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Zaydiyya: Difference between revisions
→Political and Cultural Zaydi Currents in Yemen
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Zaydis form 35% of Yemen's population today; they reside mostly in Saadah, Hajjah, Dhamar and Sana'a provinces. | Zaydis form 35% of Yemen's population today; they reside mostly in Saadah, Hajjah, Dhamar and Sana'a provinces. | ||
=Political and Cultural Zaydi Currents in Yemen= | ==Political and Cultural Zaydi Currents in Yemen== | ||
There are four active Zaydi currents in Yemen. | There are four active Zaydi currents in Yemen. | ||
==The Conservative Current== | |||
After the union of Yemen in 1990 and the ratification of the law of free parties, a good opportunity was provided for Zaydis to come out of the isolation they had undergone for more than twenty years. In this context, a current was formed consisting of Zaydi scholars who aimed at reviving Zaydi heritage. They started to teach and train the youth according to the teachings of Zaydiyya. Later they established al-Haq party, which was the first political party established after the fall of the rule of the Zaydi Imams. | ===The Conservative Current=== | ||
Among the leaders of this party were Majd al-Din al-Mu'ayyidi and Badr al-Din al-Houthi, two of Zaydi religious authorities. Salah Ahmad al-Falitah was elected as the first secretary-general of the al-Haq party. In the parliamentary election of 1993, the party was able to win two seats, and | After the union of Yemen in 1990 and the ratification of the law of free parties, a good opportunity was provided for Zaydis to come out of the isolation they had undergone for more than twenty years. In this context, a current was formed consisting of Zaydi scholars who aimed at reviving Zaydi heritage. They started to teach and train the youth according to the teachings of Zaydiyya. Later they established "al-Haq party", which was the first political party established after the fall of the rule of the Zaydi Imams. | ||
Among the leaders of this party were Majd al-Din al-Mu'ayyidi and [[Badr al-Din al-Houthi]], two of Zaydi religious authorities. Salah Ahmad al-Falitah was elected as the first secretary-general of the al-Haq party. In the parliamentary election of 1993, the party was able to win two seats, and [[Husayn Badr al-Din al-Houthi]] and Abd Allah Ayda al-Razzami became the representatives of al-Haq party in the parliament. | |||
The Iranian revolution also had a great impact on Zaydi scholars of Yemen, encouraging them to revive Shi'i intellectual and social role. The travel of several Zaydi figures to Iran, including courses on Iranian revolution in Zaydi curriculum, and supporting Iran in Iran-Iraq war are some of the manifestations of the proximity between Zaydi scholars and Iran. | The Iranian revolution also had a great impact on Zaydi scholars of Yemen, encouraging them to revive Shi'i intellectual and social role. The travel of several Zaydi figures to Iran, including courses on Iranian revolution in Zaydi curriculum, and supporting Iran in Iran-Iraq war are some of the manifestations of the proximity between Zaydi scholars and Iran. | ||
However, this current issued a declaration in which the necessity of establishing a Zaydi rule was regarded as belonging to the past and so revolting against the existing rule was declared to be impermissible. | However, this current issued a declaration in which the necessity of establishing a Zaydi rule was regarded as belonging to the past and so revolting against the existing rule was declared to be impermissible. | ||
=The Revolutionary Current= | =The Revolutionary Current= | ||
Among Zaydi religious authorities and scholars, there was a current inclined to the Jarudi Zaydis, who were close to the Imamiyya in matters of theology and jurisprudence. This current insisted on imamate as a fundamental Zaydi principle and preserved the revolutionary attitude of the Zaydiyya. Emphasizing on the principle of enjoining the good and prohibiting the evil, they maintained that uprising against an unjust ruler is an obligation. This group regarded the approach of the conservative current as insufficient, so they established a new educational institution, called Muntada l-Shabab al-Muminin (Association of Believing Youths), to train and educate Zaydi youths, which later expanded and changed its name to Tanzim al-Shabab al-Mu'minin (Organization of Believing Youth). The spiritual leader of this organization was Badr al-Din al-Houthi and its political founder and theoretician was al-Husayn al-Houthi. | Among Zaydi religious authorities and scholars, there was a current inclined to the Jarudi Zaydis, who were close to the Imamiyya in matters of theology and jurisprudence. This current insisted on imamate as a fundamental Zaydi principle and preserved the revolutionary attitude of the Zaydiyya. Emphasizing on the principle of enjoining the good and prohibiting the evil, they maintained that uprising against an unjust ruler is an obligation. This group regarded the approach of the conservative current as insufficient, so they established a new educational institution, called Muntada l-Shabab al-Muminin (Association of Believing Youths), to train and educate Zaydi youths, which later expanded and changed its name to Tanzim al-Shabab al-Mu'minin (Organization of Believing Youth). The spiritual leader of this organization was Badr al-Din al-Houthi and its political founder and theoretician was al-Husayn al-Houthi. | ||