There have been several articles about Yemen dealing with other religions recently. They have arrested 9 Christians in Hodedia and now are talking about deporting 3 Ba’hais back to Iran where they will undoubtedly face some serious problems. All of these people have been arrested for proselytizing. What, exactly, is the big deal?
Yes, I understand that many muslims see people that try to convert people to other faiths as undermining the social fabric of Yemen. But come on… If people are strong in their faith, there’s no problem. If they aren’t… well, let me put it this way.. What’s worse, a bad muslim or a good Ba’hai or Christian?
On a more serious note, their desire to remove any competition from their culture is what makes it so weak, and so venerable to outside influence. It’s a bit of a catch 22, one that the powers that be don’t seem to get. They need to understand that no one can “force” someone to convert, that person has to decide. If they are on the brink, they are not going to be a good muslim, and they certainly are not going to be happy. Why is it so difficult for Yemenis (and muslims in Arab countries in general) to allow people to do what they like when it comes to religion? It smacks of desperation and fear, not things I would associate with people with a lot of faith…
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Christianity, libertarian, middle east, religion, religious freedom, Saudi arabia, yemen