The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) threatened Yemen to write off Old Sana'a from its World Heritage list after it was found the state had systematically failed to preserve the archaeological integrity of many buildings, allowing them to fall into decrepitude.
With its history stretching back over 2500 years, Sana'a is associated with the civilization of the Bible and the Quran.

UNESCO described Sana'a as "an outstanding example of a homogeneous architectural ensemble reflecting the spatial characteristics of the early years of Islam, the city in its landscape has an extraordinary artistic and pictorial quality. Its many-storied buildings represent an outstanding response to defensive needs in providing spacious living quarters for the maximum number of residents within defensible city walls. The buildings demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship in the use of local materials and techniques."

However, a lack of funding, mis-management and 2011 uprising meant Yemen officials were not able to maintain Old Sana'a to UNESCO' standard.

11th century old dwellings were modified by owners as they found hard to accommodate their growing family, often failing to comply with the authorities' construction guidelines.

Harsh weather also is said to have put a strain on the integrity of some buildings, which left uncheck could lead to total collapse.

The Ministry of Finance has apologized for the delay in funding, saying it will endeavor to address all immediate threat to the old city, pointing however that UNESCO failed to adequately fulfill its funding duty toward Yemen. The ministry added it had notified Gulf officials of the severity of the situation and that aid would be allocated promptly.

UNESCO demanded Yemen to provide a full report on Old Sana'a and Zabib, another protected site and address all irregularities.

Yemen Post Staff

Comment:
Yemen is a poor country going through a difficult political transition. It has no money for such demands. If UNESCO would provide the funds for the upkeep (directly, not giving the funds to the government because then we'll see nice villa houses popping up in other areas rather than maintained mud mansions) that might be an idea.

Second idea - open the visa restrictions and let the tourists flood back into Old Sana'a spending lavishly on what they think is a cheap trip.

I am not Paying my Zakat to Ali Saleh!

Post by Ayman

As you make your way around Sana'a you may notice billboards reminding people to pay their Zakat to the state. The reminder is a good thing, but paying zakat to the corrupt state is another thing.

Ideally, Muslims pay their zakat to the zakat collecting authority of the government, but what if that government is so corrupt and far from Islamic rule? What if you are sure all they'll do with your zakat money is stuff it down a pipe and explode it for your entertainment?

Paying zakat the to government is done if the government is ISLAMIC or very close to it. Would you see Muslims in the USA paying zakat to the Barak Obama government? NO! why? Because it is a kafir government of a kafir country. so why would I pay my zakat to Obama's agent in Yemen? The corrupt regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Let's look more closely, my source, fiqh as-Sunnah by Sayyid Sabiq.

It is permissible to pay zakat to a Muslim leader whether he is just or not provided he rules mainly according to Islamic rules. At present the majority if not all Muslim rulers do not have Islamic governance which establishes Islam, propogates and defends it, calls for jihad, and collects and distributes zakat according to rules laid down by ALlah the Most Just.

SOme Muslim rulers are under the influence of western powers while others are influenced by polytheists. Foreign powers employ Muslim rulers as tools to subjugate the people in the name of Islam and to implement their kafir foreign interests in our countries, thus destroying Islam itself. To such rulers, it is NOT permissible to pay zakat regardles of their profession of faith and that they pray.

So there you have it in a nutshell and I feel relief that I can give my zakat directly to eligible recipients which are most people in Yemen.

Allahumma bestow upon me vast wealth so I can spend it in your cause and let me be of the Successful one's who you are please with Amin.

* Admin asked me to include an ayah from Qur'an which highlighted itself especially for me during my reading this Ramadan. I chose Surah al Hashr ayah 7. This ayah is not about zakat but it mentions the purpose of proper distribution of Ummah wealth.

What Allah has bestowed on His Messenger (fa'i - booty without fighting) from the people of the townships,- belongs to Allah,- to His Messenger and to kindred and orphans, the needy and the wayfarer; In order that it may not (merely) be between the wealthy among you. So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah. for Allah is strict in Punishment. 

