SHAFAQNA – Yemen official news agency confirmed this Saturday that Saudi Arabia, which has run a violent and relentless military campaign against its neighbour, on account it wishes to impose its political and religious diktat, is now systematically targeting mosques in Northern Yemen – hoping to break people’s resolve and redact Yemen’s religious history.
As noted Imam al-Wazir in exclusive comments to Shafaqna, “The kingdom is simply following the methods of its Wahhabi forefathers … if you recall the early 19th century, al-Saud and the Ikhwans [Wahhabi mercenaries bought by al-Saud] were already raided villages. This is actually how al-Saud rose to power in the first place: blood-letting and sectarian-based violence. The holy city of Karbala was raided in 1803, then it was Medina and Mecca the Ikhwans turned their attention to. No one speaks about this because the Saudi regime has made sure that its past remains buried. What you see today is simply a repeat of al-Saud early crimes. Just as al-Saud did then, they are doing now … killing, carving, destroying.”
He added, “Yemen has a long and deep attachment to Islam … especially in the North. Yemen was one of the first countries in Arabia to convert to Islam. Wahhabis are trying to severe this link under cover of a liberation war. This is not a liberation it is a religious genocide. Worse actually it is an attempt to rewrite Yemen’s religious history by obliterating its people memory. Our memories live in our monuments, our stones, our elders … why do you think North Yemen is living under such a terrible fire? Our mosques trace back to the early days of Islam, our books and traditions are as old as Islam … It is this aspect of the war no one ever talks about.”
Amid such devastation Imam al-Wazir nevertheless believes that victory is possible.
“Victory is standing in God’s truth. We live only for an appointed time … it is how we live and how we die which will remain forever. Yemen will live on as long as its people will remember God and the allegiance they made to the Prophet Mohammed and his Blessed House. This Wahhabis cannot touch. And so yes Yemen has already won!”
The Saudi-led coalition has destroyed 136 mosques in all districts of Sana’a province confirmed SABA news agency.
More than 49 mosques have been targeted directly and others damaged indirectly, said Ayman Abdulqader, director general of endowments and guidance office in Sana’a province.
Abdulqader explained that 19 mosques have been destroyed in Sanhan and Bani Bahlol districts, 13 mosques in Hamdan, five mosques in Belad al-Aros, three in each of Bani Matar and Nehm, four mosques in Khawlan and al-Haimah al-Dakhelia and one mosque in each of Jihana and Bani Hushaish.
He affirmed that over 80 per cent of the destroyed mosques are part of the heritage and religious history of Yemen, especially those have exceeded hundreds of years old, like the mosque and shrine of Imam al-Sana’ani.
The director general of Endowments office called on the humanitarian organizations and the international community to quickly intervene to stop the brutal Saudi aggression on all the elements of life in Yemen.