Masses of people gathered on Sunday in a large-scale rally on Airport Street in the capital, Sana'a, to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Zaid bin Ali, peace be upon him, under the banner "Insight and Jihad."
Participants renewed their pledge to follow the path of Imam Zaid, inspired by his unmatched courage, sacrifices, and unwavering revolutionary stance against tyrants and oppressors. They affirmed their steadfast commitment to defending the oppressed, upholding sacred values, and confronting arrogance and injustice—regardless of the cost.
The crowds reaffirmed Yemen’s principled and unwavering stance in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people, pledging to continue confronting the Israeli enemy until the aggression ends and the unjust siege on Gaza is fully lifted.
Demonstrators strongly condemned the ongoing Arab and Islamic silence and failure to stand by the Palestinian people, who are enduring genocide, starvation, and siege at the hands of the Zionist regime, backed by the United States, Western powers, and facilitated by international and UN complicity.
The massive rally reflected the Yemeni people’s deep-rooted spiritual and ideological connection to Imam Zaid and the Imams of guidance, reaffirming their determination to carry forward the values and principles for which these leaders sacrificed—foremost among them the defense of Palestine and Islamic sanctities.
Speakers emphasized that this occasion serves as a pivotal moment for reflection and renewal, drawing profound lessons from Imam Zaid, known as the “Ally of the Qur’an,” whose life epitomized courage, insight, jihad, and self-sacrifice in resisting tyranny—manifested today in the U.S.-Israeli axis of oppression.
The participants hailed Imam Zaid as a towering figure in Islamic history and a revolutionary leader whose mission transcended his time and place, aiming to revive the Ummah and correct its course in the face of injustice and betrayal.
During the rally, Grand Mufti of Yemen, Shamsuddin Sharaf al-Din, praised the massive turnout, noting that honoring such religious occasions reflects respect for the values and principles brought by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family.
He stressed that this painful yet profound anniversary offers important spiritual lessons—teaching dignity, perseverance, and the values enshrined in the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet.
“This commemoration is not about sectarianism or partisanship. Imam Zaid was an Imam for the entire Ummah, not just a particular group. He rose to uphold the Word of God at a time when the message of Muhammad had been abandoned by both close and distant followers,” the Mufti said.
Sharaf al-Din noted that just as Imam Hussain gave his life to revive the religion and set it back on course, Imam Zaid continued this divine mission by confronting the oppression and tyranny of the Umayyad rulers, whose corruption devastated the Ummah.
He pointed out that tyrants, past and present, show no concern for Muslim sanctities, nor do they care about offenses against the Prophet. Today’s rulers remain silent as Gaza endures massacres, revealing their submission and betrayal—contrary to the noble path of Ahl al-Bayt.
He affirmed that the Yemeni people, led by a steadfast and resilient revolutionary leadership, are standing firm against U.S. and Israeli aggression and their Western backers. This school of thought—of resistance, sacrifice, and courage—continues through their actions today.
The Mufti described Imam Zaid as the "Ally of the Qur’an," who lived its teachings in spirit, word, and deed.
He also strongly condemned what he called the “betrayal of the scholars of the Two Holy Mosques and Al-Azhar Al-Sharif,” who failed to speak out a word of truth or lift a finger, noting that the wrath of the Jews and America will not be stopped unless the scholars fulfill their duty, break the barrier of fear, and fulfill their responsibilities.
Sharaf al-Din considered the genocide taking place today in Gaza to be unprecedented in history and could not be met with silence. “The nation has been watching Gaza, while the people is being failed, and that Muslims have reached a stage where they are ashamed of their identity, while Gaza stands up against tyranny on behalf of an entire nation.”
He stressed that “the Zionist enemy does not want peace, but only wants the peace process to continue because it gives it time to implement its project, as the enemy’s leaders have revealed in their books, such as Netanyahu and others.”
“We are not facing an ordinary enemy, but rather a global Zionist-American project that seeks to destroy the nation, transform its countries into failed entities, and subjugate them completely,” Sharaf al-Din added.
Sharaf al-Din praised the stance of the Yemeni people, who is been holding continuous mass demonstrations since the Al-Aqsa Intifada to support their brothers in Gaza, emphasizing that the people of Gaza is an “icon of victory” and its steadfastness and perseverance is what will defeat the Zionist enemy.
