Slogan of the Houthi movement

The slogan of the Houthi movement (officially called "Ansar Allah"), a Shia Islamist political and military organization in Yemen, reads "God Is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam" (الله أكبر, الموت لأمريكا, الموت لإسرائيل, اللعنة علی اليهود, النصر للإسلام ) on a vertical banner of Arabic text. It is often portrayed on a white background, with the written text in red and green colours derived from the flag of Iran; the pro-Islamic statements are coloured green while the statements about the United States, Israel, and the Jewish people are coloured red.

Background


Modeled on a motto from revolutionary Iran (although first used in North Korea during the Korean War), the slogan "Allah is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam" was originally not tied to the Houthi movement. Its exact origin is disputed. Some sources state that it was first chanted at the Imam al-Hadi school in Marran in January 2002, while others claim that Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi used it after seeing footage of a young Palestinian dying in his father's arms during the Second Intifada in 2000. Hussein al-Houthi noted during a sermon in January 2002 that he had included Jews in the slogan “because they are the ones who move this world".

The slogan eventually became a sign of public protest against the dictatorship of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. It was first widely used during a visit by Saleh to Saada in January 2003. At the time, the President intended to make a speech during the Friday prayers, but was drowned out by locals who chanted the slogan to protest against his policies. The Yemeni government responded with a crackdown, and 600 people were arrested for having used the slogan. This only worsened the situation, and the slogan spread in northern Yemen.

The Houthi movement officially adopted the slogan in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which was widely condemned in the Arab world. This brought the movement on a collision course with the government, as the government maintained its official pro-American politics despite public opposition. The slogan was outlawed. The Houthis refused to discard it, arguing that the constitution of Yemen protected free speech. By 2004, crackdowns against both the slogan as well as the Houthi movement intensified. Many Houthis were imprisoned and even tortured for having used it. The conflict between the Houthis and the government eventually resulted in the outbreak of a violent insurgency in the northern part of the country.

Despite the religious overtones of their slogan, the Houthis self-identify as Yemeni nationalist group opposed to the oppression of all Yemenis, including Sunni Muslims, by foreigners. Though the slogan is the most prominent symbol of the Houthi movement, often displayed on placards and flags, the Houthis also display the regular flag of Yemen as a rallying symbol.

Some Houthi supporters state that their ire for the U.S. and Israel is directed toward the respective countries' governments. Ali al-Bukhayti, the spokesperson and official media face of the Houthis, rejected the literal interpretation of the slogan by stating in an interview: "We do not really want death to anyone. The slogan is simply against the interference of those governments [i.e., U.S. and Israel]." In the Arabic Houthi-affiliated TV and radio stations they use religious connotations associated with jihad against Israel and the US.

After the Houthi's October 2023 declaration of war against Israel, a tricolor flag of three equal horizontal stripes, black, white, and green from top to bottom, overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist has been observed in different instances, alongside the slogan and flag of Yemen. Historically this flag have been associated with Arab Revolt as a pan-nationalistic symbol to unite the Arab nations, later it was associated with All-Palestine Government and Army of the Holy War.

This probably depicts the flag of Palestine and therefore adoption of the flag would be a sign of solidarity in this regard. However, there have been instances of Arab nationalism as a rallying point in Houthi rhetoric alongside their usual religious ethos.