Path of Imam Zaid: Insight, struggle against injustice, tyranny

The revolution of Imam Zaid (peace be upon him) was not merely a fleeting historical event, but rather a pivotal turning point in the history of the Islamic nation, laying the foundations for revolutionary thought and liberation from the shackles of humiliation and subjugation.

The revolution of Imam Zaid (peace be upon him) stemmed from a precise diagnosis of the intellectual and doctrinal deviation perpetuated by the Umayyads. The ruling authority at that time deliberately manipulated religion to serve its interests through distorted intellectual tools, most notably the “doctrine of predestination,” which court scholars promoted to legitimize injustice and justify the enslavement of the nation as an inescapable fate.

Faced with the systematic erosion of religious values, Imam Zaid acted, armed with the Holy Quran and the insight of his methodology. He established the principle of intellectual and educational reform before resorting to arms, for his uprising was not a quest for power or personal gain, but rather a natural continuation of the approach of his ancestor, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), in reviving the principle of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the obligation of jihad in the path of God.

In light of the current reality of the Arab and Islamic world under the yoke of American and Zionist hegemony, the revolution of Imam Zaid stands out as a strategic guide and a major mobilizing force for drawing inspiration from the values of sacrifice and rebuilding collective consciousness to confront the forces of global arrogance.

The scene of Umayyad tyranny at that time is manifested in the arrogance practiced today by the forces of global arrogance—America and Israel—against the peoples of the region. The brutal attacks, genocidal warfare, and unjust sieges to which the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples are subjected are nothing but a reflection of the same Umayyad spirit that violated the nation’s sacred sites and crushed its dignity.

Under the pretext of international hegemony, America and Israel seek to impose a state of subjugation and submission on the Arab and Muslim peoples, employing puppet regimes, a massive media arsenal, and corrupt scholars who justify capitulation and promote a culture of defeat and normalization, just as the court scholars did during the Umayyad era.

In this context, the movement of the Yemeni people, led by the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, embodies the revival of the revolution of Imam Zaid (peace be upon him). This is manifested through their honorable stance in support of the oppressed in Gaza and their advocacy for the just causes of the nation, stemming from a profound sense of religious, moral, and humanitarian responsibility, and in accordance with the Quranic approach to confronting tyrants and oppressors.

The intellectual vision established by the martyred leader, Sayyid Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi, restored the nation’s faith in the Quran as a way of life and a book of strength and resistance. This enabled the Yemeni armed forces to wage the battle of “The Promised Victory and Holy Jihad,” confronting the fleets of international hegemony, breaking the back of American and British arrogance in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, and imposing unprecedented rules of engagement that major regimes and armies have been unable to achieve.

In short, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Zaid (peace be upon him) in Yemen is not merely a remembrance of the past, but a revolutionary milestone from which Yemenis draw lessons of steadfastness and resilience in the face of American and Zionist tyranny and their regional proxies. From this revolution, they derive the determination and will to continue the struggle for liberation and independence, adhering to the path of insight and jihad as the inevitable choice to break the arrogance of the oppressors and champion the just causes of the nation.