The Houthis: inside the powerful religious militia’s enigmatic mindset

“I would say the more radical voices are now in the forefront. When I was still in Yemen and we were part of the National Dialogue Council they brought forward more soft-leaning liberal voices who can talk to the rest of the Yemenis,” said Baraa Shiban, a Yemeni academic at the Royal United Services Institute who was involved in the Arab Spring protests and formation of the council. “But I think the more radical militant people were always in charge. We saw more extreme interpretations of Islamic practices they tried to implement immediately in areas under their control,” he added.