Abdul Majeed al-Zindani
Sheikh Abdul Majeed al-Zindani (Other spellings: Abdelmajid al-Zendani, Abdul Majeed Zendani, Abd Al Majid Zandani) (Arabic: عبد المجيد الزنداني) has been described as "a charismatic Yemeni academic and politician." He is the founder and head of the Iman University in Yemen, head of al-Islah political movement in Yemen, and the founder of the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia.[1]
Early life
Abdul Majeed al-Zindani was born in 1942 in Yemen. He spent his early college years in Egypt, where he failed to get a degree and was influenced by the Islamic Movements and devoted his life to politics.[citation needed] He has known Osama Bin Laden since they met during the Soviet-Afghan war during the 1970s. Whilst Bin Laden served on the front lines, al-Zindani served in a spiritual role for the mujahedeen, recruiting young Yemenis into the war.[1]
Iman University
Although Abdul Majeed al-Zindani does not hold a university degree in any field, he is the founder and president of the Iman University in Sanaa, Yemen which was founded in 1995.[1]
Political activity
Al-Zindani is involved in Yemeni politics[citation needed] and serves as head of major Islamist opposition political party, the Yemeni Congregation for Reform[citation needed] (al-Islah).[1]. He was a member of the Yemeni Presidential Council between 1993 and 1997.[citation needed]
Islam and science
Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah
Zindani is interested in twisting interpretations of quran and hadith to match modern discoveries and scientific theories.
He approached the Saudi government's largest charity, the Muslim World League, in 1984, to establish a Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia. He headed the Commission until stepping down as secretary general in 1995. Although he no longer has any official role with the Muslim World League, he is still invited to its events. Abdullah al-Turki the secretary general of the Muslim World League, met with Zindani in early 2002 to discuss how to serve Islam and Muslims.
AIDS reasearch
Abdul-Majid al-Zindani gave a speech praising the quality of scientific and medical research carried out at the Iman University, claiming that they had successfully treated many cases of AIDS.[2] In twenty cases, al-Zandani said that the virus had vanished completely without any side effects and called on the UN, which "spends enormous amounts of money to fight the disease," to send "its senior scientists to review [the university's] findings.” This research has not yet been verified by other scientists.[citation needed]
Dr. Jamil al-Mughales, the head of the Clinical Immunology Services of King Abdul Aziz University, said that if he were the Minister of Health, he would put al-Zindani in jail. “Me and my friends were totally upset about the way he is dealing with the disease,” he said. “I am one of the people who personally saw the blood test of one of the patients, who was told by al-Zindani to have sex with his wife because he is virus-free, but then when I saw the results, he still had HIV,” he said.
Jyllands-posten cartoon controversy
In 2006, Zindani pressed charges against 21 newspapers and their editors in Yemen for printing the controversial Muhammad cartoons, originally printed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-posten in 2005. On November 25, 2006, the first case against the newspaper Al-Rai Al-A'm closed with al-Zidani winning the case and the newspaper was sentenced to cease printing for 6 months and the editor Kamal al-Olufi was sentenced to one year of prison. Furthermore, al-Olufi was ordered to pay for the sentence to be printed in all major newspapers in the world.[citation needed]
Listing as a terrorist
According to Yossef Bodansky, biographer of Osama bin Laden and staff director of a U.S. congressional task force on terrorism, “Zindani is one of the people closest to bin Laden,” based on interviews with various intelligence agencies, current and former terrorists and others.[3]
On February 24 2004, the US Treasury Department added Zindani to its list of "banned entities" as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist". The Department claimed it had credible evidence al-Zindani had a "long history of working with bin Laden, notably serving as one of his spiritual leaders", that he "served as a contact for Ansar al-Islam (Al), a Kurdish-based terrorist organization linked to al-Qaeda", that students of his Al Iman University were suspected of assassinating three American missionaries and "the number two leader for the Yemeni Socialist Party, Jarallah Omar".[4]
His name subsequently appeared on the UN 1267 Committee's list[5] of individuals belonging to or associated with al-Qaeda. Among the factors offered to Guantanamo captive Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser's Administrative Review Board, justifying his continued extrajudicial detention were:[6]
- "The detainee decided to go to Afghanistan after hearing and speaking with Sheik Al Zindani.
- "Abd Al Majid Zandani was an active supporter of Usama Bin Laden. Zandani was involved in raising funds and recruiting volunteers for the Bin Laden organization. Zandani is also a religious and legal expert for Usama Bin Laden.
- "Executive Order 13224 designates Shaykh Abd Al Majid Al Zindani as a person who commits, threatens to commit, or supports terrorism."[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b c d "Yemeni Sheikh of Hate". National Review. Retrieved October 05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Yemenite Sheik Claims to Have Found the Cure for AIDS on YouTube
- ^ Strange Bedfellows: Western Scholars Play Key Role in Touting `Science' of the Quran Wall Street Journal, Jan 23, 2002. pg. A.1
- ^ United States Designates bin Laden Loyalist
- ^ UN 1267 Committee banned entity list
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser Administrative Review Board May 18 2005 - page 35