| Summary/Abstract |
It would be difficult to find a republican system in the Middle East today where Islamic legal scholars are as present in public life as they are in Yemen. In the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, ulama hold offices in the judiciary, the educational system, and the cultural sector. To date, they have been represented in both chambers of the bicameral system and in every cabinet since the unification of Yemen in 1990. With few exceptions, they also count among high-ranking members of the country’s most influential parties. During the uprising in 2011, ulama attended public squares across the country every Friday to hold sermons in favour of, or against, the demands of the protesters.
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