Press Release: QUDS DAY: DAY OF THE OPPRESSED
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad and his Infallible Progeny.
Today, last Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan, was declared by late Imam Khomeini (Q.S.) of blessed memory, as the International Quds Day in which we commemorate the seizure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the continued oppression and occupation of Palestinians on their land. It is also a day for the oppressed globally. It is a day for lamentation by the oppressed.
Through this peaceful procession, we remind the world of the significance of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and its continued desecration by the Zionists usurpers for over 60 years. We are doing exactly the same with fellow Muslims and freedom lovers worldwide. Historical texts and the traditions of the Prophet (SAWA) are full of numerous indications that Al-Aqsa Mosque was the first Qibla (direction) of the Muslims. Al-Aqsa Mosque and its vicinity is central pivot to Islam, just like the Holy Ka’abah and Mecca (Qur’an chapter7, verse 1).
The Holy mosque and its environs are now under the clutches of the Zionists of the illegal state of Israel. Muslims are sanctioned from worship in it, as a strategy to cripple their bond of unity and crush their resistance. Mass massacre, demolishing of homes, target bombings and assassinations, as well as illegal detentions and imprisonments of Muslim Palestinians and non-Muslims by the illegal state of Israel have become order of the day. The sophisticated military hardware the Israeli regime uses to murder innocent Palestinians is chiefly provided by the U.S. other European powers. No wonder, it was Western imperialism that created the Zionist occupation of Palestine and therefore sustained it.
As we march today, our brothers and sisters in Palestine are subjected to continued merciless bombardment in Gaza by the illegal state of Israel. For the past three weeks now, Israeli military had consistently launched indiscriminate air, water and ground attacks on Palestinians residing in Gaza, which has remained literally cut off from the outside world by a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007. One third of the casualties are women and children. Western media, human right groups and painfully Arab leaders have either kept silent, or gave little attention to this war crime.
Here in Nigeria, we are witnessing a covert operation with full presence of U.S, illegal state of Israel and other western military allies, on the pretext of rescue mission. The unpronounced actual mission is to assassinate Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky (H) and suppress the Movement. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria remains the only genuine movement that had never kept silent in the face of global atrocities and the present deliberate and coordinated spate daily mass killing and bombings on innocent Nigerians in cold blood in the name of the so-called “Boko Haram”. Sheikh Zakzaky (H) had described it as a CIA script and a smokescreen to suppress and silence Islamic re-awakening and revival in Nigeria by way of systematic destabilization. As it is done in other countries, the situation will provide avenue for the so-called super powers to siphon Nigeria’s abundant resources to actualize the second phase of scramble for Africa. These murderous countries have received full approval and support of the Nigerian government to actualize their heinous agenda. It is now an open secret that, the war on terror is nothing but an open war on Islam and Muslims with U.S. and Israel at the top list of world’s terrorist nations.
As we remember the crimes and atrocities being perpetrated by the murderous Israeli regime, we should also remember those who facilitate and justify it. We should also remember the ineptitude of Muslim governments and their betrayal of Palestine, which has set fire to other Muslim countries.
This will give us a better understanding of the genocide happening in Palestine today.
We therefore call on all Muslims and Non- Muslims to wake up from their deep slumber and reject any divisional tendencies by enemies of humanity and unite. Let us shun all sponsored incitements and false propaganda in the name of religious sects, as well as inter-religious mistrust. This is the call of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H). Muslims should give top priority to the liberation of Quds and Palestine.
Peace be upon those who follow the right path.
Malam Abdul Hamid Bello, Zaria-Nigeria
Ramadan 28, 1435 AH (July 25, 2014)