September Net – Asharq Al-Awsat

Houthi militias have recently imposed restrictions on cultural events in the capital Sana’a and the rest of Yemeni areas falling under their control in an attempt to serve their ideological objectives.

Yemeni activists in Sana’a said the Iran-backed insurgents banned last Thursday an art event in the streets of the capital.

The activists said Houthi coupists prevented Yemeni artists from drawing in public as part of an open art day, forcing them to disperse.

Sources said the event was canceled although the concerned artists had received a permit from the official apparatuses controlled by the militias in Sanaa.

Yemeni activist Wameed Shaker wrote on her Facebook page Friday that Houthi militiamen asked participants in the open art day to draw paintings against the legitimate government and the Arab Coalition supporting it.

Yemeni activists said the Houthi rebels behavior is a reflection of “the Khomeinist ideology that controls the rebel group, and wants to limit freedoms in Yemen.”

Since their coup in 2014, Houthis have stamped sectarian drawings and slogans on the capital’s walls.

The rebel group has also broken into wedding ceremonies in Sana’a, Amran and other areas, preventing people from playing music.

In the past few years, Yemeni-controlled areas have witnessed an unprecedented cultural stagnation after the closure of more than 200 publication houses.

The rebel group continues to impose its sectarian ideology on the curricula of universities and schools, in addition to promoting their thoughts in mosques and public areas.