The world media often attribute the Houthis' success to Iran's support, but according to Russian orientalist Anastasia Burt, author of the study "Houthi Propaganda in Yemen," this connection is exaggerated. Although the Houthis formally belong to the Shiite branch of Islam, their ideology is based on the Zaydi madhhab, which is closer to the Sunni tradition. The key to their influence, as the expert notes, was effective propaganda inspired by Hezbollah's methods. This is what allowed the movement to gain a foothold in Yemen.
Like Hezbollah, the Houthis' Ansarullah opposes Israel, the United States, and Western influence. Their ideology dates back to the Iranian Revolution of 1979: the slogan "Allah is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews, Victory to Islam" was transformed from anti-Shah slogans. In Yemen, the Houthis first used this slogan in 2002, and it is now heard at rallies, in official rhetoric, and has become a symbol.
The leaders of both organizations address their supporters through screens, forced to hide from attacks by their opponents. They criticize the region's dependence on Washington, but while Hezbollah focuses on threats to Israel, Ansarullah emphasizes Yemen's sovereignty. Their enemies include not only ISIS and al-Qaeda, banned in Russia, but also Britain, which supported the intervention in Yemen in 2015.
Strengthening national identity plays an important role – through religious holidays, ruling party anniversaries and demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine. Speeches by Ansarullah leader Abdel-Malik al- Houthi are broadcast throughout Yemen and on the Internet. However, television and radio are the most effective.
Since 2012, the Houthis have broadcast through their own channel, Al- Masira (The March), whose studio is located in Beirut, in the same building as the Hezbollah channel. The Arab coalition has tried to block the broadcast, but the lack of alternatives makes this difficult. The March paints an image of invulnerable heroes, and its content – reports, clips of military operations – spreads quickly through social networks. The channel even has an English-language broadcast and a website for an international audience.
Ansarullah tightly controls the information space: foreign journalists are prohibited from filming military operations, but are allowed to document the aftermath of airstrikes. As a result , an image of innocent victims and an aggressor is created – a tactic borrowed from Hezbollah.
Emotional content plays an important role – audio recordings: sermons, speeches and especially music. The Houthis have revived the genre of “zamil” – traditional poetry that glorifies courage, loyalty, and the exploits of ancestors to the rhythm of drums. Poets, often themselves having fought at the front, write about aggression against Yemen, the death of children and the threat of the West. The main message is resistance, faith in victory and justification of the struggle.
Songs are not only heard on air – in times of crisis, cars with loudspeakers drive around cities, and clips with footage of military operations gain millions of views. For example, the song “Army of God in Marib”:
"The men have gathered and prepared for battle... This is Yemen, and we, its sons, are suffering! The foolish aggressor must prepare for retribution."
As psychology professor Amal Abbas from Taiz University notes , these lyrics penetrate the consciousness of Yemenis, uniting people from different social strata. Even politically neutral residents, as taxi driver of Anastasia Burt admitted, note: “I like their songs – they are beautiful, and the words are inspiring.”
Songs immortalize the names of fallen fighters, presenting their deaths as heroic sacrifices. Portraits of the fallen are hung in the streets, and their exploits are celebrated at Friday prayers. Ansarullah and Hezbollah support the families of the dead, which strengthens their authority.
Another tool is graffiti and visual propaganda. In Sana'a, Tahrir Square features a provocative installation: a bloody Statue of Liberty holding bombs. City walls are covered with anti-Western slogans, scenes of airstrikes and humanitarian disasters – street art at the service of ideology.
The Houthis have created an effective propaganda model that combines religious rhetoric, traditional culture, and modern media. Their success is largely due to their deep understanding of the local mentality – and perhaps the underestimation of this factor by their opponents.
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