Abdul Majid al-Zindani
Abdul Majid al-Zindani is a Yemenite radical Islamist cleric with ties to al-Qaeda, who had been believed one of the most powerful radicals in Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula [1] but may be losing influence to the younger Anwar al-Awlaki.[2]
While the U.S. and U.K. designated him a terrace, in 2007, a Sultan al-Barakani, chairman of the ruling General People's Congress Caucus, said that the U.S. government had failed to send the Yemeni government information incriminating al-Zindani in terrorism, stating that, "we don't have any evidence that Sheikh al-Zindani was involved with al-Qaeda" [3]
Al-Zindani, a former pharmacist, is known for interpreting passages in the Qur'an as related to science and health; he has said he will reveal a cure for HIV. [4]
The U.S. government accuses him of recruiting, purchasing weapons and acting as a spiritual leader for al-Qaeda, as well as acting as a contact for Kurdish Iraq's Ansar al-Islam [5]
References
- ↑ Lee Keath (12 January 2010), "Yemen rejects pressure on reform amid terror fight", Associated Press
- ↑ James Hyder (11 January 2009), "Yemen offers to strike a deal with al-Qaeda fighters", Times (UK)
- ↑ Yemen Times, April 2, 2007, quoted by McGregor, 6 April 2007
- ↑ Andrew McGregor (6 April 2007), "Yemeni Sheikh al-Zindani's New Role as a Healer", Terrorism Focus
- ↑ Office of Public Affairs (24 February 2004), United States Designates bin Laden Loyalist, U.S. Department of the Treasury, JS-1190