He defends the attacks against cargo ships in the Red Sea, and says it is to help the Palestinians in Gaza. His videos have been viewed millions of times on TikTok and X/Twitter. Witty tongues claim he resembles a certain American actor, and have dubbed him Tim-Houthi Chalamet. In reality, his name is Rashid, and he says he would rather give all the attention to the Palestinians in Gaza. How did Tim-Houthi Chalamet become an internet phenomenon? It started when the partly Israeli-owned cargo ship “Galaxy Leader” was hijacked by Houthi fighters in the Red Sea last November. The crew on board are still being held hostage by the Houthis. The ship was brought to port in Yemen, and has since become a major tourist attraction. For a dollar per head (but only men), people are let on board, and the cargo ship is displayed as a war trophy by the Houthi militia. In January, Rashid al-Haddad (19) went out to see, and with his mobile phone and a large Yemeni flag, he filmed himself. “The pirate king of the Red Sea is in place. Free Palestine,” he wrote on social media. There is nothing to suggest that Rashid himself was involved in any hijacking or is a Houthi fighter, but that has not dampened the attention. With fluttering curls and a crooked smile for the camera, he has been compared to both Wonka star Timothée Chalamet and the slightly older movie pirate Johnny Depp. And he has taken on the role of a youthful spokesman for the Houthis in Yemen, a group that may not have been as well known or understood in the West. Who are the Houthis? The Houthis are a Shia Muslim group which, after many years of civil war, controls approximately 30 percent of Yemen. Two-thirds of the people are subject to their rule. They have long received military support from Iran, and are seen as related to groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. But at the same time they are their very own masters, and belong to a separate direction within Shia Islam, namely the Zaidi direction. “Houthi” is actually a powerful family name from northwestern Yemen. “God is great. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse of the Jews. Victory to Islam.” it says on the flag of the Houthis. Photo: Khaled Abdullah / Reuters Why do they attack ships in the Red Sea? They say that they are attacking ships going to or from Israel, and that they are doing it to force through emergency aid to Gaza and to end the war there. The Houthis control most of the coast of Yemen, which faces the Red Sea and the important strait “The Gate of Tears”. A large part of the world’s cargo ships have to pass through here, and that has given the Houthis a means of power. Experts believe the Houthis are also attacking Western ships to strengthen their own position both at home in Yemen and internationally. Here you can read more about why they attack ships in the Red Sea. How will the Houthis help Gaza? The Palestinians’ difficult fate and struggle against Israel is a popular cause of action in many Arab countries, and especially in Yemen. At home and in the region, it is good PR for the Houthis to say they are fighting Gaza’s cause. PROPAGANDA: The Houthis are very visual in their rhetoric. Here they trample on the flags of Israel and the USA. Photo: Reuters The Houthis also have support from Iran, which is Israel’s biggest enemy in the region. Experts believe the Houthis may now have a common interest with Iran in making shipping traffic unsafe in order to hit Israel and Western countries. Can the Houthis create more unrest in the Middle East? The Houthis have received a lot of weapons and extensive combat training throughout the civil war in Yemen. They also have drones and missiles that they can use to attack ships. Western countries such as the United States and Great Britain have recently carried out several airstrikes against the Houthis’ bases in Yemen. Although the West still claims that another government has the right to rule the country, there are many indications that the Houthis are now the real power holders in Yemen, and that they must be taken into account in the future. What happens to him who is called the hottest Houthi? At home in Sana, Rashid (19) constantly gives interviews to international media, often with his mobile phone in hand and a Kalashnikov assault rifle clearly visible in the background. CELEBRITY: Radhi al-Haddad became world famous overnight, after he posted videos of himself on board the hijacked ship. Photo: AFP He prefers to talk about the Palestinians’ cause, and preferably not about his appearance. When news finally got hold of the youngster the internet has dubbed Tim-Houthi Chalamet, he apologized that he is so busy that he simply does not have time to answer our questions. Listen to Utenriksredaktionen’s podcast:
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They call him Tim-Houthi Chalamet – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
