By Mallam Yusuf Abdullahi
In the name of Allah who states “Deem not that Allah is heedless of what the iniquitous do; He is only deferring them to a day when eyes shall stare” Q14:42. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His chosen servant, our master Muhammad and his purified progeny.
Consequent to last year’s senseless military attack on the peaceful protesters on the Internationally recognised event, leading to loss of 34 people including three undergraduate sons of sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky in Zaria, the Islamic movement organised a maiden International conference.
Although I was outside the country during the event, the media has given a wide coverage keeping the world fully informed of the 4 – day event. The rationale behind the programme was to remind ourselves and the world of the unforgotten and unforgiven atrocity, re – echo the need to bring to book the perpetrators of the mayhem and prepare all peace and justice loving people to related challenges among others.
The programme, commenced on Thursday, 23rd July, with the lecture on the need to bring criminals to justice by Professor Dahiru Yahya from Bayero University, at Husainniyah in Zaria. Later, Malama Zeenat Ibrahim and Sheikh Zakzaky delivered their speeches respectively.
On Friday 24th, the poets of the Islamic movement took the air in the afternoon and the floor was later opened for the participants to disclose some lessons on their knowledge regarding the martyrs. On Saturday, the 25th, a stage drama was played and the Hurras marched in honour of the martyrs, in addition to a very historic exhibition.
The events were crowned up on Sunday 26th, with an international conference at the Sheraton hotel in Abuja. Tagged "Zaria Quds day 2014 masaccre: a cast in stone"
Among other distinguished speakers were; Imam Muhammad al – Asi, the Chief Imam of Washington DC, Sayyid Massoud Shedjareh, Chairman, Islamic Human Rights Commission, UK, and Professor Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria, Hajiya Balkisu Yusuf mni, a seasoned journalist and Chief Ebenezer Oyetakin of the Anti – corruption network for justice.
The sub – theme of the conference was "Al – Quds: historical perspective and the significance of marking the international Quds day" under the subject "From al – Quds to Zaria: a melting pot of rights violation, veil of bias and conspiracy of silence"
The conference was started with a goodwill message from Sayyidah Zahra Mustafawy, daughter of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the International Quds day. The message was read by his Excellency Mr. Saeed Khoozechi, the ambassador of the Islamic republic. He added that his country would always support the cause of the oppressed people of the world. He reiterated condolence to the families of the martyrs, sympathy to the injured and the Islamic movement as a whole.
After the goodwill message, Sheikh Muhammad al – Asi, Imam of Washington DC in the United states delivered his lecture. The Imam spoke on the Zionist conspiracies and propaganda in their effort to dominate the world. He also highlighted on the historical account of the invasion of Palestine and the atrocities committed therein.
On his part, the leader of the Islamic movement sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky who crowned the event with closing remark maintained that the murderers were agents of devils that must be brought to book for their bad deeds. He said "like the Boko Haram, Israel formed a terrorist group and mischievously called it Islamic state (IS). We will rather call it Israeli state of Iraq or Lebanon, ISIL, or whatever but never an Islamic state saying that it was not a secret that ISIS, Al – qaeda and Al – shabab are all creation of Mossad and CIA heavily armed and funded by them like the Boko Haram in Nigeria"
The sheikh conclusively stated "all machinations against the Islamic movements have failed and will continue to fail woefully. They have failed. We are the destroyers of governments that dares attack us. The more you attack us, the stronger we become! The last government perished because of what it did to us last year on Quds day. It was because of what they did that gave rise to what is happening today. Insha’Allah, what they are fearing will one day come to pass. Insha’Allah, one day we will pray in Masjidul aqsa"
To sum it up, this was the synopsis of the conference and exhibition as drafted by Dr. Mshelgaru of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
(a). The conference clearly distinguished that Quds is not about Arab and Jew, Christianity or Judaism, state of Palestine and state of Israel but about inhumane and humane justice, oppressed and oppressor and right and wrong.
(b). It also created an understanding and declared that liberating Palestine encompasses psychological, social, cultural, political and military dominations and not restricted to freeing the features, infrastructures and land of the region.
(c). The conference pointed out that the scope of liberation of Palestine stretches from the Suez Canal in Egypt (Africa) to river Euphrates in Iraq (Asia) as scoped by the scheme of the greater Israel. In a broader sense, the conference believed that the freedom of the entire world will not be completed without liberating Palestine.
(d). The conference traced the historic origin of the Israeli atrocity as rooted in their origin, when the ten half – brothers of prophet Yusuf (As), the son of prophet Yaqub (As), also referred as Israel mischievously jealous, wickedly hated and decided to kill him on envy of divine favors. The subsequent developments highlighted were, defying prophets (example Musa (as) and blackmailing and accusing the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) of confusion for simply acting according to Allah’s dictates).
(e). Since then, as the conference underlined, Israel inherited mayhems and has been using violence to pursue its colonial, imperial and racial ambitions. It additionally noted that for fear of exposing its malicious psychologies, it spreads more atrocities all over the world including Zaria in Nigeria.
(f). The conference disclosed evidences of direct involvements of Israeli securities and weapons amidst Nigerian military elements in the 2014 Zaria massacre.
(g). The conference was convinced that the massacre in Zaria in 2014 occurred as a result of the growing awareness and freedom seeking communities massively in the movement and of Nigeria being an imperative heart of Africa with abundant enticing resources.
(h). It was however noted with dismay that the members of the Islamic movement were the most persecuted and most victimized citizens in the country.
(i). The conference as well declared determinations to focus efforts of liberation on the spiritual Israel which dwells in the occupied Palestine, USA, UN, Canada and European countries.
(j). It called for commitments to have all hands on deck in pursuit of truth in order to force a new world order be written in favour of truth.
(k). The conference reiterated its deep disappointment over government’s conspiracy of silence on the murderers of the 34 in cold blood in Zaria, knowing fully well that with good intentions all criminals can be traced.
(l). The conference then described the government’s conspiracy of silence over the murder of the 34 as the worst oppression and therefore called for its condemnation.
(m). The conference likewise declared that it owed the martyrs of Zaria 2014 a duty to investigate and find out what truly happened so as to punish those that may be implicated.
It could be recalled that the International Quds day was commenced on August 7th, 1979 when Imam Khomeini gave an open invitation to Muslims and the world by extension to express solidarity with the Palestinians in particular and indeed all oppressed of the world.
Ever since, the day was observed through processions, conferences and rallies by nations, human rights activists and civil liberties organisations across the world.
In a similar development, sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky attended an international conference for international union of resistance scholars in Beirut on 28th July, 2015. The leader of Hezbollah sheikh Hasan Nasrallah said Muslims won’t abandon Palestine noting that his organisation and Iran support all those holding resistance flag regardless of sectarian belongings. There is no rightful and legitimate cause like al – Quds and countering the Zionist enemy"
The Islamic movement was appreciative to the sympathies and condolences expressed personally or by whatever means over the sad event as the revered sheikh expressed his gratitude and prayed to Allah to reward all abundantly!
While praying for the eternal rest of our great martyrs, we must emphasize the urgent need to bring the criminals to book.
Wassalamu alaikum.