Related Article
New York, NY, February 8, 2024 ... The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Task Force on Middle East Minorities welcomes the United States Government’s redesignation of the Yemen-based Houthi group in the Specially Designated Global Terrorist [SDGT] list. The US government’s decision comes in response to their ongoing attacks on ships in the Red Sea and against Israel.
The Houthis’ aggression not only disrupts global trade, but threatens vulnerable minority communities in Yemen and across the region. We urge the US Government and its allies to effectively enforce sanctions against the Houthis and keep them on the SDGT list as long as they continue posing a threat.
ADL’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities member and ARAM Founder Marjan Keypour Greenblatt noted that the Houthis “stand as some of the most infamous and perilous instigators of violence, especially their targeting of the Bahai people in Yemen. Their hate and violence are fueled by the Iranian regime, and we cannot turn a blind eye to their malevolent acts. It is imperative to utilize the full extent of international legal measures in order to counter their dangerous actions.”
Reverend Johnnie Moore, member of ADL’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, and two-time USCIRF commissioner, stated:
“While the world has been critical of the Houthis attempts to disrupt maritime trade, the religious freedom community has long recognized the Houthis as one of world’s foremost and most horrific abusers of human rights. The Houthis recruit thousands of child soldiers, arbitrarily detain religious minorities, and are currently imprisoning what is believed to be Yemen’s last remaining Jew. Their flag proudly proclaims ‘death to the Jews.’ It is welcome news that the United States is once again recognizing the obvious: the Houthis are terrorists, plain and simple. Every sensible country should follow suit and hold the Houthis, and their masters in Tehran, to account — now!”
The mission of ADL’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities is to bring international attention to the human rights offenses committed against minority communities in the Middle East. The Task Force consists of regional and topical experts who serve as an advisory body to augment ADL’s work in protecting vulnerable minorities by identifying, elevating, and educating on emerging human rights issues in the Middle East.