Zindani asks Yemen authority to sue US at ICJ [Archives:2005/807/Front Page]
Mohammed Al-Qadhi
Sheikh Abdulmajeed al-Zindani, head of Islah's Consultative Council demanded the Yemeni government to sue the US at the International Court of Justce for its accusations to him for supporting and financing terrorism. In an interview with September net, a website run by the ministry of defense, Al-Zindani said Monday that the US should present its evidence and support for its accusations against him.
The US Treasury Department announced Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2004 that al-Zindani, Rector of al-Eman (Religious) University, has been added to the American government's list of people suspected of supporting terrorist activities. Al-Zindani was described by the US Treasury Department as a “loyalist” to Osama bin Laden, adding that he “has along history of working with Bin Laden, notably serving as one of his spiritual leaders.” It also said that al-Zindani has actively recruited for al-Qaeda's terrorist training camps and played a role in the purchase of weapons for al-Qaeda and other terrorists. However, al-Zindani denied all these allegations and that he has money deposited at the US or any other country in the world expect Yemen. He described the US allegations as “baseless and false.” He pointed out that the reason behind this the media barrage and the US measures taken against him at the UN Security Council because of his” stand against the US policy towards the Muslim world and Palestinian cause as well as fund-raising for the Palestinian Islamic Movement Hamas,” branded as a terrorist organization by the US. “It is also because of my patronage to the Eman university which is teaching religion. The US wants dry up the springs of Islam” rather than terrorism,” he stressed. The UN Security Council added his name to the list of the financers of terrorism. Al-Zindani demanded Yemen's government to ask the UN Security Council to debate again the resolution which was taken in the absence of Yemen's representative.
Former US ambassador to Yemen Mr. Edmund Hull said last March “we are worried about the activities of al-Eman university; we aim to stop the foreign funds to al-Zindani so as to stop his fund for the university and the activities that promote terrorism and finance terrorism.”
Despite the denial of al-Zindani and al-Eman University that Abed al-Kamil, murderer of the three US doctors at the Jibla Baptist hospital December 30, 2002 was not a student at the university, Hull said “the killer of the doctors in Jibla is one of the al-Eman university and it has a role in promoting extremism.”
AL-Zinadi showed his anger over what he described the media barrage against him by the web site of the ruling party which he said hurt him very much. “I declare that I have been hurt by this media behavior as it gives a false excuse for the Americans, creating evidences and support for the US media to tarnish my image as well as that of the al-Eman university. The reason for this is the almotamarnet.(the ruling party website).” Zindani demanded that President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the ruling party' leaders should question the accusations made by almotamar.net which reported last week that al-Zindani trained his and the university's militants to carry out lawless acts, adding that the university has become “a shelter for terrorists.”
The US Loss Anglos Times reported January 2003 that prisoners held in connection with the attack against the USS Cole told local authorities that al-Zindani issued a decree or fatwa ordering the strike and that the authorities did not investigate into such allegations which were denied by some leaders of the Islah party. “The allegations – and the government's reluctance to investigate, or at least to acknowledge that it is investigating – demonstrate the extraordinary challenges facing Yemen and U.S. officials trying to fight terrorism here,” the US newspaper said.
“Authorities can expect greater opposition if they try to extradite, arrest or even question someone of Zindani's stature,” it added. The newspaper said Zindani is a former teacher and confidant of Osama bin Laden and that his radical anti-American, anti-Jewish brand of Islam not only had been tolerated until recently by the central government but was also rewarded with money, authority and legitimacy. Zindani, who fought against Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, played a central role in helping end a civil war in Yemen in 1994.”The United States has long wanted to question Zindani in connection with the Cole attack, but authorities here said that the prisoners' statements are the first evidence that has surfaced in Yemen that might connect Zindani with the blast,” the newspaper added.
Al-Zindani is the third prominent members of the Islah party who have been accused by the US of having connection with terrorists. The US accused January 2004 Sheikh Abdullah Sa'atar of raising money for terrorist operations which he denied. Last year, Sheikh Mohammed al-Mouyad was arrested in a trap set for him in Germany and then he was turned over to the US which has accused him of collecting more than $20 million for al-Qaeda and Bin Laden.
Concerning his medial innovations, al-Zindani stressed tat he invented some medicine for the disease of diabetics, hepatitis as well as HIV/AIDS. He said that experiments which he carried out with some doctors from Science and Technology University achieved good results. He pointed out that he is ready to disclose the source of this medicine and its formation provided that he and his team are given patent by the Yemeni government which can be given 10% of this right.
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