Yemen: Houthis continue attacking the places of Worship

Local sources reported that dozens of Yemen’s mosques have been attacked when Houthi militias keep transforming places of worship in the war-torn country into pulpits for their sectarian preachers.

Inhabitants in Sanaa declared that Houthi chefs, almost ten days ago, supervised the destruction of a protective wall that surrounded Al-Firdaws mosque in the eastern Sawan area of the Houthi-run capital. In fact, the space made by removing the barrier for the construction of commercial stores that were later proposed to Houthi loyalists for rent.

Sanaa locals stated that the control of mosque’s property by Houthis occurred a few days after that the group seizing nearby real-estate by force.

It should indicate that Al-Firdaws is considered one of the largest mosques in Sanaa. During the past few years, it has been under continuous threat of Houthi gunmen and leaders. So, this pushed Yemenis to call the human rights organizations to work on ending the repeated Houthi attacks against places of worship and religious centers.
Before two weeks, in the Miad area of central Sanaa, worshipers collectively missed Friday sermon after Houthis powerfully assigned one of its loyalist clerics to give the address at the local mosque. Locals reported that the newly opened Al-Faith mosque was later closed.

Furthermore, Houthis removed and replaced a popular moderate preacher that was chosen by the people to give the speeches at Al-Fatih by one of their sectarian clerics.

And as part of their systematic targeting of religious institutions in Yemen; Houthis have burned down a historic library in the north-western city of Hajjah. Indeed, the library was known to contain some of the country’s oldest religious and cultural manuscripts and books. It was sacked, destroyed then set on fire by Houthis who alleged that it was linked to members of Hajjah’s Salafist community.

Hajjah activists alerted that the burning of the library is part of the Houthis’ plan to bulldoze Yemen’s identity and cultural heritage, and they added that Houthis are trying to spread a sectarian ideology in the country.