KASARAGOD: A 14-member Kerala family that tried to enter war-torn Yemen to study Islam was denied entry and sent back by the Yemeni border security. The Salafist family headed by a couple from Kasaragod and Kozhikode returned to Kerala on March 7, said an officer of the Special Branch.
The Special Branch of the Kerala Police prepared a report on their attempted journey to Yemen and has sent it to the headquarters. The Indian government evacuated its citizens in Yemen and shifted the embassy in the capital Sana’a to the neighbouring country Djibouti in 2015 because of the raging conflict and crisis there.
“Now, Indians will need special permission from the Union government to go to Yemen,” the officer said. But Abdul Hasheem, 32, of Vidyanagar in Kasaragod town and his wife, a native of Kodiyathur panchayat in Kozhikode embarked on a journey to Yemen via Oman a month ago. They were accompanied by 12 close relatives, including four minor children, said the officer. “All the relatives were from Kozhikode,” he said.
They reached Salalah in Oman and from there, they tried to enter Yemen. “But they were blocked by Yemeni security at the check post and sent back,” the officer said. The family returned via Muscat and landed at Kozhikode International Airport. The Special Branch officers said they questioned the family to know the motive of them going to Yemen to study Islam.
Though Yemen is one of the poorest countries in Asia and is devastated by civil war and insurgency, it is still a sought-after destination for those seeking to study Islam. Despite the crisis, foreign students of religious studies continue to study in Yemen’s universities.