Al-Islah (Yemen) Explained

Chairperson:Mohammed al-Yadoumi
Yemeni Congregation for Reform
Native Name:التجمع اليمني للإصلاح
Leader1 Title:Deputy Chairperson
Leader1 Name:Abdul Wahab al-Ansi
Leader2 Title:Founders
Leader2 Name:Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar[1]
Abdul Majeed al-Zindani[2]
Mohammed al-Yadumi[3]
Headquarters:Sana'a
Position:Right-wing
International:Muslim Brotherhood
Seats1 Title:House of Representatives
Colours: Blue
Native Name Lang:ar
Country:Yemen
Religion:Sunni Islam (Salafism)
Al-Islah militia
Native Name:ميليشيا الإصلاح
Native Name Lang:ar
War:Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)
Foundation:1990
Dates:1990-present
Area:Yemen
Status:Active
Size:Unknown
Allies:State allies:

Non-state allies:

Opponents:State opponents:

Non-State opponents:

Battles:Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)

The Yemeni Congregation for Reform, frequently called al-Islah (pronounced as /ar/; Arabic: التجمع اليمني للإصلاح|at-Tajammu’u al-Yamanī lil-Iṣlāḥ), is a Yemeni Sunni Islamist movement established in 1990 by Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, with Ali Saleh's blessing.[17] The first article of Islah basic law defines it as "a popular political organization that seeks reform of all aspects of life on the basis of Islamic principles and teachings".[18]

Islah is more of a loose coalition of tribal and religious elements than a political party.[19] Its origins are in the Islamic Front, a Muslim Brotherhood affiliated militia supported by Saudi Arabia to combat the Marxist National Democratic Front during the Cold War. The Islamic Front regrouped after the unification of Yemen in 1990 under the banner of the Islah Party with considerable financial backing from Saudi Arabia. Islah has long been identified as a client of Saudi Arabia.[20] [21] On its official website, Islah summarizes its foreign policy agenda; one of five major goals is "strengthening our country’s relations with sister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council."[22] Islah differs from most other Arab Islamists. The party combines tribal influences along with those of the Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood. As a result, it faces deep internal divisions on key issues. Its fractious composition prevents it from developing a clear parliamentary platform, forcing it instead to balance tribal and political interests, differing interpretations of the party's Islamist platform, and both loyalist and opposition constituencies.[23] Given its origin as an alliance, Islah's ideology remains vague and its political platform ambiguous. Islah could be best described as a conservative party that promotes tribal and religious values.[18]

The Joint Meeting Parties came into existence in 2003 when Islah and the Socialist Party joined three other smaller parties to establish a joint opposition to the ruling General People's Congress.[24] At the last legislative elections on 27 April 2003, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and 46 out of 301 seats.

The party is a part of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is considered a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain,[25] [26] Egypt, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.[5] [27] [28] [29] However, since the civil war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has forged closer relations with Al-Islah.[6]

Foundation

The party was created on 13 September 1990 in Sana'a, Yemen, by the tribal sheikh Abdullah Al Ahmar.[30]

General structure, leadership

Al-Islah has been described as consisting of three components. The first is the political faction, Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood, led by Mohammed Qahtan. The second is the tribal confederacy which was led by top tribal chief Abdullah Al Ahmar until his death in 2007 at which time he was succeeded by his son Sadeq.[31] The third is the Salafi movement, led by the country's most prominent Sunni religious scholar, Abdul Majeed al-Zindani.[2] [32] Muhammad Al-Yadomi succeeded Al Ahmar as the head of the party following his death on 28 December 2007.[30]

In the 2003 parliamentary election, Al-Islah won 46 seats., 13 of Al-Islah's parliament members were women, including human rights activist and Nobel laureate Tawakel Karman,[33] [34] who created the activist group Women Journalists Without Chains in 2005[35] and became the first Yemeni and Arab woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. On 5 February 2018, she was suspended from the party.[36]

As of 2014 the party was the second biggest political party after the General People's Congress (GPC).[30]

Publications

The party has two major media outlets, Al Sahwa, an Arabic daily newspaper, and Suhail TV.[37] The latter is owned by Hamid al-Ahmar, a relative of the party's founder.[37]

Relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE

The party was blacklisted by Saudi Arabia in March 2014 due to its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.[30] Since the death of former King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia has repaired relations with Al-Islah, due to their role in fighting the Houthis during the Yemeni Civil War.[6] In December 2017, Islah leaders Al-Yidoumi and Al-Anisi met with the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi (part of the UAE) in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the Yemeni war.[4] Before that, the UAE had publicly opposed Al-Islah,[38] and it was later claimed that the UAE hired American mercenaries to assassinate people like Al-Islah leader Mayo.[39] [40] In December 2018, it was reported that Islamist political parties like Al-Islah and jihadi militant groups like Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) were the main targets of the UAE, with the Houthis no longer being regarded as the greatest enemy of the UAE, with the Saudis being unable to do anything about it.[41]

Electoral history

House of Representatives elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–Position
1993Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar382,54517.14% 62 2nd
1997637,72823.4% 9 2nd
20031,333,39422.55% 7 2nd

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sarah Phillips. Yemen's Democracy Experiment in Regional Perspective. 2008. limited . 52 . Palgrave Macmillan. 9780230616486.
  2. Web site: Yemen: The Tribal Islamists . 2015 . 3 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150211073653/http://www.wilsoncenter.org/islamists/yemen-the-tribal-islamists . 11 February 2015 .
  3. Book: Stephen W. Day. Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen: A Troubled National Union. 2012. 134 . Cambridge University Press. 9781107379909.
  4. News: Saudi and UAE leaders meet Yemen Islah party chairman. alarabiya.net. 17 December 2017. 7 October 2018.
  5. News: U.A.E. Supports Saudi Arabia Against Qatar-Backed Brotherhood. Alaa Shahine . Glen Carey. Bloomberg News. 9 March 2014 . 9 March 2014.
  6. Web site: Saudi Arabia's Problematic Allies against the Houthis. The Cairo Review of Global Affairs . 14 February 2016. 15 February 2016.
  7. Web site: Tawfeek al-Ganad . Weak and Divided, the General People's Congress Turns 40 . Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies . 11 February 2023 . . 20 September 2022.
  8. Web site: Rebels in Yemen abduct Sunni rivals amid Saudi airstrikes . 5 April 2015. The CBS News. 20 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20210515231326/https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/rebels-in-yemen-abduct-sunni-rivals-amid-saudi-airstrikes/ . 15 May 2021. live. "Muslim Brotherhood's branch in Yemen and a traditional power player in Yemen, had declared its support for the Saudi-led coalition bombing campaign against the rebels and their allies.".
  9. Web site: United States Designates bin Laden Loyalist . February 24, 2004 . 2012-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100314033922/http://www.treasury.gov/press/releases/js1190.htm . March 14, 2010.
  10. Web site: Microsoft Word - nefabackgrounder_alawlaki.doc . March 17, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100414161642/http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/nefabackgrounder_alawlaki.pdf . April 14, 2010.
  11. Web site: Al Qaeda Recruiter New Focus in Fort Hood Killings Investigation Army Major Nidal Hasan Was In Contact With Imam Anwar Awlaki, Officials Say . Chucmach, Megan . Ross, Brian . ABC News . November 10, 2009 . March 17, 2010.
  12. News: Yemen on the brink: how the UAE is profiting from the chaos of civil war . 31 December 2018 . The Guardian . 21 December 2018.
  13. News: Yemeni party names new leader after Saleh killed. Reuters. 7 January 2018.
  14. Web site: Tawfeek al-Ganad . Weak and Divided, the General People's Congress Turns 40 . Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies . 11 February 2023 . . 20 September 2022.
  15. News: Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech. Reuters. 13 November 2014 . 26 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150219020159/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/13/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-idUSKCN0IX1Y120141113. 19 February 2015. live.
  16. News: Brothers no more: Yemen's Islah party faces collapse of Aden alliances . . 21 October 2017 . 5 June 2018.
  17. Web site: قيادي بالإصلاح: صنعاء لم تسقط بل سُلمت للحوثيين. www.aljazeera.net. ar. 2019-10-12.
