How Did Successive Authorities Policies' Kill Religious Diversity in Aden?

Along with religions, the city witnessed the emergence of several Islamic sects, top of which is Ismailism whose followers came from the Indian province of Gujarat. They originally were Hindus but they converted to Islam earlier in the 11th Century. A large part of Yemenis of Indian descent has been Shiite, particularly from the “Bohra” or “Khoja” Ismailis. In 2014, their number in Aden was roughly 300 [8].

Regarding religious diversity in Aden, Moataz Mubarak, a researcher specializing in the history of Al-Adeni, told “South24” that: “Aden is by nature a Cosmopolitan city [9]. It is a global city that accommodates everyone”.

Mubarak attributed this to the fact that Aden “includes the oldest and the most prosperous port. It has been the destination for merchants and those who seek new opportunities. Thus, different religions and races settled there long before colonialism. This was reflected in the travelers’ drawings and writing.

After the political decisions and the changes in running the state since 1947 impacted the coexistence in Aden, the Jews in the city were the most affected by such arbitrariness. Since the declaration of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the lives of Aden’s Jews have turned to unbearable hell [10].

Throughout history, political vicissitudes have largely impacted the general character of the demographic composition of the city. Those changes had acted as points of strength and enhanced this diversity. However, starting from the era which was greatly influenced by the Marxist regime, to the rule of the former Yemeni regime, and the conditions of the recent war in the city, great changes have taken place in this historical religious diversity that has characterized the city throughout the ages.

The background of the Marxist regime in the city dates back to the period that followed the independence of Aden and Southern regions from British colonization as the Marxist character overwhelmed the public situation in the city after the 1960s. The economic conditions changed a lot at that time as the ruling authorities removed the private sector and relied upon nationalized public sectors which led to the immigration of many traders from several religions and sectors according to historical affairs researcher Najmi Abdulmajid who spoke to "South24".

"The value of Aden is basically based on its geographical location which has connected peoples in a number of neighboring continents," he added. It served as a rest house for merchants and businessmen of different religions, languages and races who settled in Aden before the British colonization. In 439 AD, before Islam, the first church was built in Aden which was also mentioned in the Jewish Bible in the Book of Genesis and the Book of Ezekiel.

"Due to these economic changes, many Southerners departed also along with businessmen from other religions and sects" Najmi added.

Ghulam described the decision taken by the former South Yemen regime to nationalize assets as "unfair and wrong" as it led to the exodus of people including merchants, companies and others. This situation impacted people's lives while benefiting neighboring states such as North Yemen; Kuwait and the UAE.

Regarding the impact of this decision on religious diversity, Ghulam told "South24" that "many of Hindu and Persian businessmen left Aden after their assets and houses were nationalized". As for the Bohra and the Twelver sect, most of them emigrated and few remained.

He confirmed that British, European and other nationalities affiliated with other religions had emigrated completely from Aden.

After declaring the establishment of the Yemeni Republic on May 22nd 1990, and the subsequent military and political events that led to seizing South Yemen by military force in 1994, Aden witnessed the beginning of a dark stage regarding its religious identity, especially after the Unity regime cooperated with extremists who returned from Afghanistan known as “Afghan Arab”. 

By the help of the Unity regime, the influence of extremists and political Islamist group then began to expand, as they attempted to impose alien ideology in the city and exclude followers of other Islamic sects in Aden such as the “Sufis”. They went too far to the extent of accusing some sects of infidelity according to historians and researchers.

 

On this regard, Najmi said: “These groups used infidelity (takfiri) fatwas against Southerners. This is a result of what former President Ali Abdullah Saleh used to do by establishing camps to train these groups to fight in Afghanistan before the Unity. They included many Southerners who fled the rule of the Marxist regime in Aden”.

“The Northern regime intentionally incited those groups, which included many Southerners, to fight on the ground. Many of them were killed after swallowing the bait. The Northern regime succeeded in making the Southern cities as incubators for those extremists," he added.

As for the political employment of religion, Dr. Sameh Ismail, Egyptian researcher in political science and philosophy of history told “South24”: “the old employment of religion is very old. It can be said that the emergence of religions in the primitive societies were associated with political purpose by tightening control over the group through creating a class of priests. Perhaps the implicit contract between clerics and politicians is the most common phenomenon throughout human history”.

He stressed that “the authority uses a set of functional roles of religion to dominate and crumble the social structure to create a state of sectarian conflict which is exploited for more expansion and authoritarian spread. Thus, they could subdue the minorities and secure the lubricity of the majority who surrender to them to protect their status after wrongly believing that the authority is capable of doing that but they are unaware of the subsequent ramifications”.

The Southerners believe that the “Takfiri Fatwa” issued by the Justice Minister in the Unity State, Northern clerk Abdulwahab Al Dulaimi against Southerners in the 1994 War, is one of the most prominent examples in the modern age about the political employment of religion”.

According to Najmi, the Unity regime made several attempts to obliterate the historical religious landmarks in Aden, as it transformed some churches to legislative buildings, educational institutions, medical clinics or judicial centers. In 1996, He demolished the historic Aban mosque and built it again, stripping it of historical value, which spanned over centuries. 

“Many historical temples and buildings were burnt. A Synagogue was demolished. The Elephant Temple in Al-Khasaf area of Crater was smashed amid severs looting attempts by residents amid the lack of security and oversight”. He added

Aden witnessed successive waves of immigration by the religious minorities after 1994. Gradually, the number of temples declined until the closure of the latest Hindu temple “Shri Hinglaj Mataji Mandir" in the 2015 War. as well as the churches which were opened for minorities and foreigners until this war according to Moataz Mubarak.

Mubarak pointed out that there were many cases of kidnapping religious minorities including those who belong to Islamic minority sects. For example, on March 4th 2016, a massacre occurred in Mother Teresa’s home in which 16 people were killed, including four Catholic nuns, and the Christian priest, Tom O’Zonenil, was kidnapped.

“Aden has witnessed restrictions against the minorities, isolating un-Islamic sites of worship depriving their workers from their dues and seizing some of them like what happened in Jane Sweetmeber Temple. Such acts reached the extent of obstructing the burial procedures for those who just have Yemeni nationality. This created the need to have a foreign nationality,” he added. 

Although everything Aden has witnessed, a number of its churches and temples are still standing as an eyewitness for the civilization extension and religious tolerance that characterized Aden, as well as the love and peace that were the approach of daily life by its peaceful citizens, as evidenced throughout history.