Yemen, a land steeped in ancient history, holds a largely forgotten narrative of Christian presence — one that resonates with chilling relevance today. By the fifth century, Christianity had firmly taken root in South Arabia, with Najran as its most prominent community. These deep roots have been repeatedly attacked by forces of intolerance and religious absolutism.
Today, the Houthi movement’s aggression mirrors that ancient persecution. Their targets range from religious minorities inside Yemen to the State of Israel. This is not just a political conflict — it is a shared battle against the rising tide of radical Islamism and the suppression of religious diversity.
The erasure of Yemen’s Christian legacy reflects a long pattern in which pluralism is dismantled by waves of extremism. The Houthis’ actions are the latest iteration of that pattern, proving the vulnerability of religious minorities remains as real now as it was in antiquity.
A History of Enduring Faith Amidst Persecution
Christianity’s presence in South Arabia is more than a historical footnote; it is a key part of the region’s heritage. Najran, near today’s Yemeni-Saudi border, stood as a beacon of faith before Islam’s emergence. By at least the fifth century, vibrant Christian communities flourished, creating a distinct spiritual and cultural life.
Their existence was repeatedly threatened. Historical accounts tell of missionary Azqir, executed for “introducing a new religion,” and of around 40 Christians — bishops, priests, and monks — martyred for refusing to renounce their faith.
These believers knew the cost of worship but persisted. Their resilience is a reminder that the struggle for religious freedom is not new — and that the same ideological forces that tried to wipe them out are alive in the Houthis today, who aim to impose a singular worldview at the expense of all others.
The Houthi Ideology: A Rising Tide of Intolerance
The Houthis, or Anṣār Allāh, began as a Zaydi revivalist movement in northern Yemen but have become an Iran-backed Islamist militia deeply embedded in the “Axis of Resistance.” Their motto — “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse be upon the Jews, Victory to Islam” — is a declaration of intent.
Inside Yemen, they impose their radical interpretation of Islam on education, the military, and the judiciary. Religious minorities — Baha’is, Jews, Christians — survive only in secrecy. The Houthis brand them “agents of the U.S. and Israel,” merging domestic persecution with their broader anti-Western, anti-Israel ideology.
For Christians, life under Houthi rule is marked by fear. Converts risk imprisonment, forced divorce, loss of custody, or death for apostasy. Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, repression has worsened: dozens of Christian house churches have closed, believers have been killed, and surveillance — physical and digital — has intensified. The message is clear: Pluralism is a threat to be eradicated.
From Sana’a to Tel Aviv: A Shared Front Against Extremism
The Houthis’ war on diversity does not stop at Yemen’s borders. Since October 19, 2023, they have escalated attacks on Israel, launching missiles and drones while declaring a “naval blockade” on ships bound for Israeli ports. These operations have disrupted global trade, forced thousands of vessels to reroute, and sunk ships like the Eternity C and Magic Seas.
Their domestic repression and foreign aggression are connected. By framing Yemen’s Christians as sympathetic to “enemies of Islam” abroad — especially Israel — they justify purges, imprisonments, and violence at home. In their worldview, the Christian convert in Sana’a and the Jewish family in Tel Aviv belong to the same enemy camp.
This is why the fight against Houthi extremism is not solely Israel’s or Yemen’s problem — it is a broader defense of religious liberty against an Islamist ideology that rejects pluralism entirely.
Upholding Freedom in the Face of Aggression
From the martyrdoms in Najran to today’s hidden Christian gatherings in Yemen, and from missile strikes on Tel Aviv to attacks on Jewish communities worldwide, the struggle is the same: resisting forces that seek to erase diversity through violence.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the State Department to designate the Houthis as an “Entity of Particular Concern” for severe violations of religious freedom. Such steps should be matched by stronger international coordination to isolate and pressure them.
Defending Yemen’s hidden Christians, standing with Israel, and protecting Jews and other minorities is not just geopolitics — it is a moral duty. Religious liberty is a universal human right, and safeguarding it is essential to resisting the spread of radical Islamism that threatens peace from Yemen’s mountains to the Mediterranean shores.
History shows that ignoring such aggression only emboldens it. The Houthis’ domestic purges and foreign attacks are two sides of the same coin. Confronting them demands unity and recognition that this is a global challenge. The Christians of Najran and the Jews of Tel Aviv share a legacy of resilience — and the world must ensure that legacy endures.
Amine Ayoub is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco.
