The Rise of Sectarian Polarization in Yemen
Abstract
The state of Yemen has witnessed civil conflict, regional military involvement, and a deep humanitarian crisis since the Houthi, also known as Ansar Allah, military takeover on September 21, 2014. This war has produced not only a political division between the north and south but has also left Yemeni society polarized along sectarian lines. The Houthis in the north are Zaydis, an offset of the Shi'a sec, and are allies of Shi'a majority Iran. However, the majority of the Yemenis in the South are Sunni Shafi'i. Before the war, sectarianism was to a certain extent contained as the central government included both Sunnis and Zaydis, for example. However, this paper argues that the outbreak of civil war in 2014 has led to a rise in sectarian polarization in Yemeni society and politics. Sectarian tension since the war can be seen on multiple levels, including, but not limited to, state institutions, education, language, and the geography of Yemen