Abd Al-Rahman Ali Al-Jifri
Encyclopedia
as-Sayyid AbdulRahman Ali AlJifri (born in November 1943) is a prominent Yemeni
opposition leader. He was the Vice-President of the Presidency Council of the short-lived Government of the Democratic Republic of Yemen
that was established on May 21, 1994. He was also the President of the National Opposition Front (MOWJ), the opposition group that fought and lost the brief war of secession against the Republic of Yemen in 1994. Currently, he is the Chairman of MOWJ, now comprising the group of former socialist leaders who fled the country in 1994.
at his father’s school in Yeshbum. He had his primary and intermediate stage education at the Al-Abdaleyah Al-Muhseniah school in Lahej, and his secondary-stage {high school} education at the Halwan school in Cairo
, Egypt
. After completion, he spent two years at the Faculty of Science in Cairo University
and was awarded the Bachelor of Science (Military Science
) in February 1965 by the military college. He was the first among the foreign students to pass the college study.
In 1964,AbdulRahman was granted the "Culture Award" for his thesis on the Positive Neutrality and Non-Alliance Policy which was published in the Magazine of the Armed Forces of U.A.R., the same year. He subsequently pursued a course in military engineering at the Al-Taif Military Engineering School and from 1973 to 1975, studied English language, computer programming and business administration in London
.
Abd Al-Rahman represented the youth organization in celebrating the first anniversary of the United Arab Republic
(U.A.R.) in 1959. In a carnival on February 2, which was attended by more than a hundred thousand people in the Republic Square in Cairo
, he delivered a speech on behalf of the youth organization. He was then only 16 years old.
In 1965, two rival nationalist groups — the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen
(FLOSY) and the National Liberation Front
(NLF) — turned to terrorism in their struggle to control the country. Abd Al-Rahman participated in the struggle against the British-sponsored Federation of South Arabia
. In the face of uncontrollable violence, British troops withdrew, and the federation rule collapsed. The NLF elements quickly took control, after eliminating their FLOSY rivals. Al-Rahman was forced to emigrate together with others from his homeland. By 1968, following a final royalist siege of Sanaa
, most of the opposing leaders reached a reconciliation and returned to their homeland.
In 1970, Abd Al-Rahman was involved in the National Unity movement which was then newly-formed in Sana’a. The National Unity was a coalition that included the League Party, the Liberation Front, the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) and the secessionists from the National Liberation Front (NLF).
After completing his course in London, Abd Al-Rahman worked as a General Manager for a number of investment companies in the Gulf. In November 1986, he was elected President of the League Party by the Party’s Seventh General Conference. He was again re-elected President in 1992 by the Eighth General Conference in Sana’a and was chairman of the Perpetratory Commission for the National Conference.
Conflicts within the coalition resulted in the self-imposed exile of Vice-President Ali Salim al-Baidh
to Aden
in August 1993, and a deterioration in the general security situation as political rivals settled scores and tribal elements took advantage of the unsettled situation. Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas
(former southern Prime Minister) continued to serve as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Yemen, but his government was ineffective due to political infighting. Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders resulted in the signing of the document of pledge and accord in Amman
, Jordan
on February 20, 1994.
Abd Al-Rahman signed the Document of Pledge and Accord in his capacity as a member. Jointly with the late Omer AlGawy, however, he expressed his reservations on the implementation mechanism. He forewarned the government against using the document as "an Othman’s bloody shirt". With co-members of the Dialogue Commission, he contributed in endeavors to pacify the situation after the distressful "events of Emran". Despite this, clashes intensified until civil war broke out in early May 1994.
’s supporters greatly assisted military operations against the secessionists and Aden was captured on July 7, 1994. Other resistance quickly collapsed and thousands of southern leaders and military went into exile.
