PRESIDENT TALKS TO ISLAM AND TOURISM FORUM SCHOLARS, INTELLECTUALS

SANA'A, Oct. 13 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh affirmed on
Tuesday the importance of the role of scholars in the process of
raising social awareness, offering advice and spreading tolerance
and mediation culture among people.

During his meeting with the participating Islamic scholars and
intellectuals in the Islam and Tourism Forum, concluded today after
two days, Saleh said that if leaders and scholars are good it would
be reflected on the nation.

He affirmed that what is happening in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and
north Yemen is due to ignorance of the proper Islam, noting that
Islamic scholars should work to clear such kind of misunderstanding
and call the nation for mediation without extremism.

President called upon Islamic scholars and intellectuals to
necessarily argue those misguided people who wear explosive belts,
set booby trapped cars and promote terrorism to persuade them to get
rid of their mistaken thoughts.

Saleh talked about situation developments in the war afflicted Saada
governorate, noting that those who ignited the rebellion aim at
taking power of the country and forgot that the Yemeni Revolution
took place 47 years ago against oppression, poverty, ignorance,
illness and backwardness.

"They dream of regaining the Imamate era and we believe that any
Yemeni has the right to dream of power but through ballot boxes and
not by means of terrorism and destruction and slogans of death for
America, death for Israel while Israel is not there in Saada,"
President said.

AM/AM