  18. Book: Nathan J. Brown . Amr Hamzawy . 2010 . Between Religion and Politics . 137 . Carnegie Endowment . 9780870032974.
  19. Book: Daniel Brumberg . Dina Shehata . 209. Conflict, Identity, and Reform in the Muslim World: Challenges for U.S. Engagement. 431 . US Institute of Peace Press. 9781601270207.
  20. Letta Tayler . Yemen's Hijacked Revolution. 2011 . Foreign Affairs . 11 February 2015.
  21. Book: Sheila Carapico . 2007 . Civil Society in Yemen: The Political Economy of Activism in Modern Arabia. 143 . Cambridge University Press . 9780521034821.
  22. Web site: The Islah Party . 2012 . Islamopedia Online. 11 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150407021704/http://www.islamopediaonline.org/country-profile/yemen/political-landscape/islah-party . 7 April 2015.
  23. Web site: Between Government and Opposition: The Case of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform. Amr Hamzawy. 2009. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 11 February 2015.
  24. Book: Francesco Cavatorta. 2012. Civil Society Activism under Authoritarian Rule: A Comparative Perspective . 146 . Routledge. 9781136207815.
  25. Web site: Bahrain News Agency - Bahrain backs Saudi Arabia, UAE, Foreign Minister says . 3 November 2014.
  26. Web site: Bahrain FM reiterates stance on Muslim Brotherhood. Anadolu Ajansı . 3 November 2014.
  27. News: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood declared 'terrorist group' . Bbc.co.uk . 25 December 2013. 18 January 2014.
  28. Web site: Resolution of the State Duma, 2 December 2003 N 3624-III GD "on the Application of the State Duma of the Russian Federation" on the suppression of the activities of terrorist organizations on the territory of the Russian Federation . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160101081242/http://base.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=doc%3Bbase%3DEXP%3Bn%3D257852 . 1 January 2016 . ru.
  29. News: Saudi Arabia declares Muslim Brotherhood 'terrorist group'. BBC News . 7 March 2014 . 7 March 2014.
  30. News: Ali Ibrahim Al Moshki. Saudi Arabia blacklists Yemeni groups . 12 September 2014. Yemen Times . 13 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141023144933/http://www.yementimes.com/en/1763/news/3590/Saudi-Arabia-blacklists-Yemeni-groups.htm. 23 October 2014.
  31. News: Ruling party defies Al-Ahmar family, threatens unity of Hashid tribe. https://web.archive.org/web/20110405191505/http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=33126. 5 April 2011. Elaf. 17 November 2009.
  32. http://www.stratfor.com/yemen_election_realignment Yemen: An Election Realignment
  33. News: New protests erupt in Yemen . 29 January 2011 . Al Jazeera . 30 January 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110201035657/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011129112626339573.html . 1 February 2011 . live.
  34. Web site: The United States & Yemen – Destroying Lives in the Name of National Security . Brecht Forum . 2010 . 1 February 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110725101420/http://brechtforum.org/civicrm/event/info?id=11729 . 25 July 2011.
  35. Web site: Al-Sakkaf . Nadia . Nadia Al-Sakkaf . Renowned activist and press freedom advocate Tawakul Karman to the Yemen Times: "A day will come when all human rights violators pay for what they did to Yemen" . Women Journalists Without Chains . 17 June 2010 . 30 January 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110819045811/http://womenpress.org/articles.php?id=309 . 19 August 2011.
  36. News: Yemen Islamist party suspends membership of Nobel laureate Karman . 5 February 2018 . 8 May 2020 . Reuters.
  37. News: Government Raids Suhail TV Station and Newspaper. 12 September 2014. Yemen Post. 26 May 2011.
  38. News: Saudi-Emirati overture on Yemen deepens Houthi isolation . arabiafoundation.org. 15 December 2017. 7 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327135929/https://www.arabiafoundation.org/arabia-comment/saudi-emirati-overture-on-yemen-deepens-houthi-isolation/. 27 March 2019.
  39. News: Abbas rival 'hired Israeli mercenary to assassinate UAE's enemies in Yemen' . timesofisrael.com. 17 October 2017. 18 October 2018.
  40. News: Roston . Aram . A Middle East Monarchy Hired American Ex-Soldiers To Kill Its Political Enemies. This Could Be The Future Of War. . Buzzfeed News . 16 October 2018 . 18 October 2018.
  41. News: Yemen on the brink: how the UAE is profiting from the chaos of civil war . 31 December 2018 . The Guardian . 21 December 2018.

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