Dr Adnan Husain
First run on Aug 13, 2025
Solidarity with Palestine: The episode connects Yemen's historical independence to contemporary events, explaining why Ansar Allah and many Yemeni people act in active solidarity with Gaza. They view their struggle as part of a broader, long-standing refusal to accept the dictates of the "Zio-American empire"
In this first part of a two part series, Adnan has an epic conversation with Dr. Isa Blumi, historian and Professor of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at Stockholm University, about Yemen’s modern history of resisting colonialism geopolitically and global capitalism. Author of Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World, Dr. Blumi masterfully analyzes and integrates the geographic, social, economic, cultural, political and religious dimensions of Yemen’s distinctive historical experience. If you want to understand why Ansarullah as a popular movement has taken leadership of active solidarity with the people of Gaza in confronting ZioAmerican empire, this episode will be indispensable.
This video features a conversation between host Adnan Husain and historian Dr. Isa Blumi regarding the modern history of Yemen and its resistance to empire.
Key Themes Discussed:
Resilience and Autonomy: Dr. Blumi emphasizes that Yemen has historically resisted attempts by external powers—such as colonial Atlantic forces and modern finance capitalism—to subjugate its population. The difficult topography and a strong sense of indigenous culture allowed communities to maintain independence and negotiate their own terms with the world (13:00 - 20:00).
Critique of Sectarian and Tribal Narratives: The speakers dismiss simplistic, often colonial, frameworks that explain Yemen’s politics solely through Zaydi vs. Shafi sectarian divisions or patriarchal "tribal" structures. They argue these labels were amplified by outside actors to facilitate "divide and rule" strategies, rather than reflecting the historical reality of cooperation and shared communal spaces (28:50 - 32:00, 48:40 - 58:00).
The Role of Finance Capitalism: A central argument is that Yemen became a target because it stood outside the hegemony of global finance capitalism. Dr. Blumi points out how the Imamate in the early 20th century sought to maintain its own monetary systems and self-sufficiency, often frustrating foreign engineers and investors (36:45 - 42:00).
Solidarity with Palestine: The episode connects this historical independence to contemporary events, explaining why Ansar Allah and many Yemeni people act in active solidarity with Gaza. They view their struggle as part of a broader, long-standing refusal to accept the dictates of the "Zio-American empire" (10:50 - 12:00, 1:11:00 - 1:13:30).
International Overtures: Contrary to the image of an "isolated" nation, the video highlights how leaders like Imam Yahya and Imam Ahmed made strategic diplomatic connections with diverse global powers, including the Soviet Union, Italy, Yugoslavia, and others, to protect their sovereignty (1:06:50 - 1:08:00, 1:14:00 - 1:15:40).
Part 2.
