Yemeni women walk by the Palace of the Rock in Sanaa

SANAA, 16 Nov — The Executive Director of al-Afif Cultural Foundation, Abdul-Bari Taher Monday said in a statement to News Yemen website that “tolerance in Yemen is something we dearly miss,” adding “we are living in a society that destroys itself by hate, rancor, resentment and bigotry,” and called for “diagnosis of the Yemeni case.”  “Wars in Yemen are the outcome of smaller silent wars inside every house, mosque, and school and now and then these smaller wars express themselves in the form of bigger wars,” he said, adding “the society in Yemen is intolerant and awash with discrimination,” and voiced regret at what he called “the practice of intolerance by the ruling elite through the marginalization of others,” and warned against “the use of religion by the rulers for more control and domination of the masses.”  Dr. Afaf al-Himi said “the society in Yemen lacks tolerance towards women,” and criticized schools in the country for “spreading a culture of intolerance.”  She also blasted clerics for “spreading a message of intolerance, and discrimination especially towards women in their mosques.”

Historical city of Shibam in Hadramout

HADRAMOUT, 16 Nov — More than 20,000 people converged on the town of Taraba in Seyoun on Monday to discuss the implications of al-Qaeda attack on security officials in the region two weeks ago in which five top security officials were killed.  A number of leading clerics, and dignitaries from Hadramout were in the audience and demanded clarification on the attack warning “if the state fails to hold those behind the attack responsible and those who failed to take the wounded to the hospital accountable, the men of Hadramout will have their serious stand.”  Speaking in the rally, a number of social figures held the state “fully responsible for the cowardly terrorist attack that targeted the security leaders in Hadramout,” and denounced what they described “the state’s failure to catch the culprits,” adding “some think that Hadramout is the region of peace, civilization and that its people are law-abiders but this will change for Hadramout is not negative or coward and we won’t allow any party to tamper with the interests of the region and to spread corruption.”  Al-Qaeda wing in Yemen had claimed responsibility for the attack saying “it is in revenge for the killing of al-Qaiti and for the imprisonment of our brothers in Sanaa and Hadramout jails.”

Yemeni tribesmen during a meeting (Archive)

SANAA, 16 Nov — Armed tribesmen from Arhab tribal grouping Monday kidnapped a Japanese engineer working on the construction of a school in an area 12 miles northeast of the capital, Sanaa.  The Islamist online website, Alsahwa quoted local sources in Arhab as saying “the kidnappers are demanding the release of a clan member who has been in the prison of the Political Security Organization for five years,” adding “the Japanese engineer is supervising the construction of a school in a village in Arhab and was kidnapped while travelling to the construction site.”  Other reports said local tribal sheiks are negotiating with the kidnappers to secure his release.

U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Steven Seche addresses reporters in a news conference in Sanaa on Nov 16, 2009

SANAA, 16 Nov — The U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Seche Monday expressed concern over the government’s clampdown on journalism in Yemen and reiterated his country’s support of freedom of expression.  Seche who was speaking during a press conference organized by the Female Journalists Forum said “growing violations against citizens especially reporters fall back on the legitimacy of the ruling regimes as citizens are part of the system,” adding “it is essential in any society, in particular democratic societies for ordinary citizens like the ones in this hall to participate in the life of their societies.  Regimes get their power and legitimacy from the participation of their citizens.”  He voiced concern over the suspension of a number of newspapers in Yemen saying “we are concerned about the suspension of some newspapers like al-Masder and al-Ayyam because of topics they publish and we are also concerned over the disappearance of some journalists like Muhammad al-Maqaleh and the court sentences against some newspapers and reporters.”  “We appreciate and respect the work of al-Ayyam newspaper and what it provides to its readers in the south and the country as a whole and we consider al-Ayyam as an example of the level of dissatisfaction it created with some officials,” he said, adding “Yemen is facing difficult and serious challenges and the absence of free and responsible press is part of these challenges.”  He advised the government to “solve the problems instead of charging journalists,” and in a reply to a question if the US would pressure the government in Yemen to cease crackdown on the media, he said “we will not use pressure on the government but we encourage the government to allow the press to move freely and provide information for people so they can make decisions about their lives.”

Saudi F-15 warplanes

HAJJA, 16 Nov — Saudi fighter jets Monday night bombed a number of targets near the port of Midi in Hajja, the Islamist website, Alsahwa said quoting sources at Yemen’s coastguard in Midi.  The sources said “the air strikes hit targets in Yemen’s Small Ashaq island near the Saudi Large Ashaq island,” adding “the shelling hit some areas near the island of Midi and intelligence officers from the Political Security Organization and military intelligence rushed to the scene to investigate.”  A number of Yemeni fishermen in Midi told reporters they heard explosions near their boats and voiced fear they could be targeted and appealed to the Yemeni government to ask Saudis to be careful saying “we are merely fishermen trying to make a living and we have women and children to look after.”  Meanwhile, the independent news website, News Yemen Monday quoted the head of the local council in Midi, Taha al-Atas as saying “two fighter jets fired a number of missiles at the back end of Midi port and also fired near fishing boats,” adding “one of the jets came from the south and the other came from the north but no human or material damage was inflicted.”  Saudi navy had announced it is monitoring the Yemeni port of Midi to prevent arms supplies from reaching the rebels.

Yemen's Information Minister Hasan Ahmad al-Lawzi

SANAA, 15 Nov — Speaking at the opening of a 2-day seminar organized by the Ministry of Information to review successes and failures of journalism in Yemen, Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi Sunday said “the number of newspapers in Yemen has reached 400 in addition to 22 other newspapers owned by political parties and civil society organizations,” and unveiled plans to publish a daily government newspaper in Hadramout at the end of this month.  He said his ministry is “keen to implement the Journalism law in order to protect journalism from parasites,” stressing “the law helps journalism in Yemen and protects it from diverting into a crocked discourse,” adding “spreading hate and discrimination is prohibited in all laws and pre-censorship on newspapers in Yemen is long gone,” stressing “neither me nor employees at my ministry would ever be involved in pre-censorship and words no longer intimidate us.”  “Freedom of expression must be bounded by respecting others and two days ago we confiscated a newspaper because it defamed an opposition figure not a state official because we are determined to preserve peoples’ dignities and reputations.”  He said his ministry “doesn’t ban publication permissions but some permissions are delayed for necessary considerations,” and vowed to “stand by journalists who were attacked,” and hailed what he described as “one of the greatest accomplishment of democracy in Yemen is press freedom.”