The Yemeni Islah Party strongly condemned the killing of Sheikh Saleh Hantous, one of the most prominent Quranic educators in the governorate of Raymah, describing the act as not just a crime, but a reflection of the Houthis' deep ideological weakness and fear of republican values.

Adnan Al-Odayni, Deputy Head of the Islah Party’s Media and Culture Department, said in a post on X:

“A fully equipped special forces unit was dispatched from Sa’dah to Raymah just to storm a rural home inhabited by a 70-year-old man and his family. That scene alone reveals the extent of Houthi fear.”

Al-Odayni emphasized that Sheikh Hantous was not politically active, but embodied the spirit of the republican idea by educating generations of Yemenis who believe in freedom and dignity.

He cited Hantous’ final words:

“I am oppressed… they cut my salary, shot at my children… God is sufficient for us… I hope to die a martyr,”
saying this is proof that “republicanism is not a piece of paper, but a consciousness — a stance to say NO, even when alone and surrounded by guns.”

The Islah Party hailed Hantous as a "martyr of principle", asserting that his killing is a silent confession from the Houthis that they are still defeated in the face of the republican ideal, no matter how many weapons they carry.