With his long beard and traditional Yemeni attire, wearing a mawaz (a sarong-like garment worn by men), Gawed, 43, used to travel between mosques in Lahj governorate, proselytising and teaching people about his interpretation of Islam.
The purpose of his work was to encourage Yemenis to follow religious guidance that remained strictly detached from politics. This was the approach he learned from Salafi leaders like Muqbil al-Wadi'i, who was educated in Saudi Arabia before establishing the Salafi centre in Dammaj, Saada, in the 1980s.
The Salafis are a Sunni movement adhering to a literalist interpretation of Islam, focusing on the traditions of the first three generations of Muslims. However, when conflict with the Houthis reached Lahj in 2015, Gawed and his group did not hesitate to join the fighting, achieving major tactical advances in their areas of operation.
"We didn't fight for political reasons; we fought to protect our lands and our faith from the Houthis as they tried to invade our villages and distort Islam," Gawed told Middle East Eye.
The Houthis belong to the Zaydi branch of Shia Islam. While Zaydism differs significantly from the "Twelver" Shi'ism practised in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, both sects believe that leadership of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad belonged to his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and his descendants, known as Imams.
