K. A Assize
Liverpool, UK
 
 
 
 

There is a general consensus among the members of the Yemeni community of Liverpool, UK, that Ramadan nowadays is much more felt and enjoyed than it had been in the past.
It is narrated by some elders of the community in Liverpool that 30 years ago or so Ramadan and Eid used to come and go without some members of the community even realizing. However, the situation has improved dramatically, particularly since the establishment of the first Mosque of Liverpool by the late Ahmed Hezam in 1974. the central mosque has expanded since and now plays a major role in the life of a large number of members of the Yemeni community, particularly during the month of Ramadan. Prior to Ramadan, the mosque distributes timetable sheets to the community as well as announcing the approximate date of the start of the holly month. Confirmation of the start is made through open telephone lines. In this way the community gets to know when Ramadan would start and prepares for it.
Ramadan nowadays is even felt and enjoyed more due to the introduction of Arabic satellite TVs which practically every house has. Through these TVs they get to share the Ramadan atmosphere in the Arabic countries by watching various programs especially Al Taraweeh Prayers from the holly city of Mecca. This year is even more special with the introduction of the Yemeni satellite TV to the broadcasting zone of UK. All these factors have helped the Yemeni community feel Ramadan even better. However, there are still many complaints about the lack of Ramadan atmosphere in Liverpool when compared to Yemen. We all agree: that there is no comparison! Many long to spend this holly month in their homeland, Yemen.
Since working hours is not changed during Ramadan, the spirit of the month does not commence until Iftar time when people gather in the mosque in preparation of fast breaking. Iftar is done with date, tea, Yemeni coffee s well as other traditional Yemeni food especially ‘Bent-alsahan’ which some Yemeni families share with the other members of the Islamic community.
Following Iftar and Magreb prayer, they set off home to have the major feast which include all types of traditional Yemeni food including salta, aseed, rice, curry, soup, sabaia.
This year Ramadan day lengths are the shortest since the 70s. Fasting begins at approximately 7 o’clock in the morning and lasts until 4 o’clock in the evening. For this reason, hunger and thirst are not felt at all and many young people are able to fast this year.
Students at the university break their fast at Liverpool University Mosque with food and drink provided for them by the mosque management.
Isha and Taraweeh are attended by the majority of people, both male and female young and old. In many instances whole families attend the prayers while their children are cared for by the mosque nursery.
Following Taraweeh, a good number of Yemenis gather in the Yemeni Community Center situated at the heart of the Yemeni community. There, they spend a good few hours chatting, exchanging ideas, talking about their homeland or listening to reminders, while indulging in Qat chewing. This year the number of people coming to the center has increased due to the enlargement of the ‘Diwan’.
Since Qat is not a habit of the Yemeni ladies, they usually gather in a different house each night where they indulge in eating, chatting and watching Yemeni TV.
It can be concluded that Ramadan atmosphere is generally getting better both in Liverpool and nationally in the whole UK. The British establishment is also trying to improve Ramadan atmosphere. This year Prime Minister Tony Blair as well as the leaders of the opposition parties, William Hague and Charles Kennedy, they all wished the Muslim community best wishes on the occasion of Ramadan. The central television allocated an hour a week for the broadcasting Ramadan programs to the Muslim community, which is also a good sign. In short, even in Liverpool, UK, Ramadan spirit is never lost.

The Zaidiah movement prevailed throughout most part of the Yemeni history with all its negative and positive sides. It remained on the top of the authority structure but slowly declined after the authority’s coalition with the Muslim Brothers Party late in the 70s, and continued to decline sharply after the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990. This coalition with the Muslim Brothers Party late in the 70s limited the Zaidiah supporters’ activity. The most important center of Zaidiah is Sa’adah City in the north of Yemen.
Hassan Al-Za’edi of Yemen Times interviewed Abdullah Hamoud Al-Izzy who is a distinguished and leading figure of Zaidiah movement. Mr. Al-Izzy, who wrote many books about Zaidiah, is the head of the Justice and Guidance Center for Researches and Studies belonging to this movement in Sa’adah.

