citizenship for Yemeni Jewish community

Posted Sep 21, 2005      •Permalink      • Printer-Friendly Version Bookmark and Share

HOPE Forum Calls for equal citizenship for Yemeni Jewish community
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Yemen Times Staff


Sana�a,- Professor Mohamed Yahya Al Sharafi, the founder chairman of the Hope forum had led a delegation representing the HOPE Forum on a visit to the Jewish members of the HOPE in Raida town. The Jew members of the Hope had given the delegation a working luncheon party in honor of the delegation. Professor Al-Sharafi was accompanied by Sheikh Abdul Qawy Shawia and some other leading members.

Professor Al Alsharafi presided over the meeting. The meeting listened to a briefing by Mr. Masha Saeed, the head of the Hope Forum branch in Raida and other Jewish members who explained the difficulties they were facing. They said that, �We thank the government authorities that have told us that all funds for building our synagogue and the Jewish Children School are allotted for them under the government development plan and they are now ready to start launching the project. But unfortunately, when we tried to start the project some extremist fanatics prevented and threatened us from ever trying to build a Jewish school and a synagogue, and told us that they were carrying out a fatwa and strict orders issued by some religious scholars, prohibiting on Jews to build any temples or schools in Yemen.� They said that they decided to pay no attention to those threats and to carry on with their projects. �But unfortunately, when we contacted concerned government officials we received from them negative attitudes towards our issues.�

After a thorough discussion, professor Alsharafi addressed the attendants from Moslems and Jews, carrying the following historic statement:

The Hope Forum is established according to the Hope (The Human Optimal Psyche) Theory and the Islamic Moderate contemporary School of Thought. We believe that the human phenomenon is one, & all humans are equal in rights and duties. They are brothers in origin, life, fate & the one omnipresent, omniscient, Omnipotent God. And all Human rights should be respected by all Humans. We in the HOPE Forum call for justice, freedom, peace, security and tolerance between all the peoples of the universe regardless of their race, religion, cultures and all other parameters, because they are colors and symptoms of the same essence, mankind, and the homesapien race. These meanings should be regarded very carefully nowadays, since our green planet have become by the virtue of God and the recent technology revolution, a small village in space and a glance of time and all the peoples are on their way to become members of one Human nation with multiple, tribes clans and families. We are not going to accept neither tolerate any injustice held against an original member of our Yemeni society since the dawn of history. I mean the Jewish community, yes; they are our brethrens of country, and the one God who created the monotheistic Abraham faith and us all, that includes Jews, Christians and Moslems. Our Islamic faith obliges us to believe in all apostles of God, the Holy Quran says:

((He hath ordained you the religion which He commanded Noah, and which we have revealed unto thee and which we commanded Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus: saying, Observe this religion, and be not divided therein. The worship of one God, to which thou invitest, is grievous unto the unbelievers: God will elect thereto whom He pleaseth, and will direct unto the same him who shall repent.)) Chapter 42, Shurah . Verse 13

We condemn the evil ideology of hatred and terrorism. It is definitely not Godly, neither it is Islamic, definitely it is satanic.

Hope Forum calls for equal citizenship for Yemeni Jewish community. Their constitutional rights must be activated and never denied.

Yemeni Jews must not be discriminated and should have their full rights to worshipping and education according to their own religion, faith and private convictions, without the least Moslem community interference.

They have the rights that the state should respect and finance building of their synagogue and children school in Raida town and wherever they live.

They together with their children should be completely respected and securely protected from religious fanatics in our society.

Yemen is one of the original homes for the Jews. They originated from this land long, long ago since the kingdom of Sheba and the epoch of King Solomon and the kingdom of our great mother queen of Sheba. And their presence shall continue here as that of ours.

We call upon all NGOs to participate in our efforts for this justified purpose.


Originally published in the Yemen Times at http://www.yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=866&p=local&a=1 and reprinted in TAM with permission.

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