Houthis kicked off the second semester of the ongoing academic year with a new package of unlawful decisions that included incorporating Khomeini political chants into the morning sermons at schools.
Students, in Houthi-run areas, are now forced to shout Khomeini-inspired political slogans instead of reciting the national anthem.
The order to impose the political chant came with a warning that violators will be punished.
Local sources speaking under the conditions of anonymity revealed that a number of students were deprived of attending school as punishment for refusing to chant along to the Khomeini slogans.
Iran-backed Houthis also designated Wednesdays for sectarian activities at schools.
All schools are required to run a video reel on projectors provided by Houthis a day earlier. The videos, according to sources, include inciting lectures and combat scenes.
This is seen as an effort to boost youth recruitment by Houthis. Houthis have also set up a committee that is tasked with enforcing the group’s orders.
Parents talked about a change made by the Houthi committee to the schools’ radio programs. Radio programs are now focused on propagating sectarian concepts and teachings.
Parents in Houthi-run areas appealed to international and human rights organizations to stop this tampering with youth minds. At the same time, they called on the United Nations to take a serious and resolute stance towards Houthis, which they said constitute a threat to the future of Yemen.