When the war broke out, Abd Al-Rahman was in Aden, together with his friend, the late Omer Al-Gawy. He quickly drafted the initiative of the National Opposition Front on May 9, 1994 to stop the war. He participated in the Government of the Democratic Republic of Yemen as a Vice-President of the Presidency Council whence he declared that the objective was to put an end to the war and to restore the Yemeni unification on valid foundation that will help achieve stability and security in accordance with the document which enjoyed the consensus of the Yemeni populace and all its political and social forces. Among the principal leaders, he was the last to leave Aden, staying behind until July 7, 1994 to prevent bloodshed and to save it from being demolished.
After losing the war, leaders of the opposition front fled to several Arab countries and lived in exile. MOWJ set up its headquarters in London, where — despite retreating from its separatist line — it waged a propaganda campaign against the Sana’a government. In January 1995, Abd Al-Rahman was elected as President of MOWJ.
in London and in October, he delivered a speech on the Yemeni issue at Exeter University, which printed his speech.
In 1998, the separatist leaders were tried in their absence on treason charges. Five were sentenced to death but Abd Al-Rahman was merely given a ten-year suspended sentence, thus leaving open the possibility of his eventual return.
Like the Rabitat abna al-Yaman Party, Abd Al-Rahman renounces violence, believes in dialogue to resolve political and social issues and believes in moderation. His faith and tolerant approach follows the Koranic verse "Call to the path of your God by wisdom and good preachment and argue with them in the most graceful manner" and "[w]ard off in the most graceful manner such that with whom you have hostility as if he is an intimate friend".
Studies were published about him, the first of which was by Mr. Awad AlArashani of the "Al-Ahram Printing Press", entitled, Abdurrahman Aljifri: Confrontation and Challenge and another by "ALQUDS for Studies and Research", entitled, A Reading in the Thinking of Abdurrahman Aljifri, the President of Mowj.
Abd Al-Rahman has two sons, namely, Ali al-Jifri
, who is a scholar who currently resides in Abu Dhabi,UAE and who is a lecturer of Islamic Sciences at the famed Islamic University, Dar al-Mustafa and the founder of tabah foundation in abu dhabi, his other son( abdulaziz abdulrahman al jifri), one daughter and 11 grandchildren the oldest male ( alawi hassan aljifri) was born in 1995.
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
opposition leader. He was the Vice-President of the Presidency Council of the short-lived Government of the Democratic Republic of Yemen
Democratic Republic of Yemen
The Democratic Republic of Yemen was declared in May 1994. The DRY, with its capital in Aden, was led by President Ali Salim al-Beidh and Prime Minister Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas and represented a response to the weakening position of the South in the Yemeni civil war of 1994...
that was established on May 21, 1994. He was also the President of the National Opposition Front (MOWJ), the opposition group that fought and lost the brief war of secession against the Republic of Yemen in 1994. Currently, he is the Chairman of MOWJ, now comprising the group of former socialist leaders who fled the country in 1994.
Education
Born in Yeshbum, Shabwa,AbdulRahman learned the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
at his father’s school in Yeshbum. He had his primary and intermediate stage education at the Al-Abdaleyah Al-Muhseniah school in Lahej, and his secondary-stage {high school} education at the Halwan school in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. After completion, he spent two years at the Faculty of Science in Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
and was awarded the Bachelor of Science (Military Science
Military science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
) in February 1965 by the military college. He was the first among the foreign students to pass the college study.
In 1964,AbdulRahman was granted the "Culture Award" for his thesis on the Positive Neutrality and Non-Alliance Policy which was published in the Magazine of the Armed Forces of U.A.R., the same year. He subsequently pursued a course in military engineering at the Al-Taif Military Engineering School and from 1973 to 1975, studied English language, computer programming and business administration in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Early Political Life
In 1956, at the age of 13,Abd Al-Rahman joined the Rabitat Party Youth, and was one of the pioneers in founding the Youth Organization of the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity. Rabitat abna al-Yaman (RAY) was one of the country’s oldest but smaller opposition parties.Abd Al-Rahman represented the youth organization in celebrating the first anniversary of the United Arab Republic
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
(U.A.R.) in 1959. In a carnival on February 2, which was attended by more than a hundred thousand people in the Republic Square in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, he delivered a speech on behalf of the youth organization. He was then only 16 years old.
