President asks preachers to bolster soldiers’ faith in Allah

SANA’A, March 23(Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh has called on preachers in the armed forces to inspire soldiers to follow a spiritual approach of patriotism, in order to make them stronger. Addressing a training course for the preachers on Wednesday, the president prodded them to “reinforce the soldier’s faith in Allah” and the conviction emanating out of it to “struggle in the cause of God” in order to cement the morale factor in the personality of soldiers under the banner of middle-of-the-roadism. The approach of religion in barracks has changed differently from how it was some 27 years ago, according to President Saleh. He said, 27 years ago, observation of prayer and fasting, as key rites of Islam were popular. He maintained that being religious was viewed, in barracks, as a sign of weak character and cowardice. “In fact, the contrary is correct,” Saleh pointed. “Hence, we ought to build our military institution on the doctrinal basis of Islam, and the institution shall defend it (the religion).” Recalling the history of triumphs associated with faith, Saleh said that “when the nation counted on the power of divine” in its battle against the 1994 secessionism and previously on the Imamite regimes, it was blessed by victory. “Soldiers ought to arms themselves with the belief in the Koran and the Sunna as a more effective weapon than Kalashnikovs, tanks and missles,” the president advised. But he stressed the imperative of promoting tolerance and presenting Yemen as a secure country with a lucrative environment for Islamic and non-Islamic investors. AA/NS SABA