Yamani or your life
Now that is a phrase I never expected to see or hear again.But in the amended words from a famous film.....he's here.
You will, if you are as old as I am, remember Sheikh Yamani.
He was the rather urbane spokesman for OPEC during the oil crises following the Yom Kippur war(Israel) or the Ramadan War(Arab) of 1973 and the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
I always wondered what happened to him. Well now I know.
He founded the law firm of Ahmed Zaki Yamani in Jeddah.
The firm's website is very interesting and it's client list is impressive. The firm does not seem to offer conveyancing - so it's not all bad news.
The firm has however recently been instructed by the International Organisation of Ilaf Al El-Bait whose members number over 95000 people all of whom are direct descendants of the Prophet Mohammed.
Letters have been written to 17 Danish newspapers which published cartoons alleged to be offensive to Yamani's clients seeking apologies and undertakings not republish.If the demands are not met "multiple jurisdictional litigation" will follow.
One newspaper has so far complied.
Others of course see more sinister motives behind his move and we know that one cartoonist Kurt Westergaard has narrowly escaped an attempt on his life.
The legal aspects of the case are intriguing and may open the floodgates to a myriad of claims as descendants of all historical figures seek damages if they feel aggrieved or affronted by contemporary publications.
Either way we are in for the mother of all litigation.