In 1965, two rival nationalist groups — the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen
Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen
The Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen or was a military organization operating in the Federation of South Arabia in the 60s. As the British tried to exit its Federation of South Arabia colony Abdullah al Asnag created FLOSY...
(FLOSY) and the National Liberation Front
National Liberation Front (Yemen)
The National Liberation Front or NLF was a military organization operating in the Federation of South Arabia in the 60s. During the North Yemen Civil War fighting spilled over into South Yemen as the British tried to exit its Federation of South Arabia colony...
(NLF) — turned to terrorism in their struggle to control the country. Abd Al-Rahman participated in the struggle against the British-sponsored Federation of South Arabia
Federation of South Arabia
The Federation of South Arabia was an organization of states under British protection in what would become South Yemen. It was formed on 4 April 1962 from the 15 protected states of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South. On 18 January 1963 it was merged with the crown colony of Aden...
. In the face of uncontrollable violence, British troops withdrew, and the federation rule collapsed. The NLF elements quickly took control, after eliminating their FLOSY rivals. Al-Rahman was forced to emigrate together with others from his homeland. By 1968, following a final royalist siege of Sanaa
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
, most of the opposing leaders reached a reconciliation and returned to their homeland.
In 1970, Abd Al-Rahman was involved in the National Unity movement which was then newly-formed in Sana’a. The National Unity was a coalition that included the League Party, the Liberation Front, the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) and the secessionists from the National Liberation Front (NLF).
After completing his course in London, Abd Al-Rahman worked as a General Manager for a number of investment companies in the Gulf. In November 1986, he was elected President of the League Party by the Party’s Seventh General Conference. He was again re-elected President in 1992 by the Eighth General Conference in Sana’a and was chairman of the Perpetratory Commission for the National Conference.
Formation of the National Opposition Front (MOWJ)
Abd Al-Rahman represented the League Party in founding the National Opposition Front (MOWJ) which was the most successful opposition alliance in the Yemeni political arena. He represented the Party in the Dialogue Commission, which was the direct outcome of the Front’s pressure against the ruling government. He drafted the broad outlines and foundations of the Document of Pledge and Accord and presented the document in the name of the League’s Rabitat Party to the National Opposition Front in October 1993. The National Opposition Front presented the document to the Dialogue Commission in “Sana’a” on December 18, 1993.Conflicts within the coalition resulted in the self-imposed exile of Vice-President Ali Salim al-Baidh
Ali Salim al-Baidh
Ali Salim al-Beidh is a Yemeni politician who served as the General Secretary of the Yemeni Socialist Party , the top political position in South Yemen, and as Vice-President of Yemen following Yemen's unification in 1990. He left the unification government in 1994, sparking the 1994 civil war in...
to Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in August 1993, and a deterioration in the general security situation as political rivals settled scores and tribal elements took advantage of the unsettled situation. Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas
Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas
Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas was appointed Prime Minister of Yemen by President Ali Abdullah Saleh when the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen and Yemen Arab Republic united in 1990 to form present-day Yemen. Al-Attas served until 1994...
(former southern Prime Minister) continued to serve as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Yemen, but his government was ineffective due to political infighting. Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders resulted in the signing of the document of pledge and accord in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
on February 20, 1994.
Abd Al-Rahman signed the Document of Pledge and Accord in his capacity as a member. Jointly with the late Omer AlGawy, however, he expressed his reservations on the implementation mechanism. He forewarned the government against using the document as "an Othman’s bloody shirt". With co-members of the Dialogue Commission, he contributed in endeavors to pacify the situation after the distressful "events of Emran". Despite this, clashes intensified until civil war broke out in early May 1994.
