"We're All Muslims": Red Sea Ship Crews Plead with Houthis to Avoid Attacks
As Houthi terror escalates in Bab al-Mandeb, terrified sailors add messages to tracking systems claiming Muslim identities in hopes of avoiding hijackings.
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Amid growing fears of Houthi maritime terrorism in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, ship crews are resorting to desperate tactics: broadcasting messages to the Iran-backed rebels, insisting that “everyone onboard is Muslim.”
According to a report published Sunday by Reuters, several commercial vessels transiting the region have added personalized declarations to their AIS tracking profiles, such as:
"All crew members are Muslim." "We are not affiliated with Israel."
The move comes after a surge in attacks. Just last week, the Houthis sank two commercial ships and kidnapped several crew members—prompting shipping companies to look for any tactic that might help their crews avoid becoming targets.
AIS (Automatic Identification System) data shows that the number of daily voyages through the Bab al-Mandeb has dropped drastically—from 79 per day in October 2023 to just 32–35 vessels in recent days.
According to shipping experts cited by Reuters, the effectiveness of such religious or political disclaimers is questionable. Houthi surveillance teams reportedly track vessels with links to Israel, including those that docked in Israeli ports in recent months. Both ships sunk last week had visited Israel prior to being attacked.
Still, fear is prompting crews to try anything. One shipping executive told Reuters that “even Muslim crews are no longer safe,” and the Houthis appear to be operating based on geopolitical motives—not religious solidarity.