๐งต1) The Houthis recently made the news with attempted rocket attacks on #Israel but they have been wreaking havoc in #Yemen for over a decade
Like #Hamas, The Houthis are funded by #Iran. They killed over 500,000 Yemenis and ethnically cleansed Yemen's entire Jewish community
2) Ever heard of Taiz? It's #Yemen's 3rd largest city, which has been under complete blockade by the Houthis since 2015!
Despite pleas from human rights organizations, the Houthis continued shelling civilians, starving the population, and not allowing any humanitarian aid
3) The Houthis have also destroyed ancient heritage sites in #Yemen, like the 3,000 year old Al-Qahira castle and the16th-century mosque of Sufi Sheikh Abdulhadi al-Sudi
Our revered Sage Rabbi Shalom Shabazi's tomb is in Taiz, and there are rumors they damaged it as well
4) The Houthis ethnically cleansed the remaining ancient #Jewish community of #Yemen
Our community lived in #Yemen for over 2,000 years
Currently, there is only 1 #Jew left in #Yemen, he is held captive by the Houthis
5) The Houthi symbol proudly calls for "A curse upon the Jews" with the colors of #Iran's regime
Their hate for Jews is not related to #Israel or Zionism
The Houthis are followers of a Shia branch of Islam called Zaydism
The Zaydis ruled parts of #Yemen since the 16th Century
6) In 1679, The Zaydis were responsible for the most traumatic event in our community's history - the Mawza Exile
Zaydi Imam al-Mahdi Ahmad expelled the Jews to a hot and arrid region named Mawza
Thanks to the indigenous Sabbaean tribes, the Jews would return to their homes
7) In 1630, the Zaydis took over #Yemen
The Zaydis enforced the Orphan Decree forcing all Jewish orphans to convert to Islam
They also forced Jews and Christians to wear symbols showing their religion
8) In 1948 Zaydi Imam Ahmad bin Yahya Hamididdin started the forced exile of #Yemen's ancient #Jewish community
My grandparents, like many others, lost their homes and belongings, and were forced to walk to a refugee camp in Aden
9) A decade later, with the fall of the Zaydi Imamate and establishment of a Republic, did conditions improve in #Yemen
Shias make up 35% of #Yemen, yet the Houthis, together with funding from the regime in #Iran, want to bring Yemen back to the days of the Zaydi Imamate
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.