Al-Houthi’s Eid al-Adha Message Turns Into Scathing Rebuke of Muslim World’s Inaction on Gaza
Executive Summary
In a holiday address marking Eid al-Adha, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi used the occasion less to celebrate and more to condemn fellow Muslim nations, accusing them of betrayal, cowardice, and moral failure for their passivity in the face of Israel’s campaign in Gaza. While framed as a spiritual message, the statement heavily shames Islamic governments and populations alike for what al-Houthi describes as their abandonment of religious duty and complicity through silence.
Analysis
Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s 2025 Eid al-Adha address took on a sharply accusatory tone, focusing not on unity or renewal but on what he characterized as a collective moral collapse in the Muslim world. The speech, rather than uplifting, served as an indictment of Arab and Islamic states for their perceived failure to respond to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Al-Houthi labeled their silence and inaction a “stain” on Islam, framing the crisis not only as a political tragedy but as a religious betrayal.
Throughout the statement, al-Houthi linked the current Gaza war to a broader historical pattern of Muslim submission to external forces—namely Israel, the United States, and Western powers. He equated the failure to defend Palestinians with a failure to uphold the Qur’an itself, suggesting that divine punishment awaits those nations and leaders who choose what he calls the “path of negligence.”
Shaming language saturated the speech, targeting wealthy Muslim countries in particular. He mocked what he called the “billionaire nation of Muslims” for its impotence and questioned how these nations would answer to God on the Day of Judgment. Al-Houthi also criticized the desecration of holy sites, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque, and used these examples to argue that a broader jihad is not just justified—it is inevitable.
While framed in religious language and reverence for Eid rituals, the speech rarely touched on themes of peace, reconciliation, or joy typical of the holiday. Instead, it emphasized martyrdom, resistance, and national humiliation. Even as he urged solidarity gatherings and charity for the poor, the central message was unmistakably combative: the Muslim world, in al-Houthi’s view, is spiritually lost unless it embraces open confrontation.
This isn’t a new tactic for al-Houthi, who regularly uses religious holidays as platforms for political messaging. But this address stands out for its direct condemnation of Muslim leaders and its elevation of the Palestinian cause to a litmus test for religious legitimacy. In doing so, al-Houthi seeks to align himself with the global Islamic conscience while casting his rivals as morally bankrupt.
