Yemeni top religious figure to “Echourok” : ready to negotiate with Bin Laden

In a lengthy interview given to “ Echourok” the Yemeni scholar Hammoud Abdelhamid Al Hettar has singled out the importance of dialogue before using force to fight against extremists , adding that Al Qaeda sympathizers were not seeking fame and fortune because extremists have always been driven by an unshakeable faith.

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• He said he was ready to start negotiations with Al Qaeda’s leader Oussama Bin Laden and has the power to convince him to give up his radicalism.
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• Q: You chair the dialogue commission with the extremists and outlaws, why did you choose dialogue?
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• A: Dialogue is based on scientific rules and principles if scrupulously followed by the negotiator, can easily reached the targeted goals but if he fails to respect one of these principles, the outcome would be disastrous. Among these principles one has to define the aim of it and the topic as well as the appropriate time and place to carry out the negotiations avoiding prejudices. Dialogue must be based on mutual respect between the two parties who must be respectful to each other and avoid patronizing manners and despising attitudes.
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• Q: To what extent did your committee reach success in this field?
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• A: Many specialists and experts in the field of terrorism agreed upon the huge success of the Yemeni’s experience in the fight against terrorism in a pacific way rating it at 98%.
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• Q: Terrorist acts in Yemen stopped as from 2002 through 2006 but resumed after this date, what are the reasons behind?
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• A: Simply the country’s security policy was mainly based on dialogue but changed onwards privileging armed actions while dialogue was put at the second hand; Unfortunately this strategy proved disastrous and worsened the situation because violence creates violence and peace engenders peace.
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• Q: Did you start round of negotiations with the extremists at large?
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• A: What do you mean?
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• Q: Precisely Al Qaeda elements
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• A: Negotiations are open and as a committee we didn’t release any official statement to invite these elements for a dialogue, because it’s not part of our prerogatives, but let me seize this opportunity to ask them to sit around a table and debate their ideology on the basis of the religious principles, and we are ready to start negotiations with Oussam Bin Laden to prove him that he is on the wrong path and that his “fight” harms Islam more then it serves it.
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• Q: Do you still in touch with the repentant that departed from Al Qaeda’s ideology?
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• A: Let me announce through your newspaper that those who accepted dialogue and were convinced by the outcome gave up their extremist views and abide by the dialogue’s conditions. They were released but still under security watch for a year or two, moreover they are supervised by scholars from the committee known for their moderate ideas.