Houthi rebel gunmen storm gathering of Baha’i worshippers in Yemen
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Houthi rebels in Yemen have stormed a gathering of Baha’i worshippers and arrested 17 people, in the Iran-backed group’s latest crackdown on the vulnerable religious minority.
The gunmen have since “disappeared” all 17 victims, among them five women, according to Baha’i community leaders who have demanded their immediate release.
Part of the raid, in the war-torn capital of Sanaa, was filmed as many Baha’i members were taking part in the gathering via the Zoom video conference website.
The purpose of the meeting was to elect the community’s national governing body.
The Baha’i faith was founded in 19th century Iran and advocates universal peace. Its members have frequently been subjected to persecution and scapegoating in Middle East states amid conflict or political turmoil, particularly in Iran and Yemen.
“In some regions of the Arab world, a new discussion on how to live peacefully side by side with the followers of all religions has begun to take shape,” Padideh Sabeti, director of the UK Baha’i Office of Public Affairs, said.
Around 2,000 Baha’i community members live in Sanaa, which the Houthis captured from Yemen’s government in 2014.
Yemen has been locked in a brutal civil war since September 2014, unleashing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
According to UN estimates, around 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict while a further 200,000 have died of famine.
Founded in the mid-1800s, the Baha’i faith is a relatively young religion that has its religious headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
There are an estimated five to eight million Baha’i worshippers worldwide, with the largest communities based in India, the US and Kenya.
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