The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz
In 1999, the Ismaili Bohra Community in Yemen’s Ḥarāz mountains launched a drug substitution programme in order to replace the cultivation of qat with other economic and social activities. Motivated by religious concern, this campaign aimed at suppressing the consumption of qat. Over 200,000 qat tre...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de Sanaa
2007-06-01
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| Series: | Arabian Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/cy/1460 |
| _version_ | 1797311121427791872 |
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| author | Peer Gatter |
| author_facet | Peer Gatter |
| author_sort | Peer Gatter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 1999, the Ismaili Bohra Community in Yemen’s Ḥarāz mountains launched a drug substitution programme in order to replace the cultivation of qat with other economic and social activities. Motivated by religious concern, this campaign aimed at suppressing the consumption of qat. Over 200,000 qat trees were uprooted and coffee and mango trees planted instead. Alternative means of income generation included animal husbandry, beekeeping and handicraft schemes, complemented by irrigation projects, educational programmes and interest free loans for investments in other economic sectors. Even though the programme was hampered from its start by a severe drought, and in spite of the absence of governmental support, it resulted in a sharp reduction in the cultivation and consumption of qat and a significant diversification of the farmers’ economy. However, the project led also to rural-urban migration and abandoning agricultural lands. But despite its shortcomings, this project, unique in Yemen by its capacity of social mobilization, provides precious lessons on the political and economical constraints which bear on any attempt to develop in Yemen mountains an agriculture which would be free of qat. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T01:53:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-129573e647a44fb7950398dd17711a6c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2308-6122 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T01:53:39Z |
| publishDate | 2007-06-01 |
| publisher | Centre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de Sanaa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arabian Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-129573e647a44fb7950398dd17711a6c2024-02-14T09:17:09ZengCentre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de SanaaArabian Humanities2308-61222007-06-0114718810.4000/cy.1460The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in ḤarāzPeer GatterIn 1999, the Ismaili Bohra Community in Yemen’s Ḥarāz mountains launched a drug substitution programme in order to replace the cultivation of qat with other economic and social activities. Motivated by religious concern, this campaign aimed at suppressing the consumption of qat. Over 200,000 qat trees were uprooted and coffee and mango trees planted instead. Alternative means of income generation included animal husbandry, beekeeping and handicraft schemes, complemented by irrigation projects, educational programmes and interest free loans for investments in other economic sectors. Even though the programme was hampered from its start by a severe drought, and in spite of the absence of governmental support, it resulted in a sharp reduction in the cultivation and consumption of qat and a significant diversification of the farmers’ economy. However, the project led also to rural-urban migration and abandoning agricultural lands. But despite its shortcomings, this project, unique in Yemen by its capacity of social mobilization, provides precious lessons on the political and economical constraints which bear on any attempt to develop in Yemen mountains an agriculture which would be free of qat.https://journals.openedition.org/cy/1460qatBohrasustainable agricultureIsmailismRashīd (Salmān) |
| spellingShingle | Peer Gatter The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz Arabian Humanities qat Bohra sustainable agriculture Ismailism Rashīd (Salmān) |
| title | The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz |
| title_full | The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz |
| title_fullStr | The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz |
| title_short | The Ismailis’ “War” against Qat in Ḥarāz |
| title_sort | ismailis war against qat in haraz |
| topic | qat Bohra sustainable agriculture Ismailism Rashīd (Salmān) |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/cy/1460 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT peergatter theismailiswaragainstqatinharaz AT peergatter ismailiswaragainstqatinharaz |