Yemeni Activists Condemn Houthi Leader's Attack on Saudi Arabia's Hajj Management

  Yemeni activists, journalists, and officials have fiercely criticized a speech by Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, in which he accused Saudi Arabia of exploiting the Hajj pilgrimage for-profit and imposing unfair burdens on Muslims. The backlash came via social media platform X, with many highlighting the hypocrisy of al-Houthi's accusations.

Barran Press observed a wave of responses from Yemenis, who pointed out that al-Houthi's group, not the Saudi government, is notorious for extortion and exploitation within Yemen. 

Diplomat Mustafa Ahmed Numan sarcastically commented, "The logic employed by the Houthi group is astonishing. They preach about humanitarian principles and condemn violations across the globe, yet they ignorantly and arrogantly criticize Saudi authorities for not fulfilling their duties towards pilgrims." He added, "Simultaneously, they conduct midnight arrests of innocent civilians and engage in the most brutal forms of extortion against merchants and citizens."

Numan highlighted the hypocrisy of the Houthi leadership, stating, "Their duplicity is evident in its most blatant form by sending their top leaders, directly connected to their leader, to perform Hajj in Mecca, despite criticizing the Saudi government for being oppressive." He concluded, "What greater hypocrisy exists? "

Yemen's Ambassador to UNESCO, Mohammed Jumaih, wrote, "While the Houthi leadership seeks behind-the-scenes permission for their leaders to perform Hajj from the relevant Saudi authorities, they deliver inflammatory televised speeches against Saudi Arabia." He added, "This stark contradiction embodies the history and present of this militia, which once received food baskets from King Salman's center, only to later speak of 'Saudi aggression.' A foolish attempt at cleverness."

Mohammed al-Salehi, director of Barran Media, satirically remarked, "Under Houthi rule, street vendors pay taxes, potato sellers pay taxes, merchants pay taxes, institutions pay taxes, farmers pay taxes, employees without salaries pay taxes, food items pay taxes, even women pay taxes from their Eid money, trees and rocks pay taxes." He continued, "Despite all this, there are no projects, no salaries, no state, no security, no development. Yet, the militia's leader today accuses the Kingdom of imposing taxes on Hajj, even though what is paid doesn't even equate to the value of a single service provided by the Saudi government to serve the pilgrims of the Holy House."

Sam al-Ghubari, a media personality, stated, "The hypocrite Abdulmalik al-Houthi, who has subjected Yemenis to extensive extortion, plunder, and aggression, even imposing unjust taxes on sewage systems, speaks with arrogance about Hajj, a mere expense compared to the generosity and grandeur with which the Saudis serve the Holy House." He added on X, "Impoverishing Yemenis is the true denial of the Holy House and the objectives of Sharia. Plundering the rights of people and the innocent is corruption, denial, and a violation of God's sanctity."

Al-Ghabari continued, "It is shameful that al-Houthi speaks of this, while the Kingdom continues to allow some of the militia's leaders to perform Hajj, believing that hostilities should not prevent the pilgrimage." He emphasized, "Our brothers in the Kingdom will remain great, as large as their homeland, their thinking, and their patience. Al-Houthi will remain a dwarf in his body, his thoughts, and his ideological statements with his masters in Iran."

Najib Ghaleb, Deputy Minister of Information for Yemen, commented, "Look at al-Houthi, he sucks the blood of Yemenis. Even if a weak cow is feeding a family, he wants a fifth of it and wants those being fed to fight for him so he can suck their blood." He addressed the Houthis, "Spare us your false claims that have no origin or basis. We have millions of Yemenis in the Kingdom, their remittances are the source and essence of the economy, saving the hungry, and even al-Houthi lives off of them."

Abdulbasit al-Qaidi, another Deputy Minister of Information, said, "The wicked Abdulmalik al-Houthi and his gang, after burying our heads in dirt and turning our country into ruins, are targeting the Hajj pilgrimage and inciting against Saudi Arabia, which utilizes all its resources to serve the pilgrims of the Holy House and ensure their security, safety, and comfort." He added, "The situation in Yemen is a prime example of the chaos that resides in the minds of this terrorist gang, whose situation embodies the proverb, 'He destroyed it and sat on its hill.'" He concluded, "The last people who have the right to speak of principles, values, and ethics are the Houthi gang, who have turned our lives into destruction, leaving no stone unturned, spilling blood and tears in every home and eye."

Journalist Faisal al-Shabibi commented, "The leader of the Houthi terrorist militia says that one of the purposes of Hajj is the unity of Muslims. He is the one who most breaks the stick of Islam with his sectarianism, racism, and despicable sectarianism, and his continuous calls for inciting discord among Muslims." He added, "He talks about taxes while he and his gang exhaust the Yemeni people with taxes on every sectarian occasion that is alien to the people. 

In a post titled "The Hajj Pilgrimage, the Houthi and Khomeini Creed," journalist Hamdan al-Alii wrote, "While Houthi leaders have gone to perform Hajj under the auspices of Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Houthi group, Abdulmalik Badr al-Din, appeared in a video message attacking the leadership of the Kingdom and accusing its leadership of 'profiteering from Hajj, extorting, and exploiting pilgrims of the Holy House.'"

He added, "In reality, this type of incitement targeting the Kingdom through the organization of Hajj and Umrah is not new in Yemen. Since I've known myself, I've heard such talk and incitement from elements of the lineage who still believe today that they are the most entitled to rule and manage the holy sites in Saudi Arabia, the same belief that Khomeini and his followers in the region believe in."

He continued, "To understand the motives of the Houthis in exploiting the Hajj season to incite against the leadership of Saudi Arabia, it is important to recount some old events related to this issue."