Friday Prayers in Yemen (By Taimoor)

Friday prayers in Yemen are a little different then in many other parts of the world. Traditionally, the Imam of a Masjid both leads the prayer and delivers the sermon, or the kutba. However, in Yemen, the Minister of Religious affairs typically appoints Katibs (people who deliver the kutba) for Masjids in Yemen. While the Imam leads the prayer, the state appointed Katib is granted a monopoly over the religious public space. This policy is an attempt to curtail the power of religion in the public sphere, a decision that can at once be argued to be either grossly repressive or prudent in light of the current political climate depending on the individual.