http://www.english.hadhramaut.info President Saleh urges Muslims to solidify brotherhood on Eid al-Adha [The Source: www.sabanews.net - 7/12/2008] President Ali Abdullah Saleh delivered on Sunday a speech to the Yemeni people and the Islamic and Arab nation on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, or "feast of the sacrifice." In his speech, President Saleh highlighted the Islamic nation's need to embody the values and so basic principles of the Hajj such as unity, solidarity, mutual assistance and brotherhood. "These values are the basis to build upon and advance the nation and the source of its pride and strength to confront all challenges and risks posed to Islam and Muslims across the world", he said. Saleh made reference to the development and further changes the country witnesses, accentuating that construction, development and reforms are ongoing to achieve all desired goals of Yemen in spite of the challenges and difficulties resulting from the internal conditions, the scarcity of resources and a steady increase in the proportion or the consequences of the global financial crisis and the sharp drop in Yemen's overall oil production and in its price internationally. He voiced his satisfaction over what have been accomplished in his electoral platform and its goals topped by reinforcing the independence of the judiciary, improving the local councils' experience through expansion of their powers and holding elections for governors' posts in addition to preparations needed to transit successfully into a system of broad-power local governance. "Moreover, the achievements made in the fight against corruption and the promotion of transparency and good governance were showed through the establishment of the Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption, the Tenders Committee, the issuance of the financial disclosure law, the activation of control and auditing bodies and other measures aimed at building the constitutional institutions of the country, enforcing law and order and expanding popular participation, the rights of freedom of opinion and expression and women's participation in power structures and decision-making", Saleh said. He lauded the grand success achieved in the first preparatory step of the coming parliamentary election, pointing the stage of the revise and amendment of the voters' lists which taken place last month. The President considered the vigorous interaction of the Yemeni people to register themselves in the voters' lists in accordance with the law as "an evidence of the high level of democratic consciousness of our people and its keenness on exercise their electoral rights". "Our people have expressed full adherence to democracy as a national option" for constructing and developing the country and it is the only way to realize the principle of a peaceful rotation of power. Speaking on regional and international issues, President Saleh warned of growing risks of growing the activities of piracy and terrorism, stressing the need for much more concerted regional and international efforts to be combined for reducing the emerging threats to the regional and international security, stability and peace. He renewed his call to accelerate the formation of an international anti- piracy force, in coordination with the Red Sea-overlooking states and under the sponsorship of the UN, to encounter the escalating piracy in the international waters off the Somali coasts in the Arab Sea and Indian Ocean. He also called for the necessity of assisting Somalia to reinstate its security, stability and reconstruct its institutions, saying "it is the right way to put an end to lawlessness case in Somalia, to tackle the phenomenon of piracy and to prevent turning Somalia into a hotbed for the export of terrorism and destabilization to the region". "We need to redouble the regional and international efforts for collective action to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and dry up its sources of funding", President Saleh said. The President voiced his deep sorrow over the unjust Israeli siege on the Palestinian people suffering in the Gaza Strip. The siege is imposed a year ago. He strongly reprehended "the shameful silence of all international bodies on this tragedy" and their gross inability to do anything to save the Palestinian children, women and men suffering from hunger, diseases and the suffocating siege. Saleh said the United Nations should play its human and ethical role and employ its advantages responsibilities to end the severe tragedy the people besieged in the Gaza Strip suffer, demanding the UN "to use force against Israel in accordance with article VII of the UN Charter to end its unjust siege and abide by decisions of the international legitimacy". "The resolutions of international legitimacy should be applied under the same standards on everyone and away from the double standard policy that makes Israel safe from accountability at its open defiance of those resolutions, committing crimes and inhuman abuses against the unarmed Palestinian people", Saleh emphasized. President Saleh called Palestinians, including all tendencies or various political factions, particularly the rivals Fatah and Hamas, to overcome the disagreements and divisions, urging them to heal the Palestinian rift and strengthen their national unity to serve the interests of the Palestinian people and to gain their legitimate rights, especially the right to establish their independent state on their national soil with al-Quds as its capital. In conclusion, the President called all Muslims to make this holy religious occurrence and the opportunity of Eid al-Adha an event to strengthen trust and love between Muslims across the World.