Friday 25th July, 2014 has been marked globally as International Quds Day. It is a day set aside by late Imam Khomeini (Q.S) to show solidarity with the Palestinian people whose land and lives are being surfed by the illegal state of the Zionist Israel regime.
It was marked with peaceful processions and rallies world over to identify and commiserate with the people of Palestine over their ordeal. The need to support and show amitywith the Palestinians couldn’t have been at a better time than now. Any living person knows the brutalitiesand genocide being perpetuated on the scrawnypeople there. The disturbing images and reports being aired are so piety full to mollifythe hardest mind.
It is in support of the plight of the Palestinians that people of brevityMuslims and Non-Muslims joined the rest of the world to commemorate with the beleagueredpeople and deprecatethe evil crimes being perpetuated. In Nigeria such peaceful processions took place in over twenty major cities and towns and ended peacefully. However, in Zaria, after the procession had come to an end peaceful, the Nigerian Army came and opened fire on people dispersing and returning to their various places. So far, thirty two Muslims have been killed three of whom are Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky’s sons and a Christian old man Julius Anyawu, 68 was also killed when he challenged the army as per why they were killing armless and peaceful protesters. Another lady ChibozorLevechiwho came to assist Anyawuwas also shot and is currently receiving medical attention.
After about five days, eventually the Defence Headquaters spokesperson Major General Chris Olukolade issued a statement to the press on the Zaria attack. First one wonders why it took them this long to issue the statement. Of course he has said “we don’t just want to speak until we understand all that is involved”. Elsewhere he said “that thing was engineered” and “the troops were not out to attack innocent citizens”. Yes, it is glaringly clear that” that thing” was engineered but who was the designer of thespell? We believe Lieutenant Colonel S. O. kuis only but a tool being used by the invisible hands behind the attack. As for the troops not being out to “attack innocent citizens” it is not true. Your troops have killed thirty three armless and defenceless people in one day, some of them cold bloodedly murdered by various forms of torture and electrocution.
Elsewhere in the press statement Mr Olukolade said they would “establish why anybody would dare, if it is true, to be shooting at soldiers it has implications and it is very unfortunate. Let nobody under any guise try to get the security into unnecessary problem with the populace”. Impliedly Mr.Olukolade has been misinformed and has believed that his army were attacked. The statement accredited to him has shown the stand of the Nigerian Army on the massacre committed in Zaria even though he said they were going to investigate, so it is obvious they have made their conclusion before the investigations.Anyway, we await any further statement, in case theycare to objectively investigate the truth of what transpired.
In the thirty six years of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, arms have no place. Our greatest weapon is the truth. We talk and appeal to human intellect to reason and understand the call. So for anybody to come out under any guise to claim that the peaceful and armless protesters are the aggressors is carelessly saying his delusion. This scenario is similar to what is happening in Palestine where the illegal state of Israel is saying they are depending themselves against the Palestinians to justify their aggression. Why don’t you equally organise processions in solidarity with the Zionist regime to show your support instead of opening fire on innocent people?
To the people of Palestine we salute your stand and courage. Of course you bear the direct effects of the Israeli aggression but we share your ordeal andquandary. To other people of conscience we hope you will keep the flag flying and stand by the truth and expose the evils atrocities of the Israelis and their stooges.
The happenings of these days have indicated yet other milestones on the road to the Allah. They should therefore serve as inspirational pointers and strengthen our minds on this noble course. Take a glance through the pages of history and see which of the exalted Prophets of Allah and other great men have not been subjected to such trails.
The Nigerian Army has weapons and ammunitions to attack and kill us. We do not have such, but we have Allah and on Him we depend and He is Able and Capable.
Dr. Abdullahi Danladi
Resource Forum
Islamic Movement in Nigeria