“The Quds Day is a universal day. It is not an exclusive day for Quds itself. It is a day for the oppressed to rise and stand up against the arrogant.” Imam Khomeini.
As we march out today in all the major towns and cities chanting ‘Free Palestine, Free Quds”, we are joining several million other marchers all over the world, answering the call of Imam Khomeini of blessed memory, who are out today, the last Friday of Ramadan, to show the global tyranny that we reject their oppression of the oppressed, and to the oppressed to show our solidarity with them that they will never stand alone.
When we say Quds Day, what do we mean? We mean it is a day we stand shoulder to shoulder with all oppressed people in the world against all the oppressors, while we see in Palestine all the world leaders are standing shoulder to shoulder with the oppressors against the Palestinians whilst they are suffering on a daily basis – we do exactly the opposite.
Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land do not just amount to war crimes under international law, they violate fundamental principles of international law triggering additional responsibilities among all states. Yet for decades, Israel has openly defied international law by ruthlessly pursuing its settlement expansion.
Palestinian natural resources such as fertile land, water and minerals have been extensively and unlawfully appropriated to sustain the Israeli settlements. At the same time, Israel has imposed restrictions on Palestinians’ access to – and use of – water, land and other natural resources, as well as restricting Palestinians’ freedom of movement, tearing families apart, stopping farmers from accessing their farmland and preventing people getting to work or earning a living.
For five decades, the world has stood by and watched as Israel has exploited Palestinian people, land and natural resources for profit to support its illegal settlement expansion, offering little more than condemnation of Israel’s unlawful acts. It’s easy to feel helpless about what can be done to address these decades of injustice and Israeli violations against Palestinians. Banning settlement goods and stopping companies from operating in settlements are concrete steps that governments must take to meet their international obligations and to help to end an inherently discriminatory system that has brought suffering to millions of Palestinians.
Having said that, as we march peacefully today, we will not forget the 34 citizens murdered by the Nigerian army led by Major Okah, who were on a similar peaceful Quds day marches in Zaria in June 2014. We will not rest on our oars until and unless justice is done to the victims, among whom are three children of Sheikh Zakzaky and a Christian Igbo sympathizer to the Palestinian cause. Major Okah and his fellow murderers in Nigerian army uniform must be brought to book and answer their crimes in a competent court of the land.
In fact this murder of innocent citizens by the same Army in June 2014 is the beginning of the plot to exterminate the Islamic Movement which was carried out to its ruthless conclusion by the Nigerian Army in December, 2015. The two gruesome episodes are inseparable. That is why today as we chant ‘Free Palestine’ we also chant ‘Free Zakzaky’ who is the embodiment of all the 1000+ victims massacred by the Nigerian army and buried in mass graves. At the same time we demand freedom for the hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement languishing in various detention centres since the December 2015 pogrom. Oppression against one, is oppression against all.
SIGNED BY
SHEIKH ABDULHAMID BELLO ZARIA
RANAR KUDUS, RANA CE TA MAZLUMAI
“Ranar Kudus rana ce ta al’ummar duniya. Ba ta kebantu ba ne kawai ga Kudus ita kadai. Rana ce ta mazlumai su tashi tsaye kan masu girman kai.” Imam Khomeini
A yayin da muka fito a yau a dukkan manyan garuruwa da birane muna shelanta “’Yanci ga Palasdinu, ‘Yanci ga Kudus!” muna bin sahun miliyoyin masu jerin gwano ne a duk fadin duniya da suka amsa kiran Imam Khomeini (KS), wadanda suka fito a yau, ranar Juma’ar karshe ta watan Ramadan don nuna wa girman kan duniya cewa, muna tir da zaluncinsu kan mazlumai, kuma ga su mazluman, mu nuna goyon bayanmu gare su cewa, ba za su taba zama saniyar ware ba.
In mun ce ranar Kudus, wai me muke nufi ne? Muna nufin rana ce da muke tsaye kafada da kafada da dukkan mazluman duniya a kan azzalumai, a yayin da muke gani a kan Palasdinu shugabannin duniya sun tsaya kafada da kafada da azzaluman da ke zaluntar Palasdinawa a yayin da suke fama da wahalhalu a kullum, to mu muna kishiyantar hakan ne.
