Manipulation of Religions: Delaying the Maghrib Prayer and Spreading Sectarian Activity in Mosques – One of the Latest Crimes of the Houthis
Delaying the Maghrib prayer and spreading sectarianism are distinctive traits of the terrorist Houthi militias
Over the past 9 years of seizing the capital, Sana’a, these militias have sought to change the timings of the Maghrib and Fajr prayers contrary to the country’s local timing.
Recently, the Houthi militia has mandated mosques under its control to delay the Maghrib prayer to compel those under its authority to break their fast according to its beliefs. This serves the purpose of promoting sectarian ideas.
Sectarian Ideas Service
In the province of Ibb, local sources stated that the Guidance Office, affiliated with the Houthi authorities, continues to communicate with mosque officials, imams, and muezzins in the city of Ibb to inform them of complying with the official prayer times approved by the militia, particularly for the Fajr and Maghrib prayers, in line with their sectarian ideas.
Some muezzins were instructed during the Fajr prayer today, Monday, to delay it by seven to ten minutes in compliance with Houthi directives. Those who disobey face threats of sanctions. Ahmed al-Hamran, a leader in the Houthi militia and appointed by it as the director of guidance in Ibb province, is behind the demand for mosque officials to delay the call to prayer.
Mosque officials received calendars and other directives; however, many of them intend to reject these instructions to delay the call to prayer beyond the official timing. Additionally, the Endowments offices have urged mosque officials to broadcast militia-affiliated programs before Maghrib and after Iftar, in addition to obligating them to open the loudspeakers daily to broadcast the militia’s leader’s daily speech during the blessed month of Ramadan.
Yemeni activist Arabi Qasim stated that the Houthi terrorist gang’s mandate on mosque imams in its areas of influence to delay the Maghrib prayer during Ramadan in the past years aimed to impose this on imams and residents in various areas under its control to serve its sectarian ideas. However, this was met with widespread popular rejection despite Houthi threats to dissenters.
