Both Hezbollah and Houthi are Shiite Muslim political and extremist groups. In this episode, we will explore the similarities and differences between the two extremist outfits.
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While Hezbollah emerged during the Lebanese Civil War, the Houthis came into existence when a resistance group was formed against Saleh and his corrupt governance in Yemen.
Before we explore some of the differences and similarities between the two groups, let us take a quick look at how they came into existence.
The History of Hezbollah
In 1943, a political agreement was made in Lebanon under which power was divided among three predominant religious groups of the country. Under the agreement, a Maronite Christian would serve as the president, a Sunni Muslim as the prime minister, and a Shiite Muslim as the speaker. While the balance of power looked good on paper, it did not last long. The faction between the three groups soon turned into a civil war. The Sunni Muslims were growing in number due to the arrival of Palestinian refugees, the Shiite Muslims felt marginalized due to the power vested in the Christian minority through the political agreement.
Influenced by the government in Iran, a section of the Shiite community began forming a rebel group. Iran did not miss the opportunity to grow its sphere of influence in the Arab world and began supporting the group. Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) provided training, funds, and arms to the newly-formed militant group, who by now had adopted the name Hezbollah—the Party of God.
The History of the Houthis
After a succession of coups in 1978, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Zaydi republican general came to power in Yemen. Saleh ruled Yemen for 33 years, which was marked by extreme corruption.
In 1990, Hussein al Houthi, a charismatic leader, created a resistance group against the Saleh government. Named after their leader, the Houthis began raising their voice against Saleh. The group backed by the IRGC began charging Saleh with stealing massive wealth for his family. Taking inspiration from Hezbollah, who were successful in expelling the Israeli army from Lebanon, the Houthis began forming military strategies. Despite Hussein al Houthi losing his life fighting the Saleh armies, the Houthis were able to defeat them and capture Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.
In the next episode, we will discuss the similarities and differences between the two outfits.
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