Every Friday, the opposition organizes the noon prayer on 60-Meter Road outside the University of Science and Technology Hospital. The number of participants various widely depending on the political situation. Friday, April 13th was one of the lighter days with festival-like atmosphere. Even the soldiers were relaxed enough to pose for pictures with kids.

The day was named Friday of “Loyalty to Abyan”, the province that has seen the heaviest fighting between the Yemeni army and militants calling themselves Ansar al-Sharia – Partisans of Sharia Law. Sheikh Abdullah Saatar (الشيخ عبدالله صعتر) of the Islah party gave a moderate sermon (a notch down from his usual harsh tone) criticizing Ansar al-Sharia and calling for unity among Yemenis. At the end of the sermon he invoked Allah’s curse on those who kill in the name of Islam and those who work with the old regime, i.e. loyalists to the ousted president. In Islam invoking Allah’s curse on someone is no small matter. You’d only say it to your worst enemies. Since many loyalists are ordinary citizens who are not convinced of the revolution for various reasons, the curse is essentially placed on neighbors, colleagues, and family members who hold a different view. This type of rhetoric, unacceptable by most moderate Muslims, is one of the reasons that have repulsed many Yemenis from joining the opposition camp. To be fair, the loyalist Sheikhs adopted the same type of rhetoric putting curses on the revolutionaries who sent the country into chaos.

Yemeni politics has descended to the level of a schoolyard brawl. It desperately needs a charismatic leader to bring Yemen out of the political and economic crises by advocating unity instead of division, forgiveness instead of an eye for an eye, and peace negotiations instead of violent confrontations.

The security checkpoint on the women's side. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	People wait for the sermon to begin. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	People wait for the sermon to begin. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Real soldiers and toy soldiers. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Abudurrahman and Raghad. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Abudurrahman and Raghad with Mama. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
The sign held by the old man says: O tyrants! Oppress and be arrogant, but don’t think you can stay forever or escape justice. Do know that your fate will be like that of the Pharaoh. (This refers to the Exodus story told by the Quran in Surat Al Baqarah verse 50 where Pharaoh’s people drowned in the Red Sea when chasing after Moses.) Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Sheikh Abdullah Saatar (الشيخ عبدالله صعتر) of the Islah party gives the sermon. For all the money they are putting into organizing these events, you'd think that they'd get a better looking truck. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء
I like his henna-dyed beard. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	The old man indicates with his hand that the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh should be hanged. Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء	Friday prayer on 60 Meter Rd, Sana'a, Yemen جمعة الوفاء لأبين في شارع الستين بصنعاء

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