Press Review [Archives:2000/20/Press Review]

Al-Wahda (Official, weekly, 10th May)
Headline:
A Decade of Brilliant Yemeni Awarding
AL-WAHDA in a column titled: “Good- Neighbor Policy” said:
“The good-neighborly policy, by its full meaning forced super power countries to prefer to deal with their neighbors through peaceful means while those neighbors were all poor countries that lack any nuclear teeth. The result was that the ghost of fear and the possibility of wars and conflicts subsided. As a result several kinds of coordination, cooperation and joint interests developed that were never to appear or materialize in negative atmospheres.
Al-Jamaheer (Ba’ath Party pro-Syria faction, weekly 10th May)
Ar-Razihi Seeks Political Asylum at Holland
“The famous Yemeni satirist Abdul Karim Ar-Razihi that he has asked for political asylum at Holland and to leave Yemen, because of the campaign which is being waged against him for some time by some imams of mosques at Aden and several other governorates who belong to the Salafi Movement. They accuse Razihi of
infidelity, disbelief after a poem of his was published in some weeks ago Al-Thawrah newspaper.
“Ar-Razihi is considered one of the most prominent satirists in Yemen. He is very active in culture and literature at many forums; some of them are outside Yemen in some Arab countries. He was awarded the most valuable position this Year last month by the Taiz based Al-Saeed Cultural Corporation.
“Under the title “The Number of Religious Scholars Endorsing Anti-Normalization Fatwa Rises”, AL-JAMAHEER wrote:
“Al-Jamaheer is aware that President Saleh has decided that visits by Jews to Yemen should be halted; since he was back from the United States early last April. The decision aims at enabling Unity celebrations to be concluded in a favorable atmosphere and to avoid any angry popular reactions if those visits were allowed to continue.””Observers noticed that Yemen is faced with strong pressures to normalize relations with the Zionist entity, and that its interests are in steadfastly refuse any normalization until and after a just peace is established.”

Al-Sahwa (Islah party, weekly, 11th May)
Main Headlines:
– Eryani Renews Refusal to Show up at Parliament
– Christianization Activities Continue in Aden
AL-SAHWA (Islah party, weekly, 11th May) denied that there was any kind of meeting between the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister. It said:
“An official Islah party source announced that the report published by AL-WAHDAWI claiming that a reconciliation meeting under the auspices of President Saleh between Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar, Speaker of Parliament, Chairman of the Islah party Higher Committee and Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Eryani is baseless
“The source confirmed to Al-Sahwa that the said report was a full fabrication, part and parcel.”
Al-Sahwa ran also another story on Christianization in Aden, saying:
“Christianization activities continue in Aden, while the pertinent authorities continue to keep quite. These authorities had returned some churches to Christianization preachers and officials.
“In the aftermath of the scandal of the Christianization of two Somalis, one of whom was detained, and his story reported by Al-Sahwa, Christianization efforts continue swiftly. The endeavor is made among refugees and the poor through so called charity organizations. Their influence is increasing to the extent that some are even boasting about it. A journalist at an official media service boasts about his embracing of Christianity and visits churches without being checked by any authority. These authorities claim that the man did not make any changes in his official papers.”
 

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