When the Houthis took over Sana’a in 2014, one of the most shocking experiences for me was watching colleagues I had known and worked alongside for years, people committed to human rights, democracy, and international institutions, so quickly embrace Houthi narratives. It was even more disturbing in 2015 to see people I deeply admired and respected justify the Houthi military offensive against Aden, repeating the claim that the group was merely fighting ISIS. Years of professional commitment to human rights and democratic principles seemed to disappear with a click of a button. Today, amid renewed regional escalations, I am witnessing something disturbingly familiar. Social media influencers and activists are increasingly adopting Houthi narratives, seemingly convinced that the group represents resistance, Arab identity, and solidarity with Palestine. What troubles me is not simply political disagreement. It is how easily ideological narratives can override critical thinking, historical memory, and principles that people once defended. I can understand how people outside Yemen, unfamiliar with the country’s history and the realities of Houthi rule, might be misled by carefully constructed Houthi propaganda. But what I find truly puzzling is watching Yemenis who have witnessed this history unfold from the beginning, who know the group’s record of atrocities, repression, and human rights abuses, suddenly embrace the very narratives they once challenged. How does someone who has witnessed years of suffering, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, persecution, and the destruction of democratic and civic space by the Houthis suddenly see these perpetrators as symbols of liberation and resistance? Perhaps the most disturbing power of propaganda is not that it convinces those who do not know the facts, but that it persuades those who know them to look away.

🇾🇪 Ansarallah's governor of Taiz has issued an open letter urging Saudi-backed fighters trapped in the encircled city to accept an amnesty and go home. "Your blood is protected, your honor preserved, and your property respected," wrote Ahmad Amin al-Musawa, the Sanaa-appointed acting governor, according to the Yemen Press Agency. "Return to your families, villages, and cities." The letter is the latest of several offers from Sanaa to the forces holding Taiz's last three government-controlled districts: 
➤ Oct. 4: Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Supreme Political Council, confirmed a presidential pardon still covers anyone who leaves Saudi-backed forces. 
➤ Oct. 15: Al-Musawa offered fighters safe passage out along the al-Turba road to Aden, with their vehicles and personal weapons. 
➤ Oct. 16: Ansarallah forces issued what they called a "final warning" to leave the city. Ansarallah now controls every entry point to Taiz, a city of more than 1 million people. Fighting and road closures have cut aid to about 800,000 people, the World Food Programme said.