– YEMEN – ANDUL-MALIK & BADR AL-HOUTHI
* Abdul-Malik Houthi is the son of Sheikh Badr El-Deen Houthi, an admired Shiite Imam in North Yemen, and the brother of slain cleric Hussein El-Deen Houthi, the founder of the “Al-Shabab al-Muamin” – The Believing Youth Shiite militia.
Hussein El-Deen Houthi wanted to restore the pre-revolution (Early 60s’) ruling system, which limited power to a certain faction of society based on descent. Hussein El-Deen Houthi and the Saada Rebels took over, in 06/2004, local government offices and institutions in Saada province and he declared himself an Imam. Short time afterwards Hussein El-Deen Houthi was killed in the 06/2004 uprising in Saada province.
Yahya al-Houthi‘s trial was opened, on Monday 10/26/2009, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, in absentia, after his immunity was dropped two weeks earlier. He was accused of belonging to an armed group and perpetrating “act of terrorism”.
Abdul-Malik Houthi had actually abandoned the moderate Zaydi sect, traditional to the Yemeni Shiaa population, for the more extreme Twelver Shia sect, widely practiced in Iran and previously non-existent in Yemen.
Abdul-Malik Houthi became known in 2007 when he threatened the Jews in al-Saada province to leave their homes otherwise they will be killed.
Abdul-Malik Houthi developed connections with Iran, saw the Hizbullah in Lebanon as the right model and looked for influence inside the Yemeni regime in a sort of political arrangement.
After a series of clashes with the Yemeni Army Abdul-Malik Houthi was critically wounded on 05/31/2008 and died from his wounds on Friday 06/06/2008. The impact of Abdul-Malik Houthi death on Saada province, the “Al-Shabab al-Muamin” militia and the relations between the Zaydi Shiites and the Yemen government is not, yet, clear.
The “Al-Shabab al-Muamin” suffered heavy losses in 2008 and there is doubt whether the militia is still able to operate.
In 08/2009 a new crisis breached out between the Saada Rebels and the Yemeni regime, which soon became a regional war with Saudi and Yemeni forces (see – The New Front). Yemen insisted, on Tuesday 01/19/2010, that Abdul-Malik Houthi was seriously wounded in the ongoing fighting with government troops.
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