Ramadan Reading

Throughout the month of Ramadan we should spend as much time as possible with the Qur'an, reading it and thinking about its meaning and implementation in our lives.

No matter how many times you read Qur'an and read it's verses, you will find something new every time, as if you had never read it before. SubhanAllah.

We usually read Qur'an with our present condition in the back of our mind, so sometimes we read an ayah, and suddenly it means so much more.

This Ramadan, we are living in Sana'a in a time of turmoil and great fitnah, and so we read the verses of ALlah in this condition. This verse jumped out at me this year. It makes a believer feel happy and confident in the promises of ALlah.

The verse is an-Nur 55

" Allah has promised among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that he will certainly grant them succession in the land as he granted it to those before them and that he will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (Islam) and He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear provided they worship Me and do not associate anything in worship with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this they are Fasiqoon."

Although Allah swt has promised the believers this, it does not mean we sit around and wait for it to fall on us from the sky. We must work hard in our worship and good deeds. We must enjoin good and forbid evil, and we must not be afrain of the creation before the Creator,

Ramadan Mubarak.

Suggestion for Salehs Farewell Speech

I cringe when I hear the president address the nation "O great Yemeni people," It is soooooo condescending, it is insulting coming from him.

I wrote up this short and sweet speech, a suggestion if the great Yemeni president is stuck for words.

ياأيها الشعب اليمني العظيم
شكرا للذكريات... نعم
و شكرا لأعمالكم
و شكرا لعرقكم
و شكرا لدموعكم
و شكرا لدمائكم
و شكرا جزيلا لمالكم

مع السلامة

O Great People of Yemen,
Thank you for the memories
Thank you for your toils
Thankyou for your sweat
Thank you for your tears
Thank you for your blood
and a big thank you for your wealth

Good bye

Women and the Uprising in Yemen

1. Every Thursday will be "womens' day" at Change Square in front of Sana'a University. This womens' participation is strictly a non-partisan event (as in established parties such as Islah etc) but it is pro-Islam and pro-Yemen without Ali Abdullah Saleh and enterage (or non-terage!).

2. Al-Qaeda who have declared Abyan an Islamic State and warned women not to go out unnecessarily or without mahram.

This statement is scaring people and making them feel al-Qaeda is oppressing women. LPOY would like to put forward these thoughts to even out the argument. Islamically women should not go out without need and when they do go out to do so with a mahram (where possible). This does not mean that they are prohibited from going out at all.

I would hazard a guess that in Abyan as in many parts of rural Yemen, women go out without mahram to do chores such as collecting water and attending to their flocks of sheep and goats. There is not much need other than that for women to go out in these areas, obviously in a city where culture is different there would be exceptions. The situation in Abyan is also far more dangerous than in other urban parts of the country, so we should also keep this in mind.

I would like to say to al-Qaeda in relation to womens' issues to remember the importance of education and health opportunities for women and not to restrict them from these opportunities so long as the subject content is compatible with Islam and needed by the ummah. The leaders of an Islamic state should not waste the talents of half the population - this is bad human resource management.

Allahumma barik fikum.

Updated Advice for Foreigners in Yemen

Events continue to unfold in Yemen and safety of foreigners is thinning.

Previous advice posted on LPOY were not to participate in demonstrations and to prepare yourselves for a long stay home.

The President of Yemen has announced the dismissal of the cabinet. This in itself is nothing and I have been informed that the fired government is still there but in a different shape, or in name only - it is now a caretaker government.

However, if you compare the steps of the Yemeni President to those of the deposed Tunisian President Ben Ali, the steps are very similar. First step announces tax cuts and pay rises, second step - announces that he will not run for president in the next elections in two years time. Step three - sack the government.