Civil War
Southern leaders, supported by the Saudis, declared secession and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Yemen (DRY) on May 21, 1994, but the Democratic Republic of Yemen was not recognized by the international community. Although the southerners had their own motives for fighting, northern leaders have long maintained that the Saudis supported the southern cause as a way of furthering their own border dispute with the Republic of Yemen. Ali Nasir MuhammadAli Nasir Muhammad
Ali Nasir Muhammad Husani was twice president of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. He served as Chairman of the Presidential Council from 26 June 1978 - 27 December 1978. In April 1980, South Yemeni president Abdul Fattah Ismail resigned and went into exile...
’s supporters greatly assisted military operations against the secessionists and Aden was captured on July 7, 1994. Other resistance quickly collapsed and thousands of southern leaders and military went into exile.
When the war broke out, Abd Al-Rahman was in Aden, together with his friend, the late Omer Al-Gawy. He quickly drafted the initiative of the National Opposition Front on May 9, 1994 to stop the war. He participated in the Government of the Democratic Republic of Yemen as a Vice-President of the Presidency Council whence he declared that the objective was to put an end to the war and to restore the Yemeni unification on valid foundation that will help achieve stability and security in accordance with the document which enjoyed the consensus of the Yemeni populace and all its political and social forces. Among the principal leaders, he was the last to leave Aden, staying behind until July 7, 1994 to prevent bloodshed and to save it from being demolished.
After losing the war, leaders of the opposition front fled to several Arab countries and lived in exile. MOWJ set up its headquarters in London, where — despite retreating from its separatist line — it waged a propaganda campaign against the Sana’a government. In January 1995, Abd Al-Rahman was elected as President of MOWJ.
Life After the Civil War
In 1997, Abd Al-Rahman participated in the "Human Rights Conference" held at Chatham HouseChatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
in London and in October, he delivered a speech on the Yemeni issue at Exeter University, which printed his speech.
In 1998, the separatist leaders were tried in their absence on treason charges. Five were sentenced to death but Abd Al-Rahman was merely given a ten-year suspended sentence, thus leaving open the possibility of his eventual return.
Like the Rabitat abna al-Yaman Party, Abd Al-Rahman renounces violence, believes in dialogue to resolve political and social issues and believes in moderation. His faith and tolerant approach follows the Koranic verse "Call to the path of your God by wisdom and good preachment and argue with them in the most graceful manner" and "[w]ard off in the most graceful manner such that with whom you have hostility as if he is an intimate friend".
Studies were published about him, the first of which was by Mr. Awad AlArashani of the "Al-Ahram Printing Press", entitled, Abdurrahman Aljifri: Confrontation and Challenge and another by "ALQUDS for Studies and Research", entitled, A Reading in the Thinking of Abdurrahman Aljifri, the President of Mowj.
Abd Al-Rahman has two sons, namely, Ali al-Jifri
Habib Ali al-Jifri
Habib Ali Zain al-`Abideen al-Jifri is an Islamic scholar from Hadhramaut, Yemen of the Shafi'i school of fiqh, and the Ashari school of aqida.-Background:...
, who is a scholar who currently resides in Abu Dhabi,UAE and who is a lecturer of Islamic Sciences at the famed Islamic University, Dar al-Mustafa and the founder of tabah foundation in abu dhabi, his other son( abdulaziz abdulrahman al jifri), one daughter and 11 grandchildren the oldest male ( alawi hassan aljifri) was born in 1995.
Political writings
Abd Al-Rahman Ali wrote and contributed in compiling several of the League’s literature, some of which were as follows:- A True Vision on the Unity Issue (1987)
- The Reality and the Alternative (1987): A Confutation of the Outlook of Garallah Omer (1989)
- Struggle Facts and Attitudes
- The Party of Truth and Originality
- Yemen! Where to?
- The Rotes and The solution, which was presented at the London Conference in September 1995; the conference, initiated and sponsored by the University of LondonUniversity of London-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, was attended by several political leaders of the Yemeni Opposition - A Perspective for Uniting the Efforts of the Yemeni Opposition
- Path of the People and a Charismatic Leader (1980), a book on one of the most prominent founders of the National Movement, His Eminence Assayed Mohammad Ali Aljifri.
External links
- http://www.theezine.net/h/history-of-yemen.html