Q: Could you give a brief account about the Shiitic Zaidiah movement in Yemen?
A: Lexically, Shiites mean followers or supporters. This meaning of Shiites was mentioned in the Holy Quran. The jargon meaning of Shiites is: followers and supporters of kinfolk of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace and prayers be upon him). The Prophet recommended Muslims to love his kinfolk and follow their example. This recommendation was expressed in many Hadiths. The two most eminent sects of Shiism are the Zaidiah movement and the Imamate. Zaidiah is the most ideal form of Shiism for there is neither exaggeration nor negligence in it. However, Shiism is defamed from inside and outside. This makes people misjudge all sects of Shiism though they are quite different. The truth is that Shiism is well represented by the Zaidiah movement named after Zaid Bin Hussain Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb. Zaid Bin Ali is the founder and pioneering figure of this movement. Affiliation to Zaidiah came as a result of Zaid Bin Ali’s preference of the most correct creed of kinfolk of the Prophet in justice, monotheism, punishment, ruling and fighting corruption by supporting what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Zaidiah supporters’ affiliation to Zaidiah is not like Shafiah supporters’ affiliation to Shafiah or the Malekiah supporters’ to Malekiah. The latter two movements remained stagnant and did not develop or open to the other sects of Shiism. Affiliation to Zaidiah must be open-minded to other sects and make efforts to understand and interpret the doctrinal writings. Therefore, there are many schools in Zaidiah so that assiduous religious people affiliating to it have an opportunity to state their thoughts and views freely. Shafiah and Malekiah supporters completely abide by the doctrinal writings of Shafii and Maleki without attempting to make efforts to understand or interpret those writings.

Q: Could you give a brief account of Zaidiah in Sa’adah?
A: Sa’adah is the main center of Zaidiah for many reasons. First, many Imams, propagandists and religious men belonging to this sect graduated from Sa’adah. Second, Sa’adah used to be the capital city of the Hadawi State in the 3rd century of Hejira. The New Zaidiah in Sa’adah causes no harm to anybody. Zaidiah supporters in Sa’adah have about 20 Hawzas (corners) in mosques and no less than 90 centers operating in the summer. Besides, in Sa’adah, there are many Zaidiah scholars, researchers such as Magd-Addin Al-Mu’ayadi and Badr-Addin Al-Hoothi who are considered as references for Zaidiah supporters.

Q: Does this mean that the popularity of Zaidiah made the Salafiah supporters rally to establish their own center in Dammaj of Sa’adah? What kind of relationship is there between Zaidiah and Salafiah movements that share the same city as their main center?
A: The activity of Salafiah supporters in Sa’adah is very much limited, specially among the people of the governorate. Most of those who work in their centers are from other governorates or from outside Yemen. However, differences and disputed have occurred among them and now they are accusing one another of atheism. Mukbel Al-Wadi’i, Salafiah leader, has slandered the thought of Islam and its religious people. There is no relationship between Zaidiah and Salafiah for we never build up any kind of relationship with sects that accuse people of atheism and of originating heresies. Such sects contradict with Islam and its leniency.

Q: What relationship is there between Zaidiah and the other modern Islamic movements in Yemen?
A: It is good with Adli Shafiah and all those movements that give advice, guidance, fight corruption and oppression and believe that man has the right to benefit from the resources of land. However, Zaidiah never respects any movements that slander Islam like Wahabiah. Not only that, but it also counteracts with them.

Q: How does Zaidiah view governing a country?
A: In Zaidiah, ruling a country of state is considered a supreme authority that must be headed by the most qualified, most knowledgeable, and pious people who are politically keen. Moreover, it must be based on shourah and the teachings of Islam that are mentioned in the Holy Quran and Hadiths of the Prophet (SAS). The ruler must administer justice, keep promises, pacts and treaties, fight corruption, seek the interest of people and the country.

Q: How does Zaidiah view democracy?
A: It supports, propagates the kind of democracy that is derived from Islamic principles and concepts and that ensures the people’s rights. However, Zaidiah totally rejects biased and hollow democracy of the west.

