Houthi gunmen arrest 17 Baha’i worshippers‏‏

Houthi rebels in Yemen have stormed a gathering of Baha’i worshippers and arrested 17 people، in the Iran-backed group’s latest crackdown on the vulnerable religious minority.

According to officials in the Baha'i community who have called for the quick release of the 17 victims—among them five women—the shooters have since "disappeared" all of them.

Many Baha'i members were participating in the meeting via the Zoom video conferencing website while a portion of the raid، which took place in the war-torn capital of Sanaa، was filmed.

The purpose of the meeting was to elect the community’s national governing body.

The Baha'i faith، which was established in Iran in the 19th century، promotes world peace. Particularly in Iran and Yemen، its adherents have frequently been persecuted and used as scapegoats in Middle Eastern countries experiencing conflict or political unrest.

According to Padideh Sabeti، head of the UK Baha'i Office of Public Affairs، "in some regions of the Arab world، a new discussion on how to live peacefully side by side with adherents of all religions has begun to take shape."

“In contrast، the de facto Houthi authorities are determined to persecute religious minorities and attack peaceful and unarmed civilians.”

Sanaa is home to about 2،000 members of the Baha'i community and was taken over by the Houthis in 2014 from the Yemeni government.

Since September 2014، Yemen has been embroiled in a horrific conflict that has sparked the biggest humanitarian crisis in history.

The fighting has reportedly claimed the lives of about 150،000 people، while a further 200،000 people have perished from famine، according to UN estimates.

Founded in the mid-1800s، the Baha’i faith is a relatively young religion that has its religious headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

There are an estimated five to eight million Baha’i  worshippers worldwide، with the largest communities based in India، the US and Kenya.