By Abdulmumin Giwa
The advent of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria was not prepared or planned for by the international community with America and Israel in the lead. It is actually least expected. It is seen by them as a split over of the Islamic Revolution in Iran led by the late Ayatullahi Ruhullahi Khumaini (QS). America in particular lost all the concessions arranged with the then Shah of Iran that could have given it total control over the fourth largest source of crude oil in the world.
At the time of the revolution they never thought the Islamic Movement led by Imam Khumain (QS) would go anywhere until they saw the nation fell into the hands of the Imam Khumaini and his supporters. In the end the nation decided to adopt an entirely new ideology in the age: an ideology seen as impossible in the age due to the level of what is seen as scientific and technological advancement as well as modern civilization being led by the West and America. But Imam Khumaini (QS) threw
out the Shah’s regime to the dustbin of history, a regime seen to be having the fifth largest military on earth equipped with American weaponry.
Actually, the revolution in Iran gave hope to a lot of struggling bodies and organizations around the world that were fighting against the interests and greed of the West which include the African National Congress ANC that ousted the racist regime of South Africa. They never thought a man of Khumaini’s caliber could mobiles such support as to lead a successful revolution.
Sayyid Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky (H), the revered leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria started the call towards the establishment of the Islamic system while in the university. His call was also not seen at that time as serious. It was seen as impossible and unimaginable due to the influence of the communist ideology and the level of moral decadence instituted by the West and neo-colonial elements. The call was also taken serious when it practically happened in Iran.
Sayyid Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky (H), the revered leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria started the call towards the establishment of the Islamic system while in the university. His call was also not seen at that time as serious. It was seen as impossible and unimaginable due to the influence of the communist ideology and the level of moral decadence instituted by the West and neo-colonial elements. The call was also taken serious when it practically happened in Iran.
The first scramble for Africa that created colonies of the African countries left behind spirits of illusion and defeat among the Africans. Nigeria being the largest black nation in the world and also having one-fifth of the black population is not an exemption. The colonialists came to realize the level of resource worthiness of the continent only after they have disengaged themselves from the continent in the name of offering independence.
Now they are back in what seems more like another scramble for Africa. Nigeria is so endowed with natural resources that virtually the entire country is literally sitting on untapped wealth. Due to political interests and neo-colonial activities, people in the country are living with an institutionalized poverty. They are living in abject and untold poverty marred by corruption in government: A situation that had led to the breakdown of life basic infrastructures and had given injustice a place of respite. There is outright classism in the system and marginalization of the power. The Nigeria system does not give hope to the people most especially as a verse population of Nigerians live below the United Nations estimated poverty level. The wealth of the country is concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority is left to wallow in hardship with no employment and no life security.
It is in the midst of all these that the Islamic Movement under the revered leadership of Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) is calling for the establishment of fairness and justice to all irrespective of tribe, region or religion by calling for the establishment of a better system in Nigeria. Definitely it is a big crime against the beneficiaries of the downtrodden system. The system gives them room to exploit the situation of lack of patriotism and lack of nationalism to loot the resources and leave the verse majority in hardship. The country is such that corrupt and ungodly individuals are revered and praised. This situation of Nigeria is supported and managed by foreign imperialist powers using Nigerian leaders as their stooges.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) is in the fore among the threats against the interest of the West and America on the African continent. As rightly mentioned by a former Sudanese leader, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) is the only formidable Mass Movement of the people in West Africa. Though he regionalized it, it is not a thing to joke with, most especially as it is taking place in a politically very significant part of Africa. In fact the US sees the Movement even as a major threat that needs to be put under control by all means.
The Movement is so threatening to the global imperialists’ interest in the African sub-region that steps had to be taken to crush it using all means possible. In a leaked intelligence report, in April 2009 on the website ran by Chidi Opara stated that “Contacts in the USA embassy in Abuja informed us that the diplomatic mission and its home government have not been comfortable with the activities of an Islamic sect, the Shitte movement, led by Mr. Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, a Kaduna State born Islamic cleric based in Zaria, whom the USA believe is being funded by radical governments in the middle east.” This fear they are having of the revered leader of the Movement, Sayyid Zakzaky (H) is directly linked to the fear of their ill-intention towards the nation. This mischievous intention is nothing short of having full control over the available natural resources in the country. The website stated “Because of the hostilities in the Middle East, the USA and
its Allies rely heavily on oil and gas from Nigeria to power their gigantic industrial economies.”
its Allies rely heavily on oil and gas from Nigeria to power their gigantic industrial economies.”
