The Siege That Broke Shia Power in Yemen

In 2014, Houthi rebels stormed the Yemeni capital Sanaa, toppling a government and igniting a devastating civil war. But the roots of this conflict run deep into the 9th century, when a Zaydi Shia imam founded a theocratic dynasty that would rule the highlands for over a thousand years. This episode traces the Houthi movement's origins in the Zaydi school of Islam, the rise of the al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya, the impact of Ottoman and British colonialism, the 1962 republican coup that sidelined the Zaydi elite, and the post-unification marginalization that fueled the Houthi insurgency. We examine key figures like Badreddin al-Houthi and his son Hussein al-Houthi, the ideology of the 'Believing Youth' movement, and the 2004 Saada wars that turned a protest movement into a full-blown rebellion. No modern politics, just the long arc of Zaydi history and the grievances that led to the siege of Sanaa. #Yemen #ZaydiShia #Houthis #Sanaa #al-HadialaHaqqYahya #SaadaWars #BadreddinalHouthi #HusseinalHouthi #BelievingYouth #IslamicHistory #ShiaIslam #YemenCivilWar #Aden #NorthYemen #Imamate #1962Coup #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo