Ahmadinejad urges unity, vigilance among Muslims

"Vigilance, unity and cooperation of the Muslim nations will foil the enemies' conspiracies and those who sow the seeds of discord among Muslims and Islamic states are either ignorant or traitor," said president Ahmadinejad in a meeting with Bahrain's Parliament Speaker Khalifa Ahmad al-Zahrani on Thursday.

President Ahmadinejad's remarks seem to be a direct reference to the recent aggressions and offensive against the Yemenis civilians in northern Yemen, where he held "the enemies of Islam" accountable for Yemen developments. " Enemies foment discord among Muslims in order to thwart their efforts to make progress."

The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters. It intensified in August 2009 when the Yemeni army launched Operation Scorched Earth in an attempt to crush Shia Houthi fighters in the northern province of Sa'ada.

The government claims that the fighters, who are named after their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, seek to restore the Shia imamate system, which was overthrown in a 1962 military coup.

The Houthis, however, say they are defending their people's civil rights, which the government has undermined under pressure from Saudi-backed Wahhabi extremists. Shias, who form the clear majority in the north, make up approximately half of Yemen's overall population.

Referring to the significance of unity among Muslim states, the Iranian chief executive said the arrogant powers erected Israel and waged wars in the region with the aim of dominating the Muslims and the Islamic states.

"The unity and solidarity of the Islamic countries would have prevented the massacre of millions of people in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine," he opined.

The Bahraini parliament speaker, for his part, said that the enemies' efforts to instigate violence in the Islamic countries would go into reverse and "their plots would consolidate Muslims' relations."

/Press TV/