CAIRO Ñ Yemen has launched a drive to end Islamic extremism.
Arab diplomatic sources said the effort would include a campaign by
leading Islamic scholars to convince extremists to end violent tactics in
support of religious goals. The drive is being headed by Yemeni President
Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The September 26 weekly, which is published by the Yemeni Defense
Ministry, reported that the government has appointed a panel of Islamic
scholars to conduct a dialogue with suspected Islamic militants. The
militants are composed of Yemeni nationals who returned from Afghanistan and
served with either Al Qaida or Taliban.
The government panel, headed by Mohammed Ismail Al Haji, vice chairman
of the Supreme Judicial Council, will sponsors seminars that will include
Islamic fighters in Afghanistan. The fighters will hear lectures against the
use of violence in the name of Islam.
Sanaa's effort is being duplicated by regional states, including
Pakistan, which are trying to preach a more benign view of Islam. The
newspaper said the seminars will discuss Islam's peaceful message to
followers.
Yemen is said to have a large presence of Al Qaida members and
supporters. Many of them fled Afghanistan amid the U.S. invasion and entered
Yemen via Saudi Arabia.
