By Khalid Idris Doya
The Islamic movement in Nigeria, popularly known as Shi’ites, has called on Muslims and Christians across the world to unite and consistently stand against oppression in order to promote justice and improve living conditions globally.
The wife of the leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, Malama Zeenatuddeen Ibraheem Zakzaky, made the appeal on Sunday during the closing ceremony of the 5th International Conference on Islamic Thought themed, “The State of Affairs and the Way Out," organised by the Sisters Forum and Academic Forum under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, held at an event centre in Bauchi, urged Muslim faithful to live according to the teachings of Islam.
The conference, which lasted three days, attracted participants from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and other African countries.
Zakzaky's wife urged Muslims to align their lives with the teachings of the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet.
She said, “Muslims must live their lives according to how Allah enjoined us in the Qur’an and the way the Prophet has brought it to us.”
According to her, the aim of the conference was to remind adherents of their responsibility to live as true Muslims.
“We are not saying that everybody should become Muslims, but we also cannot afford to live against the teachings of the Qur’an,” she added.
Commenting on the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, she described the situation as a struggle between oppressors and the oppressed.
“I don’t want people to ask me about this war, but as all can see, it is now clear. I am siding with the axis of resistance against aggression. We know who the aggressors are," she said.
According to her, lasting peace and development cannot be achieved in a world where injustice is ignored.
"It is mandatory to act against injustice. All the Prophets of God came to fight oppression and establish justice," she said.
She stressed that the purpose of the conference was to strengthen awareness on the aims and objectives of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, while reinforcing opposition to oppression globally.
On current global tensions, including the conflict involving Iran and the United States, she described the situation as a struggle between truth and falsehood, urging people to always stand with justice.
She described the event as part of ongoing efforts to educate the public on fairness, human rights, and global solidarity with oppressed populations, particularly Palestinians.
Malama Zeenatuddeen described the United States and Israel's actions in Iran and Palestine as driven by expansionist and self-interest policies, calling on Nigerians to remain vigilant against foreign influence.
She warned against narratives suggesting that the United States could resolve Nigeria's insecurity challenges, insisting that national sovereignty must be protected.
“The US is only after the wealth and resources of other countries. Nigerians must be careful and protect their sovereignty,” she said.
Similarly, Dr. Fatima Ismail of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said the annual conference was designed to promote justice awareness and encourage resistance against oppression worldwide.
Calling for unity among Muslims and Christians, she said all must rise against injustice wherever it occurs, stressing that silence in the face of oppression only worsens global conditions.
After the closing ceremony, thousands of participants and members of the Islamic movement of Nigeria staged a peaceful protest in Bauchi, marching to the CBN Roundabout while chanting slogans in support of Palestine and condemning the United States and Israel over ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The protesters described the actions of Western powers as acts of injustice and oppression, calling for global resistance.
Speaking during a rally in support of Iran and the axis of Resistance, Engineer Abdullahi Musa, a follower of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, said the movement would continue to stand in solidarity with oppressed people, especially Palestinians.
He said opposing injustice is a duty for all believers, regardless of religion, citing teachings of various prophets as justification for resistance against oppression.
He said "We are out today as usual. We have been coming out for a for decades. We have been coming out to show our solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.
"You see, we have a lot of people that have been shot down. A lot of people have been killed for this cause. And we continue. Why? Because it is mandated for all believers, either Muslim or Christian, whatever religion you think you are practicing, you must act against injustice.
"It's mandatory. You must act against injustice. The purpose of all the Prophets of God is to come and fight for justice. Jesus Alaihis salam has fought for justice. If you are a Christian, you should know that fighting for justice is part of religion. So that is why we prefer to even lose our lives in fighting for justice.
"Because when we get back to the Almighty God, He will surely ask us, What have you done when people have been oppressed? We will tell Him, God Almighty, we have been fighting for justice and in the process we were martyred. That is it. And that is why we are out today," Engineer Abdullahi Musa stated
Musa also referenced Imam Khomeini's declaration of a day of support for Palestine, stating that solidarity with oppressed people remains a continuous responsibility.
"Imam Khomeini, the founder of Islamic Revolution of Iran, has declared the last Friday of every month of Ramadan as a day of oppression. Who are these oppressed? The people of Palestine. And he said it in several locations that every day is for Palestine. So as such, you can come out at any time, at any moment, to protest against the injustice meted against these oppressed people of Palestine."
"So that is why we are out today. Purely, we are out to show our solidarity with the oppressed people. You can see how they are being killed, bombardment everywhere in the Middle East. Even the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has been killed. Why, why did America kill him? Because he stands for the oppressed people of Palestine. So if the graceful leader of Iran can sacrifice his life for Palestine, who am I not to come out and show my solidarity for Palestine?".
He further called on the Nigerian government to take a stronger stance against global injustice, saying current responses were not sufficient.
"We have seen so many nations acted against this injustice, but we are yet to see a concrete action by the Nigerian government. So if there is any message that I should have for the Nigerian authority, it's for them to stand by the oppressed. It is their duty to, they have every right to go against injustice. They have every right to speak against injustice, even though sometimes they show their concern, but it's not enough."
"We as Nigerians, it's not what the Nigerian government is doing, it's not enough. We want this government to come out vividly and show their solidarity with the oppressed people because in this country we have Muslims, we have Christians, we have those that don't even practice religion, but they are all human.
"The major point of concern is humanity. Humanity first before everything. So we are humans, we want humanity, and we stand with the oppressed people of Palestine. We want the Nigerian government to do something. Besides, they have been killing, they have been killing."
'Even right now, I'm talking, I'm speaking with you. We have a lot of corpses, our corpses that have been killed by the Nigerian Army. To be precise the Guard Brigade in Abuja, they have killed 27 people and they are still holding about 20 corpses with them this people their only offence to say free Palestine so if the government that killed people that come out to the streets calling for the freedom of Palestine what the you expect from them," he added.
In the next coming 2027 general elections in Nigeria, Musa said "Yes we are heading what they called general elections, but does it work? It doesn't work. We have a problem in this country. Our problem in this country is not leadership. The problem of this country is the system.
"So my message to Nigeria is, don't just waste your time. It is better you should wake up and fight against this regime, the system. The system is the problem, not the leadership. We have tried APC, we have tried PDP, we have tried a lot of parties. We have tried in this country, but day in, day out, every day, every place of this, the situation of this country is worsening. That shows that the leadership is not the problem, the system is the problem."
Also speaking, Sheikh Muhammad Abbare, representative of Sheikh Zakzaky in Gombe State, also addressed the gathering, advising Nigerian political leaders to prioritise ending killings and injustice rather than focusing on early election campaigns.
He emphasised that good governance must be rooted in justice and fear of God, adding that global powers such as the United States and Israel were contributing to oppression worldwide.
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