Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi

Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi

Full Name	Sayyid Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi
Religious Affiliation	Zaydi Shiism
Well-known Relatives	Badreddin al-Houthi Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Birth	1960 CE
Place of Birth	Sa'dah Province, Yemen
Death/Martyrdom	2024 CE
Burial Place	Sa'dah
Activities	Struggle against America and Israel

Sayyid Ḥussein Badriddīn al-Ḥouthī (Arabic: السيد حسين بدر الدين الحوثي) (b. 1960, d. 2004) was the founder and first leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement. A follower of Zaydi Shiism, he was inspired by Imam Khomeini's thoughts, adopting opposition to the United States and Israel as his core slogans and prioritizing the Palestinian cause within his movement's agenda. He began his political activities by combating the spread of deviant ideologies, such as Wahhabism. Al-Houthi is credited with creating the famous Houthi slogan known as the "Sarkha" (The Cry). Due to his staunch opposition to the United States, he was killed by the Yemeni government under President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Position

Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi was born in 1960 (Shaban 1379 AH) in the Ruways area of Saada Province, Yemen. He was a politician, military commander, the founder of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, and its first leader. He and his family are identified as followers of Zaydi Shiism, specifically the Jarudi branch. His friends and teachers described him as highly intelligent, academically distinguished, and an avid reader. He was known for qualities such as courage, insight, and broad-mindedness. His lineage is traced back to Imam al-Hasan (a). His father, Sayyid Badriddin al-Houthi, was one of the most prominent religious authorities of the Zaydi sect.

Commemoration of the anniversary of the martyrdom of Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi in Sanaa (2023 CE).

Hussein al-Houthi was considered inclined toward Twelver Shiite beliefs, affirming the infallibility of the Imams (a) and believing in the awaited al-Mahdi (a). Some sources also claim that he had converted to Twelver Shiism.

According to some researchers, various movements, including Wahhabism, the Muslim Brotherhood, socialism, Nasiriyya, and the Islamic Revolution of Iran, influenced the formation of Hussein al-Houthi's thought. His political party activities and consultations with Yemeni scholars and those from other countries were also significant factors in shaping his intellectual framework. His speeches, compiled under the title "Malazim" (Lessons), serve as the doctrinal charter of the Ansar Allah movement and are used by its members.

Hussein al-Houthi studied religious sciences under his father's guidance. After graduating with a degree in literature, he traveled to Sudan to further his education. He authored several works, the most notable being al-Sarkha fi Wajh al-Mustakbirin (The Cry Against the Arrogant).

Thoughts and Ideas

Hussein al-Houthi believed that the Islamic world had fallen into decline and that the only path to its salvation was a return to the Quran and its teachings.

Views on Israel and the US

Hussein al-Houthi was known for his staunch opposition to global arrogance. He consistently warned the Yemeni people about the influence of the United States in their country. In his view, the liberation of Palestine was central to the awakening and vitality of Muslims. He emphasized the importance of commemorating Quds Day and the necessity of boycotting Israeli and American goods. Sayyid Hussein held no hope in the rulers of Islamic countries for the liberation of Palestine. Due to Israel's treachery, he considered any compromise with it impossible.

Views on the Islamic Republic of Iran and Imam Khomeini

Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi regarded the path of Iran's Islamic Revolution as the only way to liberate Muslim nations. He presented Iran's Islamic Republic system as a suitable model for Muslims and believed that anyone who opposes the Islamic Revolution would face divine punishment.

Hussein al-Houthi believed that Imam Khomeini, by reviving the tradition of disavowal of polytheists, introduced people to the true, Quranic meaning of Hajj. Sayyid Hussein referred to the founder of the Islamic Republic as "Imam" and considered his ideas to be salvational. He viewed Imam Khomeini as a divine mercy for Arab nations, stating that they had deprived themselves of this blessing. He regarded Imam Khomeini as a just and pious leader and believed that all of his prayers were answered by God (mustajab al-da'wa).

Political and Social Activities

Hussein al-Houthi began his political activities by opposing the spread of Wahhabism in Yemen. In 1993, with the aim of addressing deprivation in Saada Province, he joined Yemen's House of Representatives as a representative of the Haqq Party. During the conflict between the Socialist Party and the Al-Mu'tamar and Islah parties, he emphasized reconciliation and refused to support the government in waging war.

The slogan on the Houthi flag in Yemen reads: "God is the greatest. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews, victory for Islam."

Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi declined to participate in the subsequent parliamentary session and instead founded the Believing Youth Association (Shabab al-Mu'min), which later became known as Yemen's Ansar Allah movement. The initial goal of the association was to undertake cultural activities. Following the September 11 attacks, the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the American military presence in the region and the Gulf of Aden, Sayyid Hussein launched his anti-imperialist and anti-American campaign. He believed that the September 11 incident was orchestrated by US intelligence agencies to create a pretext for attacking Muslim countries. Al-Houthi designated Quds Day as the starting point for his movement, delivering his first speech on this occasion, during which he reiterated Imam Khomeini's statements about Quds Day. He organized numerous marches against the United States and created the famous Houthi slogan, known as the "Sarkha" (The Cry), directed against America and Israel. Additionally, Hussein al-Houthi carried out various social initiatives for his region's people, including establishing the Marran Charitable Organization, founding religious schools, setting up healthcare centers, and undertaking various development projects.

Works

Some of Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi's speeches have been compiled and published as books, with the following titles among them:

• Al-Thawra al-Islamiyya fi Iran fi Muhdarat wa Durus al-Shahid al-Qa'id al-Sayyid Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi (The Islamic Revolution in Iran in the Lectures and Lessons of the Martyred Leader Sayyid Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi). This book was compiled by Muhammad Hussein al-Farah and translated into Persian by Abdul Abbas Bagaan under the title The New Islamic Revolution. The Persian translation was published by the Ma'arif Publishing Office.

• Durus min Huda al-Qur'an al-Karim (Lessons from the Guidance of the Noble Quran). This is the title of a series of books published under secondary titles such as al-Shi'ar silah wa mawqif (The slogan: a weapon and a stance), Ma'rifat Allah (Knowing God) 'Azimat Allah (the Greatness of God), Al-Thaqafa al-Qur'aniyya (Quranic Culture), La 'udhr li-l-Jami' amam Allah (No excuse for anyone before God), and others.

Al-Houthi's Excommunication and Assassination

The shrine of Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi before its destruction in the Yemen war with the Arab coalition.

Hussein al-Houthi's activities against Israel and the United States led to a fatwa declaring him an apostate and calling for his death, issued by scholars aligned with Yemen's ruling regime. They claimed that Sayyid Hussein had proclaimed himself a prophet, the Mahdi, or an Imam. In 2004, 640 of his supporters were arrested while participating in a march. The Yemeni government then offered a $55,000 reward for information leading to his capture. After 25 of his close associates were killed by the government, the reward was increased to $75,000. Six days after Ali Abdullah Salih's return from the United States, the government launched a war against the Houthis. According to confidential documents, this war was planned through an agreement between George W. Bush, the then US president, and Ali Abdullah Salih in Washington.

Martyrdom

The image on the cover of the book The Uways of Khomeini

In 1425 AH (2004), Hussein al-Houthi was besieged by the Yemeni army under the leadership of Ali Abdullah Salih in the Marran region. After an eighty-day resistance, according to one account, he was killed in close combat. Another report states that after being injured in the head and leg and losing his eyesight, he was offered amnesty but was subsequently martyred after his capture. It is reported that in this conflict, 700 Houthis and 15,000 Yemeni army soldiers were killed. The commander of US Central Command sent a letter to Ali Abdullah Salih, congratulating and thanking him after Sayyid Hussein al-Houthi's death.

In 2013, Sayyid Hussein's body was handed over to his family and buried in a ceremony in the Marran region. A shrine was built over his grave, which was destroyed in 2015 due to attacks by the Saudi-led coalition.

Monographs

• The Uways of Khomeini: The Houthi Movement of Yemen and the Perspectives of Martyr Hussein al-Houthi (Uways-i Khomeini: Junbish-i al-Houthi Yaman wa didgah-hayi Shahid Hussein al-Houthi). This book was written in Persian by Hamidrida Gharibrida and published by the Ma'arif Publishing Office.

• Shining Pages from the Life of the Martyr Sayyid Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi (Safahat mushriqa min hayat al-Shahid al-Sayyid Hussein Badriddin al-Houthi), authored by Yahya Qasim Abu Awasa in Arabic and published by the Ma'arif al-Hikmiyya Institute.

• Martyr of the Quran (Shahid al-Qur'an). This book was written in Arabic by Ali Abdul Rahman Ahmad al-Mushiki.