Since 2003, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Moayyad has been detained in American prisons away from his family and relatives. The poor people and children who are emotionally connected to him because he used to care after them through the assistance rendered by the Al-Ehsan Charitable Center are no lefy hopeless. He was jailed, psychologically tortured and inhumanly treated after he had been sentenced to a 75-years term in 2005 over baseless claims.

History

Sheikh Al-Moayyad is a god-fearing scholar who came to Sana'a from his homeland Khawlan when he was only 6 years old. He joined Orphans School where he got his primary education. He later joined Abdul Nasser Secondary School from which he got his preparatory and secondary school certificates. At university level, he joined Sana'a University's Department of Islamic Studies. As he graduated from the university, he assumed the post of Preaching and Guidance General Manager at Endowments Ministry. He assumed also other posts the last of which was an advisor to Endowments Ministry. He positively participated in improving Al-Asbahi city in the capital and he was leading charitable works there through the mosque and Al-Ehsan Charitable Center which provided different free services and food assistance to locals, including educational and medical services.

In a phone call made two weeks ago, Zakaria, the oldest son of Sheikh Al-Moayyad, pointed out that his father's health condition is worse because he [father] suffers from Hepatitis virus, kidney and high pressure problems. All these add to his problem inside the prison. Despite all these sufferings and problems, Al-Moayyad, according to Zakaria, never mentioned anything about his suffering only after he had asked about the charitable center. He demanded those in charge to increase the projects and other charitable services including medical and food assistances, Eid clothes and school bags. He also ordered inaugurating a vocational department to train poor people and orphans and to earn them jobs from which they can make good money, calling on charitable men not to stop their support for the center.

Zakaria further indicated that his father was happy when he learnt that more charitable bakeries had been inaugurated in Sana'a, hinting that his father is about to finish the compilation of three books. The first book is entitled "the Village's Scholar", the second "Stories that You May Admire" and the title of the third book was not mentioned.

Al-Moayyad's son requested President Saleh to interfere to securing immediate release of his father and further requested the committee following the case to continue their efforts for setting his father free.

"Americans must release my father. He is guiltless and all Yemeni people witness that he is so. It is unreasonable that America takes the witness of the agent Mohammed Al-Ansi who burnt himself before the White House and overlooks the witnesses of Yemeni people," said Zakaria who added "It is lawful to raise funds for Hamas Movement and this is supported and not criminalized by the government. The American law that prohibits support to Hamas was issued seven months after my father was imprisoned."

Assisting the poor

Al-Ehsan Charitable Center, founded by Sheikh Al-Moayyad, comprises of seven groups for teaching the Noble Quran year-round for 100 students aged between 8 to 18 years. Dozens have graduated from these Quranic groups over the last few years. The center also contains a charitable bakery and it has been providing poor people with free loaves and bread for the last ten years. Over 1,850 families with 14,800 people benefit from this bakery and the operational budget of the bakery in 2007 was YR 10 million.

Regarding the medical side, the center provides free of charge medical services to women, children and men. It also helps distribute medicines in cooperation with the donating medical companies. Further, the center cooperates with some hospitals and medical centers and clinics to make some operations and check-ups for poor citizens and orphans.