UAE launches large-scale replacement of mosques’ preachers in Aden

ADEN, Aug. 16 (YPA) – The United Arab Emirates is pushing forward with a sweeping campaign to replace mosque imams and preachers in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, which is under the control of the Saudi-led coalition, local sources reported.

According to the sources, Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, a prominent military figure affiliated with the UAE-backed forces, submitted a list earlier this week to the UAE military’s religious affairs official.

The list reportedly includes the names of newly approved imams and preachers who are set to assume leadership in Aden’s mosques.

Sources revealed that the plan to replace preachers and imams was proposed by hardline Salafi leaders, led by the Director of Endowments in Aden, Mohammed Hussein Al-Wali, and a figure known as Munir Al-Saadi.

The move aims to remove preachers affiliated with groups such as the Tablighi Jamaat, Islah, and Sufism, including some moderate Salafis and replace them with individuals aligned with the hardline faction.

Sources indicated that most of the proposed candidates hail from the Yafa’a region, warning that the plan risks fracturing the religious discourse and fueling sectarian tensions in the city.

This comes after a series of assassinations targeting more than 35 imams and religious figures in Aden over recent years, most of whom were affiliated with the Islah Party. Salafi leader Hani bin Breik, who has been barred by UAE authorities in Abu Dhabi from returning to Aden, has been accused of orchestrating these killings.

@E.Y.M