ACJ discloses the content of the curricula taught by the Houthis to children in summer centers
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) disclosed the content of the curricula taught by the Houthi group to children in summer centers, and the vocabulary and teachings they contain that perpetuate the culture of violence, sanctify death, and call for violence, hatred, and societal segregation.
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) reviewed in its report on the summer centers organized by the Houthi group during the summer vacation the curriculum taught to Yemeni children in these centers, which consists of (7) books with a number of (278) pages. Three of these 7 books were written by Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi and Muhammad Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, in addition to summaries of the Malazim [Fascicles] of Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi.
The report mentioned that the curricula taught were subject to modification on an almost annual basis. Also, those enrolled in these centers are divided according to age groups into three levels (the first level, the intermediate level, and the higher level). The first level was divided into 2 parts: the first is the training level, and it includes students of the first, second and third grades of basic education. The second is the basic level, which includes students of the fourth, fifth and sixth grades of basic education.
According to the report, the children receive lessons in three books, the first of which is called "My Prayer". In this book, the author was keen to explain the doctrine of the Houthi group in these issues and stated that they are more correct and obligatory to follow. In the second book (Reading and Writing), the author reinforces the Houthi approach through lessons in writing and reading vocabulary that includes sectarian terms and connotations.
The book also contains lessons for reading and writing the slogans of the Houthi sectarian group, its positions on other groups, its propaganda activities, and incitement to violence and killing. The curricula of the second phase consist of two levels: the first includes students of the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades of basic education, while the second level includes first-secondary students and above.
The curricula include topics about the guidance of ummah, Imam Ali and Ahl al-Bayt and what is required of their love, loyalty and obedience, as an important reason for achieving victory over the enemies, in addition to lessons from Hussein Al-Houthi's fascicles. The higher-level courses are intended for high school graduates, and they study 3 books. The most important of them is Lessons in Knowing God, a summary of the lectures of Hussein Al-Houthi and its introduction urged to wage jihad against the enemies.
The report elaborated that summer centers are divided into two Types: the first type is open centers which are the vast majority of these centers. Attention is paid to the jihadi mobilization cultural aspect and encouragement to participate in the activities and events called for by the Houthi group, and visiting the graves of the group's dead, which are called "The shrines of the martyrs". The second type is the closed centers. They are similar to recruitment camps through where military preparation takes place for those enrolled in sports training, learning how to use weapons, as well as the establishment of electronic pressure campaigns and watching incitement videos against opponents of the Houthi group.
The report also concluded that during the year 2022, the capital secretariat and Sana'a governorate witnessed the inauguration and opening of (593) summer centers in several districts, including (19) closed centers, in addition to about (500) summer centers in all districts and villages of the governorate, of which (19) are closed centers. The ACJ team monitored the Houthi's recruitment of (186) children enrolled in summer courses, where 85% of them are under the age of (15).
The Houthi group organized (115) open summer centers in Al-Mahwit Governorate. The number of students enrolled in those centers reached (5130) male and female students. While the number of closed centers reached (10) centers, including (3) in the Shibam district, and (7) centers were established in the rest of the districts.
In the governorate of Ibb, the Houthi group organized (340) summer centers this year, including (9) closed centers in different districts of the governorate. In the Al-Hodeida governorate, the ACJ team monitored the organization of (29) summer centers in (12) districts, and the number of those enrolled in these centers reached (3871) male students, and (765) female students.
There was a relative decline among the people of the Saada governorate in the demand for summer centers compared to previous years because of the experiences that parents had with the Houthi group. In the city, the capital of the governorate, the attendance did not exceed 10% of the city's school students.
In the districts of Saqin, Haydan, Al-Zahir, and Ghamr, the number of summer centers is estimated at dozens, and the group has mobilized all its mentors in the four districts to organize summer centers in more than 33 public schools, yet the students' attendance in these centers was somewhat low.
In the districts of Sahar, Majz, Baqim, Qatabir, Al-Hashwah, Kataf, over 40 public schools and 3 private headquarters were opened to organize summer centers, and the number of students reached over a thousand.
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) accused the Houthi group of exploiting the summer centers to achieve its political, ideological and military goals by supplying its fronts with fighters from the students enrolled in those centers, as well as pushing them to participate in the activities of the group.
Additionally, the report indicated that Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the group, personally followed the procedures for organizing summer camps. He also delivers speeches urging participation and motivates the participants to interact with the lessons and teachings he presents to them. Moreover, he claims that organizing these centers immunized students against everything that is alien to society.
The group carries out extensive publicity for the courses at all levels to increase participation. To ensure the effectiveness of these courses in achieving the goals of the group, a committee was formed in the Ministry of Education in Sana’a, affiliated by supervisory executive sub-committees in the governments. Furthermore, the group engages heads of neighborhoods and villages, and preachers of mosques in the mobilization for summer courses and use schools and mosques as headquarters for summer centers to recruit all age groups of school students.