“Negative politics and unfair treatment against Islam and Muslims cause the anger for all Muslims and not only Yemeni, and at that time they feel they are ready to do anything which helps to stop the unfairness against them. But again I call those people not to allow their anger for Islam to do forbidden acts.”

Yemen Post: Lets go back two months ago to the American Embassy attack, what is your comment on it?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: I believe that these acts are nearer to craziness than to Jihad and I believe that people who plan and execute these explosions don’t understand Islam correctly and don’t understand Jihad in Islam as well. I advise those people who do these attacks to understand their religion more by sitting and asking scholars, because killing and scaring innocent people is not a simple matter.

Yemen Post: In your opinion, what drives Yemeni youth to be involved is such actions?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: I think one reason for them to do such things is because they want to serve the religion, but unfortunately they aren't, because they are using the wrong way. They let their anger out in a wrong way when seeing the unfair treatment for Muslims around the world to lead them to do forbidden things. Another reason is the stupid politics which the U.S follows against Muslims in many places of the world which hurts or even kills Muslims. Negative politics and unfair treatment against Islam and Muslims is the cause of anger for all Muslims and not only Yemenis, and at that time they feel they are ready to do anything which helps to stop that unfairness against them, but again I call those people not to allow their anger for Islam to do forbidden acts.

Yemen Post: Do you think that these operations are planned and prepared by Yemeni money and minds?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: If these people as they say belong to Al-Qa’eda then we all know that Al-Qa’eda has no country or borders and it is an international organization. 

Yemen Post: Recently, some journalists  accused you of having no real Islamic knowledge. Do you think that the authorities stand behind these attacks against you?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: It is the norm that people have different opinions about the way they understand things. This causes different reactions to come up, but sometimes these reactions are impolite. People attacked Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), while I am a normal human who could be right or wrong.

Yemen Post: More than six months ago, you submitted to parliament a loans project for regular employees; could you give us a brief about that project?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: I intended by this project to serve all people besides the government. We could simply say that the loan project which I suggested in parliament will give a partial solution for poverty in Yemen. The goal of these projects is to convert poor families into producers of society. 

Yemen Post: Did the parliament discuss the project yet?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: It is now with the Constitutional Committee, and I hope that parliament discusses it without thinking of who brought it up, the government or the opposition. 

Yemen Post: A lot of things have been said and written about some foreign restaurant that sold alcohol and authorities seized a large quantity of it months ago, but now they reopened due to high ranking orders?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: What happened is that people complained about some foreign restaurants which violate the law by selling forbidden alcohol. The prosecution responded to these complaints and seized the alcohols in these restaurants. Later, the prosecution returned them back and reopened these restaurants ignoring the law and citizens’ feelings. 

Yemen Post: Many people agreed with establishing of the Virtue Authority, but then they changed their point of view after they knew it would be established in cooperation with the Saudi Virtue Authority,  which is known for its aggressiveness?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: I think the problem is not in the cooperation between the two authorities. The problem is on these writers and journalists who declared that without even making sure about this information. With my all respect to the Saudi Virtue Authority, there is no such cooperation between us and them because the two authorities don’t have the same rules. For example, in Saudi Arabia, it is part of the system and they have their own law and they also have their own policemen, while in Yemen we can say it is still a guide for the system and citizens.

Yemen Post: There are also many Islah members who declared that they are against the virtue authority?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: Some of them had wrong information which they unfortunately took from media but after we sat and explained the issue to them, they completely agreed with establishing the authority. 

Yemen Post: So you admit that you are not doing your job in terms of publicity?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: The problem is that we don’t have mass media. The government gave strong efforts to defame the authority. We wish all those who published misleading information about the Virtue Authority to ask us to explain for them all the information they want to know instead of publishing wrong information. 

Yemen Post: Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Eryani, President Political Adviser, said that the authority is not lawful and convenient for the current time .. What is your reply?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: Dr. Al-Eryani knows himself very well that he is not a religious or law person, so he gave an opinion about something which he doesn’t understand and we called him to say those comments in a debate on Yemeni TV so people could have a better understanding for what we call for and prove that Al-Eryani does not know what he is saying.

Yemen Post: In your opinion, how could Yemen pass the current crisis and challenges it is facing?

Mohammed Al-Hazmi: Frankly, after Sheikh Mujahed Abu Shawareb and Sheikh Abdullah bin Hussien Al-Ahmer passed away, the president is in dire need of mature companions. Therefore, I call the president to hear from the experienced mature people who could help him to find a solution to achieve harmony for all the political powers. 

Yemen Post: As a opposition member in parliament, if the opposition decides to boycott the elections, will you nominate yourself in the next parliamentary elections?