Thousand Days in Detention, Yet Sheikh Zakzaki Remains Indomitable
Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer
In a mockery of justice, despite the passing of one thousand
days of illegal detention, the regime in Nigeria continues to violate the clauses of its own constitution by keeping the venerable
Muslim leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaki, his wife and hundreds
of followers, in prison.
Over a year has passed since the Federal Court, the highest judicial body in Nigeria, ordered immediate release of the Head
of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), a verdict which has
been ignored by the regime of ex-general Mohamadu Buhari,
who is backed by the US, Saudi Arabia and the illegal Zionist
entity.
The IMN leader along with his wife Zeena and hundreds of
Nigerian Shi’a Muslims were kidnapped by the army on 15th December 2015, following the massacre of over 2,000 peaceful men,
women and children ordered by pro-Zionist and pro-Wahhabi
army chief, Tukur Buratai, on allegations of disturbing security.
The peaceful gathering was celebrating the blessed birthday of
the Messenger of Mercy, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), in the
town Zaria at the Husseiniya Baqiyatollah, which the soldiers
desecrated and destroyed by burning copies of the holy Qur’an
and trampling religious banners.
The health of Sheikh Zakzaki is said to be deteriorating because
of lack of hygiene in the prison as well as denial of proper medical care by the authorities, yet the regime refuses to heed the
judiciary’s verdict for his release or listen to the demands of international bodies, including Amnesty International, which says
hundreds of Nigerian Shi’a Muslims remain untraced after suspicious disappearance.
Last Friday on September 7, thousands of Shi’a Muslims,
joined by their Sunni brethren as well as Christians, held huge
rallies, especially the capital Abuja, marking the thousandth day
in detention of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaki and calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
They carried pictures of the Sheikh and the men, women and
children martyred by the Nigerian army.
According to human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, the continued
detention of the Sheikh and his wife "is the height of official impunity”.
Falana pointed out: "this is the first time that a man and his
wife have been detained for security reasons by any regime since
the creation of Nigeria in 1914.”
In view of these undeniable facts, it is a grave crime by the Nigerian regime and gross violation of the national constitution.
The regime which continues to tacitly support the terrorism of
the macabre Boko Haram outfit – a Daesh affiliate – which since
2009 has killed more than 20,000 people and made over 2.6 million others homeless, has a step-motherly attitude towards Nigeria’s growing Shi’a Muslim population, which has now cross the
ten million mark.
Buhari and the brutes in the Nigerian army should know that
whatever their degree of animosity, IMN and the other Muslims
of Nigeria will never yield to tyranny.
This is the message they have learned from the movement of the
Prophet’s Grandson, Imam Husain (AS), the Immortal Martyr of
Karbala, whose tragic martyrdom they are commemorating these
days with the start of the month of Muharram and the mourning ceremonies that diffuse the genuine teachings of Islam in the
society.
In a mockery of justice, despite the passing of one thousand
days of illegal detention, the regime in Nigeria continues to violate the clauses of its own constitution by keeping the venerable
Muslim leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaki, his wife and hundreds
of followers, in prison.
Over a year has passed since the Federal Court, the highest judicial body in Nigeria, ordered immediate release of the Head
of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), a verdict which has
been ignored by the regime of ex-general Mohamadu Buhari,
who is backed by the US, Saudi Arabia and the illegal Zionist
entity.
The IMN leader along with his wife Zeena and hundreds of
Nigerian Shi’a Muslims were kidnapped by the army on 15th December 2015, following the massacre of over 2,000 peaceful men,
women and children ordered by pro-Zionist and pro-Wahhabi
army chief, Tukur Buratai, on allegations of disturbing security.
The peaceful gathering was celebrating the blessed birthday of
the Messenger of Mercy, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), in the
town Zaria at the Husseiniya Baqiyatollah, which the soldiers
desecrated and destroyed by burning copies of the holy Qur’an
and trampling religious banners.
The health of Sheikh Zakzaki is said to be deteriorating because
of lack of hygiene in the prison as well as denial of proper medical care by the authorities, yet the regime refuses to heed the
judiciary’s verdict for his release or listen to the demands of international bodies, including Amnesty International, which says
hundreds of Nigerian Shi’a Muslims remain untraced after suspicious disappearance.
Last Friday on September 7, thousands of Shi’a Muslims,
joined by their Sunni brethren as well as Christians, held huge
rallies, especially the capital Abuja, marking the thousandth day
in detention of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaki and calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
They carried pictures of the Sheikh and the men, women and
children martyred by the Nigerian army.
According to human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, the continued
detention of the Sheikh and his wife "is the height of official impunity”.
Falana pointed out: "this is the first time that a man and his
wife have been detained for security reasons by any regime since
the creation of Nigeria in 1914.”
In view of these undeniable facts, it is a grave crime by the Nigerian regime and gross violation of the national constitution.
The regime which continues to tacitly support the terrorism of
the macabre Boko Haram outfit – a Daesh affiliate – which since
2009 has killed more than 20,000 people and made over 2.6 million others homeless, has a step-motherly attitude towards Nigeria’s growing Shi’a Muslim population, which has now cross the
ten million mark.
Buhari and the brutes in the Nigerian army should know that
whatever their degree of animosity, IMN and the other Muslims
of Nigeria will never yield to tyranny.
This is the message they have learned from the movement of the
Prophet’s Grandson, Imam Husain (AS), the Immortal Martyr of
Karbala, whose tragic martyrdom they are commemorating these
days with the start of the month of Muharram and the mourning ceremonies that diffuse the genuine teachings of Islam in the
society.