Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Yemeni Jews flee Islamist threat
BBC ^ | Sunday, January 28, 2007 | Ginny Hill

Posted on 01/28/2007 7:42:24 AM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu

Map

Forty-five Jewish people in Yemen have taken refuge in a hotel in northern Yemen after receiving death threats from Muslim extremists.

The group fled their village 10 days ago when they were confronted by masked radical Islamist gunmen.

The minority community has followed a traditional way of life in the village of Salem for centuries.

But, earlier this month, the Salem Jews received a letter accusing them of spreading vice and corruption.

The message was clear - the Jews must leave the country or lose their lives.

Decade-long insurgency

Dawoud Yousef Mousa and his neighbours fled to Saada City, the provincial capital.

Since then, the group has been living in the Paris Tower hotel at the expense of a local tribal sheikh, despite the authorities' promise to guarantee their safe return home.

Saada's governor claimed the threats against the Jews came from Zaydi Shia rebels, who have fought a decade-long insurgency in northern Yemen.

The extremists are said to belong to a banned organisation known as the Youthful Believers, who want to replace Yemen's democratic government with an Islamic theocracy.

Most of Yemen's 60,000 Jewish people were evacuated to Israel during Operation Magic Carpet following anti-Jewish riots in 1948.

Now, Yemen's tiny Jewish minority numbers just several hundred people.



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arabia; islam; islamofascism; israel; israeli; jews; judaism; middleeast; mideast; muslim; persecution; swasia; yemen; yemeni

1 posted on 01/28/2007 7:42:25 AM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Jedi Master Pikachu

The Israelis come up with creative names for their evacuation projects.


2 posted on 01/28/2007 7:43:41 AM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu ( WND, NewsMax, Townhall.com, Brietbart.com, and Drudge Report are not valid news sources.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jedi Master Pikachu

Why can't they come here?


3 posted on 01/28/2007 9:59:45 AM PST by Hildy (RUDY IN 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jedi Master Pikachu

Sad. Back in the day, Yemen was a Jewish kingdom. The Ethiopians had to conqueror the place to stop the persecution of Christians.


4 posted on 01/28/2007 10:08:37 AM PST by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson