Treks raise awareness about dangers of revenge killings [Archives:2008/1137/Front Page]
By:Almigdad Dahesh Mojalli
SANA'A, March 9 ) Dar Al-Salam organization completed its first on-foot treks to five Yemeni governorates on Sunday.
Covering the months of January and February, the trek through Amran, Al-Jawf, Marib, Hajjah and Sa'ada governorates sought to spread public awareness about revenge killing, the risks of bearing arms and the importance of contributing to fighting terrorism.
Abdulrahman Al-Anisi, head of Dar Al-Salam, stated, “During this trek, we tried to acquaint people with the danger of carrying arms, fighting terrorism and the great deal of endurance of those who suffer from revenge killing and kidnapping.”
This first trek involved 12 participants representing 12 different governorates. As Al-Anisi explained, “They were teachers, athletes, clerks and just everyday people.”
He added, “They wanted to participate in this trek, believing in their duty to spread awareness among citizens and contribute to solving our society's problems, including revenge and tribal kidnapping.”
During the trek, participants visited tribes such as Eial Sayiad, Al-Hanashat and Daham, which have problems with arms-bearing, revenge and kidnapping. The participants discussed the tribesmen's sufferings and problems and possible ways to solve them.
They used numerous aids to acquaint people with the nature, causes and solutions to their problems, including photos of the victims of revenge and kidnapping, brochures, statistics, zamils (popular poems) and orations.
“At first, it was difficult to make the tribesmen listen to the participants,” Al-Anisi said, “but they used many ways to draw their attention and finally, they succeeded in getting the tribes to sign agreements to not use light arms such as pistols, guns and grenades at weddings and other occasions.”
Dar Al-Salam began planning for these treks this past December and concluded its first trek with a meeting of the governors of the five targeted governorates, who expressed their support for the organization.
In the same context, the organization commenced its second on-foot trek last Thursday, March 7, targeting the governorates of Al-Mahwit, Raymah, Hodeidah, Taiz, Ibb and Al-Beidha, while the third trek, which will start at the beginning of May, will cover the remaining governorates.
The treks come within the framework of a five-year strategy aiming to create public awareness regarding awareness and bearing a responsibility toward issues such as religious fanaticism, kidnapping, murder and bombings, in addition to arms-bearing and revenge by 2012.
According to Al-Anisi, revenge killing in Yemen has claimed more than 10,000 lives, adding that revenge killing is mostly in the nation's northern and eastern districts due to widespread illiteracy and weaponry.
Although a study has mentioned that Yemen has more than 50 million weapons – ranking it second after the United States – Al-Anisi denies that anyone is actually able to count them.
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