Gina wuraren share-guri-zauna da ke mamaye da kasar Palasdinu, ba kawai laifukan yaki ba ne a karkashin dokokin kasa da kasa, sun ma keta ginshikan dokokin kasa da kasa tare da daura nauyi a kan kasashe makwabta. Duk da haka, a tsawon gomomin shekaru, Isra’ila ta bijire wa dokokin kasa da kasa, tana ta gina matsugunan share-wuri-zauna.
Albarkatun kasar Palasdinu kamar kasar noma mai kyau, ruwa da ma’adinai, Isra’ila na ci gaba da yin babakere a kansu don dai tabbatar da wadannan matsugunai haramtattu. A lokaci guda Isra’ila ta kakaba takura iri-iri a kan damar da Palasdinawa suke da ita na amfani da ruwa, kasa da ma’adinan da Allah ya albarkace su da shi, tare kuma da takaita zirga-zirgan su, abin da yakan raba iyali guda da kuma hana manoma isa ga gonakinsu, da kuma hana jama’a samun isa wuraren ayyukansu don neman halaliyarsu.
A tsawon shekaru gomomi biyar, duniya ta zura ido tana kallon Isra’ila tana nuna danniya a kan Palasdinawa, kasarsu da albarkatun ma’adinansu don samun riba da ci gaba da fadada matsugunan ‘yan share-wuri-zauna da suke haramtattu, ba tare da nuna wata turjiya da ta wuce na yin tir da fatar baki ba kan wadannan ayyuka na Isra’ila da suka haramta. Abu ne mai sauki mutum ya ji ma kamar ba za a iya yin wani abu ba kan warware wannan matsalar zaluncin da aka shafe gomomin shekaru ana nunawa Palasdinawa. To haramta kayayyakin amfani da kuma hana kamfanoni yin aiki a matsugunan ‘yan share-wuri-zauna, wasu kwararan matakai ne da dole gwamnatoci su dauka don cimma abin da hau kansu na yarjeniyoyin huldar kasa da kasa, da kuma taimakawa wajen kawo karshen wannan tsarin nuna wariya da ya jawo wa miliyoyin Palasdinawa wahalhalun rayuwar da ba su faduwa a nan.
Bayan fadin haka, a yayin da muke yin wannan jerin gwano a yau, ba za mu manta da ‘yan kasa 34 da rundunar sojan Nijeriya ta kashe ba a watan Yunin 2014 karkashin Manjo Okah, wadanda suka fito yin irin wannan muzaharar ta lumana ta Ranar Kudus. Ba za mu yi kasa a gwiwa ba har sai an yi adalci ga wadanda wannan ta’addanci ya shafa, wadanda a ciki akwai ‘ya’yan Jagoranmu Shaikh Zakzaky guda uku, da ma wani Ibo Kirista da ya nuna tausayawarsa ga al’amarin zaluncin sojojin da ya gani a gabansa a ranar. Dole ne Manjo Okah da sauran abokan burminsa a wannan kisan kai din a damko su a gurfanar da su gaban kotun da ta cancanta, a yi adalci.
Alal hakika, kisan ‘yan kasa wadanda ba su ji, ba su gani ba da rundunar soja ta yi a Yunin 2014, somin tabi ne na mummunan shirin da aka kulla na murkushe Harka Islamiyya, wanda rundunar soja ta aiwatar da shi iya iyawarta a watan Disamban 2015. Wadannan ayyukan ta’addancin biyu ba ka iya raba su. Shi ya sa a yau a yayin da muka fito muna shelanta "’Yanci ga Palasdinu!" Muke kuma shelanta cewa "A saki Shaikh Zakzaky!" Wanda shi ne alamin mutum sama da dubu da rundunar sojan Nijeriya ta kashe, ta yi musu kabarin bai-daya a asirce. A lokaci guda kuma muna neman a saki daruruwan ‘yan uwa musulmi na Harkar Musulunci da suke tsare a wuraren tsare jama’a tun bayan kisan kiyashin Zariya na Disamban 2015. Zalunci dai ga mutum guda, tamkar zalunci ne ga kowa!
SA HANNUN
SHAIKH ABDULHAMID BELLO ZARIA