It is for this reason that they have issued terror alert to American citizens in Nigeria as a way of propaganda and blacklisting the leader of the
Movement who is generally known to be operating peacefully.
Chidi Opara also mentioned “Checks in high profile security and diplomatic circles in Abuja revealed that the current terror alert may have been planned by secret service case officers in the embassy on the instruction of the State department to instigate the Nigerian government to move against Mr. El-Zakzaky.” They made it a duty upon themselves to see that they by all means get rid of Sayyid Zakzaky (H) and the Movement he is leading. His crime is that the awareness he is giving and the rate at which it is becoming a source of enlightenment to the people was more of a dangerous idea to their personal caprice.
They commenced all forms of fake accusations in order to discredit and set the Nigerian state and its government against the Movement. Their claim was more confusing as they say the Movement is Shi’ite and they claim that it is having the backing of Al-Qaeda which is a terrorist Sunni group created by the CIA.
Hence, the US and its allies through their embassies commenced diplomatic pressures on the Nigerian government to outlaw Islamic Movement and consequently detain its leader. As a result of this the Movement faced a lot of clampdowns and planned operations with ulterior motives to link the Movement with terrorism. Basically the Movement is known not to be armed and is virtually the most transparent of all Islamic groups in the country. Even rights activists and other news makers see the Movement as the most organised and coordinated bodies in the country. In order to achieve their aim and fulfill their agenda they accused the Movement of hoarding arms, an accusation that held no water as there was no way to prove it.
The romance between the Nigerian security apparatus and the US and Israeli intelligence became even stronger such that government policies allowed the foreign security a place in managing security in Nigeria.
They launched a full-scale operation on the Islamic Movement by making it a priority that they kill the leader Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H). They also want the Movement to be outlawed and the members dispersed. This is the basic project before them. These they have not achieved in all their attempts. Such attempts include the arrest and harassment of some key members of the Movement by the State Security Service. Some staff members of the popular vernacular newspaper published by the Islamic Movement, Al-mizan were whisked away and only released after efforts by human right groups. Some key members of the Movement were whisked away at airports on their return from international trips and one is still with the DSS who have refused to release him despite all legal efforts.
It was only last year that one hundred and thirteen members of the Movement from the Sokoto center were released by a court ruling after spending about four years in various prisons across the country.
These are all aside from direct attempts on the life of the leader of the Movement Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) at various times. In some of these attempts white skinned snipers were spotted in one of the foiled attempts.
Somehow the Nigerian government has inclined towards the demands of America and her allies especially Israel and is joining in fighting against the Movement. The government has surrendered its military apparatus and security to its 21st century colonial masters to help flush out the Movement. It has now come to the level that even soldiers are now used by them to clampdown on the Movement. It is during one of these that they launched an unsuccessful operation in which they killed 33 members of the Movement including three children of the leader of the Movement. Their intended plan of instigating the Movement into a negative reaction that will tarnish its image was crushed by the wisdom of the revered leader of the Movement who called for calm and chose to follow legal means for redress. This incident embarrassed the Military and the government internationally. The government and its military are now confused on the stance to take. They cannot accept that they committed gruesome murder, torture and extra-judicial killings by saying that the carried out the killings of armless pro-Palestinian protesters, this will paint them bad in the world and might affect diplomacy. In the same manner, they cannot reject their masters in whose interest it was committed and unfortunately the plan failed when the Movement kept its calm.
As they continue in their hunt for the life of the revered leader of the Movement, the Movement is becoming more and more popular among the public without regards to tribe region or religion. People are registering their support and sympathy to the call, a situation that assures the enemies of the Movement that their influence shall lose its hold while a new system is established for Nigerians, by Nigerians and in Nigeria.