The Houthi militia in Yemen, which is aligned with Iran and has disrupted global shipping to show support for Palestinians in the Gaza conflict, is now offering a place to students suspended from U.S. universities after staging anti-Israeli protests.
In recent days, students from dozens of US campuses have protested against Israel's ongoing seven-month war in Gaza by holding demonstrations or erecting tents.
Protesters have demanded that schools divest from companies that support Israel's government and that President Joe Biden, who has defended Israel's right to self-defence, take more action to halt the carnage in Gaza.
To put an end to the protests, numerous schools, including the prestigious Columbia University in New York City, have called in the police.
"We are serious about welcoming students that have been suspended from U.S. universities for supporting Palestinians," an official at Sanaa University, which is run by the Houthis, told Reuters. "We are fighting this battle with Palestine in every way we can."
In a statement, Sanaa University praised the students' "humanitarian" stance in the US and said they were welcome to pursue their education in Yemen.
The university's board issued a statement that included an email address for any students who wished to accept their offer. The statement stated, "The board of the university condemns what academics and students of U.S. and European universities are being subjected to, suppression of freedom of expression."
Due to their attacks on ships in and around the Red Sea, which have harmed world economies, the U.S. and Britain added the Houthi militia back to their list of terrorist organizations this year.
The Houthi's proposal to provide American students with an education set off a social media backlash of sarcasm from regular Yemenis. A picture of two Westerners chewing the popular narcotic leaf Qat in Yemen was shared on social media. He characterized the situation as that of fifth-year American Sanaa University students.
