By Shuaibu Ahmad
What is Arba’een? The occasion called Arba’een occurs 40 days after Ashura, the tenth day of the lunar calendar month of Muharram when the grandson of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad(S) was martyred in the plains of Karbala at the hands of the tyrant of his time, Yazid son of Mu’awiyah Son of Hindu and Abu-Sufyan, back in the seventh century.
Arbaeen literally means
“fortieth” in Arabic and is used as a name for the day which marks the fortieth day from the date of the Tragedy of Karbala, according to Islam (20th Safar)
The first nine days of Muharram feature mourning processions and lectures in anticipation of Ashura. The rituals culminate with Arba’een, known as the world’s largest annual gathering.
The occasion has invariably worked to unify Muslims in the face of attempts to create divergence , discords and misunderstanding among them.
Large numbers of Muslims travel to Iraq each year, walking the distance between the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala – where the shrine of Imam Husain (a.s) is situated.
Those that are unable to make it to Karbala due some reasons that may include finance and other logistics show their support for the oppressed Imam Husain(a.s) wherever they are. Places where lovers of peace, unity and humanity commemorates Arba’een includes: United States of America, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Many African Countries, South American Countries, Europe, Acia etc.
Here in Nigeria, the 2018 Arba’een was attacked by the Nigerian Joint Security forces which includes the Army, and the Mobile Police.
Not less 50+ of the Nigerian Shia Muslims were killed many were left with serious degree of injuries.
This is among the worst atrocicies that ever happened in the history of Nigeria as a country, where government killed its own armless citizens.
Peaceful protest is the right of all citizens, freedom of speech, freedom of religion are all integral parts of "Democracy" why is the Nigerian Government under Muhammadu Buhari neglecting all these?
The world is not unaware that following a stage managed traffic obstruction on the 12 December , 2015 , the Nigerian Army raided the house of Shaikh Zakzaky and massacred over one thousand of brothers and sisters of the movement including his 78 year old sister , his nephew and his three sons.
He was shot at close range, to kill him, but Allah wished to see him alive after the barbaric December attack. He has been denied proper medical care, but he is still living. A vigorous campaign of calumny against him has been mounted by the puppets of imperialists, yet the pious Shaikh still enjoins progressive support from millions of people within and outside Nigeria.
What is wrong is practising the Islam of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (S) and his progeny? What is wrong in demanding for the freedom of Shaikh Zakzaky (H) , his wife and other oppressed Nigerians in a "Democratic" Government?
And why did the created terror cell in Nigeria called "Boko Haram" attacked the Islamic movement? Why did the Nigerian Soldiers attacked the Islamic movement immediately after the created "Boko Haram" attack failed to stop the spread of the voice of Shaikh Zakzaky as well as the activities of the movement?
We hereby calls on peace lovers in Nigeria and the international community to rise against this systematic tyranny perpetrated by the government of General Buhari. We should denounce these acts of oppression and impunity in unison calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the revered leader of the Islamic movement , his Eminence Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H).
The world will never forget the massacre of over one thousand Muslim followers of Shaikh Zakzaky including women and children by the government of General Muhammadu Buhari. The massacre of over 100 in Kano and Funtua will never be forgotten. Finally, the massacre of over 50 brothers and sisters in Abuja while discharging their right to peaceful protest and religion will never be gotten and and will never be forgiven.
All those involved in these barbaric acts must be brought to book.
Our demand is simple, loud and clear; just free Shaikh Zakzaky
Signed
S. I Ahmad
For Academic Forum
afimn14@gmail.com
7/12/2018