Many political analysts in Yemen stay that Ali will not go without a big fight, so with that in mind I would like to remind foreigners living in Yemen to prepare well for a long stay home.

If war comes to Yemen, the initial stages will be absolute chaos and killing. It will not be clear who are the munafiqeen and who are on haq. And foreigners will likely find it difficult to navigate through these waters without local support - that is be part of a Yemeni group or tribe for protection. If you have not fostered good relations with locals you should consider leaving Yemen rather than weathering the storm.

Westerners, specifically those who chose to live in Yemen for protection of their religion - Muhajireen for the sake of Allah and choose to stay in Yemen despite serious upheaval and possibility of armed conflict will be labelled by the current authorities as terrorists linked to al-Qaeda and be blamed for the fitnah engulfing the country. These falling regimes find it easy to claim a foreign plot to overturn the government and create chaos for (unknown) gains.

I know at this time these warnings may seem sensational. LPOY does not wish to create fear and panic amongst foreigners wishing to stay in Yemen despite the problems, but to inform you of serious possibilities so to better prepare yourselves.

- Gas is stocks are very low and you may now need to pay very high prices.
- Foreign currency is almost impossible to get hold of now.
- If you are using sabafon, get yourself a sim card from another company incase the sabafon network is shut down by the government. Sabafon is owned by Hameed al-Ahmar who is the President's number 1 opponent.

Updates Advice to Foreigners Living in Yemen

Prepare for the long haul. Just in-case the situation in the country spirals out of control, and you are not inclined to leave the country, prepare your house for a long stay home.

Stock up on:

Drinking water
gas
non-perishable food (cans, indomie etc)
batteries
candles and matches
Yemeni riyal and $US
medicines

Sana'a Demonstrations 2

As I sit here in the internet cafe, I can hear youths in the street calling people to come to the protests on the side of the Government. "Support Ali Abdullah Saleh, come now to the square," they chant - but in Arabic.

Of course I am staying well away from protests, except for these words I share with you here.

Protests in Yemen are not like protests elsewhere. Things were ugly yesterday, if the pictures on the news are anything to judge by, but I could imagine things getting very ugly. Most people have firearms, even women often have a small handgun stashed in their handbags. It is not anything unsual.

How it looks from my armchair (although I dont actually have a single chair in my house), if Ali goes a tribal struggle will ensure. An opportunity will open for AQAP which I would not rule out as a negative, if they are organised and principled, then why not! Then foreign interests will get aggitated and need to become very involved in regime change and AQAP rejection.

Who knows where this could go. But as for democracy...O people of Yemen, do not become intoxicated by false beliefs of freedom. Democracy doesn't mean freedom, it means following ones personal desires and following man made law above the laws given to you in your own language by Allah the Most High, Most Just.

Reverse Hijrah

Hijrah for the sake of Allah is when a believer moves from a land of shirk and kufr to a land of iman to increase his iman. Reverse Hijrah is when a Muslim in a land of iman moves to a land of shirk and kufr to increase his duniya. This is not an official term but I will be using it to express this phenomenon.

It is obligatory for Muslims living in the lands of shirk and kufr to make hijrah to the lands of iman and the proof of this from the Book of Allah:

"As for those whose souls the angels take in a state of having earned Allah's anger; then the angels will say to them: "in what condition were you regarding your Religion?" They will say: "we were weakened by the great numbers and strength of the people of shirk in our land who prevented us from iman and from following the Messenger." They (the angels) will reply: "was not Allah's earth spacious so that you could leave your land and homes where the people of shirk dominate and go to a land where you could worship Allah alone and follow His Prophet?" So these people will find their abode in Hell, and what an eveil destination that is. Except for the weak ones from the men, women and children who were unable tomigrate or find a way to do so. As for such, it may be that Allah will pardon them, and ALlah is ever One who pardons and forgives the sins of His servants" Surat an-Nisaa 97-99

In the case of reverse hijrah, there are three conditions on such travel.