Irena Knehtl
… Traveling across earth
wadies and deserts,
here I am
dusty, unkempt…
(from Lyrics from Arabia)
I have been visiting the Barat region at the outskirts of Al-Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) for a span of five years. This is not such a long time when one thinks in terms of relationships to places and people. But we seem to get along. In the past Barat used to be the brown and dusty, Barat without rain. But last time after substantial rains, it glared in the sun and looked happy…
That day when we were travelling on the road to Barat, the wind carried around Sanaa the fresh scent of Apricots. As we advanced even the stars were without their usual whisper, and familiarity…
Geography is often destiny. Southern Arabia with its volcanic mountains seems fortified from the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. The north eastern region from Sanaa is half desert, covered with low bushes, and barren mountains. Farming is possible only in narrow valleys. On the way, larger markets and graveyards are protected by mud walls. Zebur is the name of the building style all along the eastern region. Jawf virtually surrounds mans most unfriendly desert, the Rub Al-Khali.
On the way, pieces of pottery and the remains of a forgotten city lies forever buried in the sand. What happened in between? A long sleep, an endless eastern pause. One does not talk of humans, they are here the most inconsequential beings. Even time here has two faces, the length in the rhythm of the sun, and the depth in the rhythm of passion.
Perhaps, I can explain how one gets there. First drive to the town of Houth in the north, and then straight east across the fertile Wadi Soufian. One first reaches Marashi then moves up to the mountains of Barat. Somewhere along the way everything changes, vegetation, houses, faces of people. It takes a good 10 hours drive to Barat. This then is the place of man’s unavoidable meetings with destiny of nature: houses, mosques, towers, simply grow off the ground. Thus its inhabitants have created one of the most unusual cultures on the Arab Peninsula.
Houses are the most striking features of this region. They are in all shapes, and colors: square, round, towers: four to six stories high skyscrapers. Colors are the most decorative device: red or blue, with accompanying white straps surround windows, and doors. Houses are decorated also from inside, steps, and rooms. Flat roofs decorate gray and white triangular motives. Most houses have small vegetable gardens. The building of houses in Barat is an art. They are exist in anyone’s childhood dream. However, Barati dreams still sleep under the same roof: how to keep their future in their own hands. Markets in Suq al-Enan and Rajuza offer wheat and barely, dry fruits, animal fat, sweet dates, grapes, raisins, almonds, tea with the taste of mint, sugar, coffee, fresh vegetables, etc.. Here flavors are too strong, they smell to intense, and the contrasts are much too extreme.
Barat is home to the two oldest Arab tribes: Dhu Mohammed and Dhu Hussein. From these mountains came soldiers who during the founding of the Islamic State conquered vast territories for Islam and settled in such far away places as Syria, Morocco, Andalusia, and Malta. They also played an important role during the events of the Yemeni 26th September revolution. In the modern Republic of Yemen they are an important source of armed strength.
The tribesman of Dhu Mohammed are farmers who rely on rainfall for their cultivation of wheat and vegetables. When rains became scarce they migrate to the Southern, greener places such as Ibb. Migration is inevitable. Some Baratis, though have established themselves as successful merchants in the Emirates, Qatar,and in Saudi Arabia where they are valued for their capabilities. Barat is above all an old place where people have settled for a long time. They live here because this is the land of their forefathers and their fathers before them.
Modern times are different. The building of essential infrastructure and provision of services, how to play a role and contribute to local, national and in turn to regional economy are now issues of vital importance. The challenge here is to make modern times an instrument of opportunity and inclusion, not fear and insecurity. Rural areas such as Barat need first to think about quality and quantity of food supply, roads for commerce, clothes to wear, power to light their houses,and the irrigation of their lands in order to make life more comfortable. They will need capital for factories to produces soaps, and yarn, and packaging plants for their dates. Pride after all comes from living work.
Witnessing the awakening of the east is an intensive moment of excitement, enthusiasm and doubt. Here are unfinished revolutions, dreams, hopes, disappointments, loves, sorrows, sadness and so many things one would want to have different.
Unusual glamorous sunsets turning over to the darkness interwoven with light, golden, brown sun lines on their skies send, Baratis after saying their evening prayers, into the night dreaming. Curious children and blue mountains mirror from behind. I viewed it from a place where the wind carried small rare white blossoms. As in a dream everything used to be simple and clear. We breath their air, their scent, their strength. It was a rare moment, and I did not want to interrupt it as long as it was untouched in order to receive it untouched back once again.

“Farewell” they said.
“Farewell” we whispered.