Muhammad Musa al-Amri (محمد موسى العامري) (born 1 January 1965) is a
Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
i politician. He is the leader of al-Rachad party (also known as "Yemeni Rashad Union," Ittiḥād al Rashād, اتحاد الرشاد) in Yemen, and he was appointed as Minister of State on 7 November 2014 as part of
Khaled Bahah
Khaled Mahfoudh Bahah () (born 1 January 1965) is a Yemeni politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Yemen between 2014 and 2016, as well as Vice President of Yemen from 2015 until he was dismissed on April 3, 2016, by the former Pr ...
's cabinet. He remained in office even after the 2014 coup carried out by the
Houthis
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydism, Zaydi Shia Islamism, Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadersh ...
that led Bahah's government to resign on 22 January 2015.
Education
Muhammad was born in the village of the Beni Amer in Casablanca province, in central Yemen. He pursued his education between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, eventually returning to Yemen, where he attended Dar al-Hadith school. He earned a master's degree in Islamic law and further specialized in the subject at the Islamic University of Omdurman, in Sudan.
Politics
Muhammad Musa al-Amri was recently designated as the chairman of al-Rachad, the first
Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retu ...
political party in Yemen - founded in March 2012.
He gained prominence after the party received full official recognition by the "National Unity Government", which was established in November 2011. It was established as part of the framework of the transition agreement, signed by
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh Affash (21 March 1947There is a dispute as to Saleh's date of birth, some saying that it was on 21 March 1942. See: However, by Saleh's own confession (an interview recorded in a YouTube video), he was born in 1947.4 Decembe ...
's party and the opposition under the aegis of the
Gulf Cooperation Council
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...
. In an interview by Al-Yaman TFV, Muhammad claimed that the Yemen uprising of 2011 disclosed a new opportunity for political participation and for a substantial change in political structures in the light of which the formation of a Salafi political party appeared promising.
Al-Rachad attempted to provide a "new model" for a clear Islamic voice in Yemen that could express "an authentic, orthodox and realistic Islamic message." In 2013, Muhammad al-Amri argued that "the biggest factor in preventing their alafisparticipation in politics is the fear that the Rashād party would become a replica of existing Islamic political work in the Yemeni arena."
Reflecting on Salafism's negative public connotations in Yemen, Al Rashād's president said that "there is no objectivity when opinions on Salafis are circulated," and reiterated that "the Salafi stance is moderate ndfar away from extremism." The party's foundation attracted growing criticism in Yemen especially by the Salafis in
Saada Governorate
Saada () or Sa'dah is one of the governorates of Yemen. The governorate's seat and the largest city is Saada. It is the epicentre of ZaydismDamaj, the place of origin for Salafi ideology in Yemen, who condemned al-Rachad party members' growing engagement in the political arena and partisan affiliation.
On 21 September 2014, al-Amri signed the "Peace and National Partnership Agreement" in the presidential residence in
Sana'a
Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the ''de jure'' capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation ...
, in the presence of President
Hadi
Hadi or Hady () is an Arabic masculine given name and surname. Al-Hadi is one of the 99 names of God in Islam meaning ''guide'' (from the Arabic triconsonantal root ; also present in hidayah).
Given name Hadi
* Hadi Saei (born 1976), Iranian taek ...
and the UN envoy to Yemen, Jamal bin Omar. The agreement was signed by representatives of Ansarallah, the umbrella organization of the Houthi movement and the leadership of major political factions in Yemen. The then-sitting government also joined the initiative, which was welcomed by the Gulf Cooperation Council and by the
Secretary-General of the United Nations
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...
.
Allegations
Rumors about al-Rachad party's affiliation with
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( or : Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, . Organization of Jihad's Base in the Arabian Peninsula), or AQAP is a Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamic extremism, Islamist militant organization which s ...
(AQAP) started to circulate especially after the party's secretary general, 'Abd al Wahhab al Ḥumayqani, was named a "
Specially Designated Global Terrorist
A Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) is a person or entity that has been designated as such by the United States Department of State or the U.S. Department of the Treasury. An SDGT designation is made under authority of U.S. Executive ...
" (SDGT) by the
U.S. Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments.
The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...
in 2013 and listed as a supporter of al-Qaeda. In particular, the U.S. government charged that al Ḥumayqani was a prominent figure within AQAP who reportedly had a relationship with the leaders of the terrorist organization. Allegedly, al Ḥumayqani used his status in the charitable community to help fundraising for the Arabian branch of al-Qaeda and orchestrated an AQAP attack on a Yemeni Republican guard base in
al Bayda' Governorate
Al Bayda Governorate ( '), also spelt ''Al-Baidhah'' or ''Beida'', is one of the governorates ('' muhafazat'') of Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borde ...
.
In light of this connection, ''
Christian Science Monitor
''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles both in electronic format and a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper b ...
'' reported that the U.S. government has inferred that al-Rachad "is little more than a front, created with AQAP leaders to increase the group's numbers and broaden its support."