What is the ruling on voting to support the Yemeni Reform Association under the system of so-called democracy?

The questioner : The Muslim Brothers are preparing to enter the parliamentary elections and participate in them under the banner of a party called the Yemeni Reform Association. They are asking Muslims in Yemen generally to stand with them in the electoral battle. So, must we yield to their wishes, knowing that the election law is subject to the system of shirk-based democracy? What advice do you give to the Salafis in Yemen and to Muslims in general?
The Shaykh : We always and forever advise Muslims to be one nation, as Allah Mighty and Majestic described them, and not to be divided into two parties, as the Lord of the Worlds said in the Noble Qur'an: In reality, we have been and still are complaining about the multitude of religious schools of thought. This is not only the division that occurred among Muslims who call themselves the people of the Sunnah and the community—meaning those who adhere to one of the four schools of jurisprudence. I do not mean only those who are outside of these people who call themselves the people of the Sunnah and the community, but I also mean those who claim affiliation with the people of the Sunnah and the community. They have divided, whether in beliefs or in rulings, or as they say, whether in branches or in principles. So we have been complaining about such division.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace. We used to complain about this kind of division, because it contradicts what I mentioned at the beginning of this answer, namely the saying of Allah the Exalted: The Islamic world has barely turned to the necessity of not dividing in religion into schools like these schools I mentioned earlier, whether in branches or in principles. It is barely that many Muslims have become aware of the necessity of not dividing and uniting in the light of the Book and the Sunnah. And lo, the Muslims have innovated a new division, which is political party division. Among them are the Muslim Brotherhood and the Tahrir Party, which they call the Islamic Tahrir Party. Since the fitnah of the killing of their leader, al-Hasan al-Banna (may Allah have mercy on him), they have always occupied their gatherings, at least, or they also lose the other Islamic gatherings through blocs, party affiliation, and entering parliaments. There is no difference between them whether they are Egyptian, Jordanian, or Syrian; they are very eager to belong to parliaments, claiming that reform begins from here. We have always and forever, for decades, warned Muslims against party affiliation first, and against belonging to the existing parliaments today second, because these parliaments are not established, I do not say on the Book and the Sunnah, but at least they are not established on the Islam known to Muslims in general, because this Islam known today contains many rulings that contradict the Book and the Sunnah. But even so, the matter is as they say: "Some evil is better than some". We used to hope, after that long war that took place in the land of Afghanistan against the Shi'ites and the Soviets, that the banner of Islam would be raised in Kabul and be the capital of Afghanistan, and we were content for this banner to be, even if it was on the Hanafi school, because it is a Muslim school, even though we see that it contains rulings that contradict the Book and the Sunnah. But there is a great difference between this system established on Islam, despite some of its errors, and that system which was established on communism. But even with this, we have not been granted it until this hour. So we say there is no room for the desired reform by entering some Islamic parties into parliament, because they will not be able to reform from there, from parliament, because they are governed by a parliamentary system established on the contrary of Islam. For this reason, we always and forever repeat: How did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) begin in establishing the Muslim state? Did he begin by making a truce with the heads of disbelief and shirk and compromising with them, or did he turn away from them, and they tortured him and tortured his companions until he (peace and blessings be upon him) was forced to migrate? And from there he began to lay the nucleus of the Muslim state, and that is what we always and forever express as education on what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) revealed to the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) of guidance and light. We say today that it is not enough to rise with education only, because this soil must be based on purification. That is because the Islam on which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) educated his companions and which bore its fruit, this Islam, has had entered into it, with the passage of days and time, what is not in it, whether that was in beliefs or in rulings or in behavior. Therefore, we always and forever revolve around two small words, and we consider that starting from them is the point that Islamic callers must begin from, which are purification and education, and it is returning Muslims to their religion purified from shirk, idolatry, innovations, and newly invented matters, and from the jurisprudential opinions that entered into some jurisprudential books. From here begins the reform, and not from entering parliaments. And even if this is not sufficient from the Sharia perspective, we remind Muslims of the efforts of those parties over the passage of long years: what did they benefit the Islamic world? They have tried their attempts in entering parliaments, nothing but regression. Therefore, we advise you and we advise all Muslims not to cooperate with the parties in entering parliament. As for cooperating with them in righteousness and piety, as we mentioned in the previous verse, this is obligatory. This is the summary of what I have in answer to this question as well.
The questioner : Do we understand from this that they should not vote?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The questioner : As they claim.
The Shaykh : On this occasion, I had sent to Shaykh Mubarak my answer to a question like this for our brothers in Algeria, in about six pages. So I hope that if you have not read it, you try to read it, and print and photocopy it and distribute it, because it will save you from many questions.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. I have some questions left, or two questions. I will shorten my many questions.
The Shaykh : Okay, because some of our brothers also...

The questioner : Yes.
Another questioner: Questions on this topic, meaning, or other jurisprudential questions.

The questioner : Meaning, only on the topic of da'wah!