1. That the person has knowledge to repel doubts.
2. That he isa person adhering to the Religion such that it will prevent him from following desires that are openly practiced in lands of shirk and kufr.
3. That he has a need to do so - this includes medical treatment and higher education.

Notice that tourism is not listed. It is not necessary for Muslims residing in lands of iman to travel to lands of shirk for tourism, when there are plenty of touristic places to visit within the lands of iman.

As for residing in the lands of shirk and kufr, one must safegaurd his or her religion and will not be corrupted or deviate from the correct path and to remain removed emotionally from the people of that land and not love them as this can corrupt one's iman. Allah the Most High says:

"You will not find a people who believe in ALlah and the Last Day having love for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger and contradict Allah's Commands, even if they be their fathers, or their sons or their brothers or their tribe." al-Mujaadilah 58:22

A Muslim living in the lands of shirk and kufr must be able to manifest the outward signs of Islam without being prevented. In my opinion this is not possible in all the large Western countries.

If a Muslim is residing in the lands of shirk and kuft he must be there to call people to Islam. This is a type of jihad and it is fard kifaya - that means that not everyone needs to do it, if one person is doing it then the rest of us are exempt.

Some scholars have said that it is permissible for a da'i (caller to faith) to reside in lands of kufr and shirk to study the conditions of the unbelievers and become aware of their state with regard to the corruptopn of their beliefs, false worship, degenerate manners and behaviour. I do not fully agree with this in this modern time we can see all of this on the vast media available to us.

It is also allowed for a Muslim to reside in the lands of disbelief to maintain diplomatic relations with the state of disbelief and an Islamic state and provide consular services to any citizens of that state residing there and to encourage them in their religious matters and behaviour. This helps repel evil and corruption that surround Muslims living in that land.

The categories covered here are all temporary living situations. Residing permanently amongst the disbelievers in their lands is never acceptable.

More to come on this topic soon.

Christian Missionaries at Sana'a University

They wear hijab, nice clothes and carry backpacks and you can find a number of them at Sana'a University.

They speak with sickening sweetness to butter you up before they unleash their Christian torrent on you.

Upon meeting one, I pretended to not speak English well by speaking broken English with a strong accent. We small talked about the traffic and weather and after ten minutes the nasty questions about Islam and Islamic culture started to emerge seemingly innocently by the questioner.

"Why can men marry more than one woman?" or "Why can't women rule a nation". Mostly they ask about the issues they see as being unjust to women.

They try to break down a Muslim's faith and create doubts in their minds first. They are well versed in Quran and Sunnah and they know the answers to the questions they ask. They may spend weeks doing this, targeting the weeker seeming student in the crowd, they woo them with their polite manners and generosity. They make that person feel special and get their attention and then theys start letting out Shaytan bombs.

They, the Christians, say they are in Yemen to help the Yemeni people but if that were true they'd respect the culture of Yemen and that we are Muslim. (Appart from a small Jewish community)

And how is it that some of them have been in Yemen for more than a year, working as volunteers, not earning any money yet they have no problems getting the visa. I know how hard it is for the foreign students to get visas and these are the Muslims who respect Yemen and the culture!

"And when it is said to them do not make mischief in the land they say: We are only peacemakers but they perceive not. Indeed they are the ones who make mischief but they perceive not."
Al-Baqara 11-12

MashaAllah the Yemeni people are kind and want to be welcoming to these foreigners, but they should not waste their time with these missionaries when they could be helping their own people and nation, and those foreigners who accept Islam.

We may not individually have the power to deport these people for their corruption but once we have given them the message of Islam and explained it, and if after that they continue in their ways we should separate ourselves from them. As with the example of Ibrahim (as) and his father and people and as well as Nuh(as) when he was commanded to leave his son because of his disbelief

O Muslims - Don't love the kufar. Don't forget that until they accept Islam and enter into it sincerely they are your and my enemies.