Jews, Christians, Baha’is, and Ahmadiyya Muslims Persecuted in Houthi-Controlled Yemen
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom found that Jews, Christians, Baha’is face mounting repression, arbitrary detention, and violence in Yemen
A new factsheet released by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sheds additional light on the Houthis’ deeply repressive regime in northern and western Yemen, highlighting severe violations against religious minorities, especially Jews, Christians, Baha’is, and Ahmadiyya Muslims. These abuses are facilitated by Iranian support, mirroring the same fanatical ideology and tactics that both Iran and its terrorist proxies leverage in their campaigns against Israel and the West.
A Climate of Fear and Indoctrination
The Houthis, a Zaidi Shi’a proxy of the Iranian government and designated as a terrorist entity by the United States, have instituted an environment of forced religious indoctrination, intimidation, and violence against anyone who diverges from their strict interpretation of Islam.
They have revised Yemeni school curricula several times to promote sectarian ideology, including open antisemitism, teaching children that Israel is a “cancerous Jewish gland” and perpetuating classic antisemitic tropes about Jews as deceitful and greedy. Christian students are expelled for refusing Qur’an lessons, while non-Muslim detainees are subjected to brainwashing and even physical violence in detention centers simply for their faith.
Systematic Targeting of Minorities
The Jewish community in Yemen, once numbering 55,000, is now virtually extinct. Libi Marhabi, reportedly the last remaining Jew in the country, remains in Houthi detention under horrific conditions, denied contact with family and subjected to violence and torture by jailers and other inmates, who are often militants hostile to Jews and the West.
This is part of a broader Houthi policy of stoking antisemitism: in 2024, children’s programming on Houthi TV depicted Jews as “treacherous,” while Houthi rallies in Sana’a sent children into the streets chanting “curses upon the Jews.” Such messages are meant to demonize Jews, delegitimize Israel’s existence, and justify violence against both.
Baha’is and Christians also face severe persecution. In May 2023, Houthi armed forces raided a Baha’i national convention and detained 17 participants, later releasing them only after they signed statements renouncing their faith. Baha’is are systematically denied humanitarian aid and live in constant fear of arrest.
Christian communities have been decimated as converts flee Houthi-controlled areas; in 2024, a Christian convert was killed by relatives for his beliefs, and Houthi authorities cracked down on UN workers, partly due to suspicions they are Christians advancing Western interests.
Women and the Weaponization of Religion
The Houthis force all women, including non-Muslims and foreign aid workers, to travel with a male escort (mahram), barring access to education, healthcare, business, and even humanitarian aid unless strict, religiously rooted dress and conduct codes are observed. Their all-female militia, the Zainabiyyat, has reportedly targeted women who refuse Houthi indoctrination, coercing and humiliating especially those of minority backgrounds. These policies turn religion into a tool of both gender and sectarian oppression, directly contravening universal Western values of equality and freedom.
Part of a Broader Iranian Agenda
The Houthi regime’s antisemitic propaganda and its collaboration with Iran echo the broader pattern of terrorist groups, like Hamas and Hezbollah, who wield both religious fanaticism and violence to threaten Israel and undermine the West’s interests in the Middle East.
As detailed in Israeli policy analysis and Western think tanks, Iran and its proxies use these tactics not only to eliminate diversity and silence dissent but also to destabilize the region and attack Western allies. The Houthis’ abuse of UN workers, suspected of following “Christian” or “Western” agendas, reflects the broader hostility of radical Islamist movements toward both Israel and open, tolerant societies.
Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S., the Houthis exemplify the threat posed by Iran-backed extremism: the destruction of religious pluralism, systematic persecution of minorities, and rabid antisemitism that fuels hostility toward Israel and the West. Highlighting these abuses should remind democratic nations of the imperative to support Israel and like-minded partners in confronting religious intolerance and the forces, embodied by the Houthis and their patrons, seeking to roll back hard-won freedoms in the Middle East and beyond.