Page 20 - What Kind of Yemen ?
P. 20
What Kind of Yemen?
Radical elements that make their presence felt in many countries
are also a serious threat in Yemen. Radical elements threaten not only
internal peace through their actions, but also provide justification for
drone attacks by the USA.
The false religion espoused by fanaticism is one of sav-
agery. Nobody can freely express his opinions in such a cli-
mate; people who hold such extreme views expect others
to adopt their ideas and they punish those who hold
dissenting views. Yet God explicitly reveals in the
Qur'an that "there is no compulsion where the reli-
gion is concerned" (Surat al-Baqara, 256). It is
therefore very important for the Yemen state to
tell its people that Islam is a religion that espous-
es freedom of thought, worship and ideas, that
protects the rights of all and that, most impor-
tantly, builds true liberty for everyone.
Until recently, similar problems Yemen has
faced were also being experienced at full inten-
sity in Turkey. However, there has been a
marked economic improvement and rapid
growth in Turkey over the last decade. The
government is bringing in various rights and
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