74 per cent of Yemeni people against gun carrying- poll finds

SANA'A, March 15
(Saba) - About 74 percent of the Yemeni people are wary of possessing guns and
carrying them
in public, a recent poll has shown.
97 percent of the surveyed people said they are for a law banning and organizing
having and carrying weapons.
Security and feeling that there is a state standing on the public issues and
establishing justice can convince many people to drop their guns, according to the
group.
In Mareb province, 38 percent of the surveyed said that factors such as security,
protection and justice were basic to convince the people to go disarmed. Similar
proportions
in Hadramout, Dhale and Saada said the same.
According to the poll conducted by the Sana'a-based Yemeni Poll Center, most of the
correspondents said that the government must ban arms trade.
And a high proportion suggested that arms dealers should write details about those
who buy weapons.
In terms of surveyed women, a high proportion see that men should have arms but not
carry them in pubic. Others suggest that the authorities should record those having
arms.
Saada came first regarding those who urge to fight arms trade with or without
license. Taiz and Sana'a came followed.
Meanwhile, the center launched a workshop on weapon carrying phenomenon under the
theme: for a community partnership to fight carrying guns.
Head of the center Hafez Al-Bukary said the two-day event will focus on the ways
to limit carrying and possessing guns in the country and how to keep the children
away
from this.
The workshop is organized in association with the British embassy in Sana'a and
aims at establishing programs including campaigns to raise awareness about guns
among the
youth and kids and fighting the culture of revenge as well as reinforcing the
principle of dialog and communication.
Mosque rectors were among the participants.
FR