By Haroun Elbinawi
My attention was drawn to a Memo by Prof.Abdullahi Mahadi, the former VC of ABU, Zaria, to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the recent Zaria Massacre. This is the content of the Memo:
"While I was Director Arewa House, Kaduna a team of Iranians called on me one morning in 1992 to request that I be a facilitator for their penetration of Northern Nigeria. I flatly refused. They are taking advantage of the pervasive spread of corruption and poverty in the country. They are giving poverty – stricken Nigerians money in order to convert them into Shiism. It is money rather than organizational ability of Ibrahim Al-Zakazaky to recruit people into Shiism that is swelling the population of the Shiites in Nigeria. They reinforce the crude use of money with the unlimited capacity of the Shiites to deceive, tell lies and indoctrinate. Iran is is desparately trying to establish a foothold in Africa. Ibrahim Al – Zakzaky is their willing tool and chief agent. Iran is trying to revive the power of Persian Empire of one thousand years ago on a new World stage. Iranian leaders know that Nigeria is the key to their African project. I believe Iran is pumping a lot of money into Nigeria for this reason.
Shiism in Nigeria has very little to do with religion. It is mainly about political power: an attempt to seize power by all means. Currently Iran is fighting in four countries: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. It is trying to emasculate and cripple Saudi Arabia so that it can become the sole power in the entire Middle East. If it succeeds in achieving that objective, it would then think that the "glorious" Persian Empire of Millennia ago has been resurrected. What a monumental decision!".
To start with it is important to ask who is Abdullahi Mahadi & what are his beliefs? I graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where Abdullahi Mahadi lived up all his academic carrier & it is well know to all the ABU, Zaria, academic community that Abdullahi Mahadi is a die-hard pro-Saudi Salafi that is extremely anti-Shia. The fact that he made this submission to (NHRC), a submission that looked more like it was drafted in the Saudi Foreign Affairs ministry, does not come as a surprise to all those who know Abdullahi Mahadi.
But for the sake of academic discuss & to clear the baseless allegations that he raised, I will address all the points raised by him in his Memo to NHRC. He claimed that in 1992 "a team of Iranians" visited him at Arewa House, Kaduna, for him to be "a facilitator for their penetration of Northern Nigeria" of which he flatly refused. I will like to ask what is the worthless of Abdullahi Mahadi as a community leader who is just a Professor of Histotry that will warrant Iran to sent a team of experts to recruit him? And how many followers does Abdullahi Mahadi commands that makes him an asset for recruitment by Iran? Whoever knows the hostilities of Wahhabi/Salafis against followers of Shia Islam knows that they allowed their members to fabricate lies if it is targeted against Shia Islam & that is exactly what Abdullahi Mahadi just did here.
Abdullahi Mahadi claimed "They are giving poverty – stricken Nigerians money in order to convert them into Shiism. It is money rather than organizational ability of Ibrahim Al-Zakazaky to recruit people into Shiism that is swelling the population of the Shiites in Nigeria." From his above words we can see why he sent that malicious Memo to the NHRC, he is sadden by the swelling of the followers of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky & he attributed it to money. He claimed that Nigerians are given money for them to become Shia Muslims, he claimed that faith is a commodity that can be bought. It is sad to see a Professor of History make such frivolous claims. Then if I may ask him how much each are Nigerians given to make them turn to Shia Islam? Sheikh Zakzaky have millions of followers within & outside #Nigeria & let’s multiply the number of all his followers to the fixed amount given to a Nigerian to become Shia then we will have the total amount of money that #Iran has spent to buy millions of Shia Muslims in #Nigeria!
I am certain that Abdullahi Mahadi knows that his Saudi masters are far richer than the Iranians, so if faith is on sale in Nigeria why did he not asked his Saudi masters to come to Nigeria & buy all Nigerians to #Wahhabism? It is a known fact in Global political circles & international diplomacy that Iran does not buy friendship with cash transfers & money handouts, it is Saudi Arabia that has that notorious reputation. I think Abdullahi Mahadi is well aware of the recent scandal in #Malaysia where investigators found close to $700 million in the account of the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak & the PM said it was donations from Saudi royals. And Abdullahi Mahadi should also be aware that just recenly the Saudi regime paid the war – stricken #Somalia $50 million to break diplomatic ties with Iran.
Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky & IMN ties to Iran is about shared values, ideology & world view. The programs & activities of IMN are executed through voluntary donations from its millions of teeming membership & not for Iranian petro-dollars as Abdullahi Mahadi claimed. The Nigerian authorities have been monitoring IMN accounts for more than 30 years to detect signs of foreign sponsorship & to date they have found nothing. We challenge anybody to go & check our Bank accounts if any trace of Iranian petro-dollars can be found.
Abdullahi Mahadi claimed "Currently Iran is fighting in four countries: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen." Yes Iran is fighting in those countries to prevent them from falling into the hands of #ISIS & #AlQaeda. The Saudi regime is sponsoring these extremely intolerant Wahhabi terrorist groups to take over those countries & Iran will prevent that from happening. Millions of #Christians today exist in those countries due to the effort of Iran & it’s allies & God willing that effort will continue until those Wahhabi terrorist groups are defeated & eliminated. Abdullahi Mahadi is a Salafi just like ISIS & AlQaeda, we should understand why he is sadden by the intervention of Iran in those countries that he mentioned.
As for his rantings about Iran reviving the Persian Empire, that is in line with what the Wahhabi regime in Saudi Arabia is parroting & Abdullahi Mahadi being one of their hirelings in Nigeria is also parroting the same. These people are frightened by the ascendancy of Iran especially after the successful conclusion of the #IranDeal.
Finally, I will like the NHRC investigative panel to scrutinize the tenure of Abdullahi Mahadi as VC of ABU, Zaria, before they accept the rantings of his Memo. There is no VC in the history of ABU, Zaria, that divided the academic community of that school along religious lines like Abdullahi Mahadi. His policies were anti-Christians & he was not ashame to hide it. He is a religious & sectarian bigot to say the least, the words of such a character should have no value.
#FreeZakzaky
#GodProtectZakzaky
elbinawi@yahoo.com