Ali Akbar Velayati, Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, issued a statement on Wed. in which he strongly condemned the Nigerian Army's violent acts and indiscriminate killings of Muslims of the country and expressed the Assembly’s deepest condolences to the martyrs' families and wished Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Awakening Movement in Nigeria and his respected family and other victims of this painful incident speedy and healthy recovery.
Following is the full text of his statement:
"In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
On hearing the Nigerian army's brutal invasion of Muslims in this country which martyred and wounded a large number of devout and pious people, the largest Islamic country in Africa caused much grief and sorrow for the Muslim Ummah.
The Nigerian Army's violent acts and indiscriminate killings of Muslims of the country holding protests on Quds Day in the holy month of Ramadan last year are still fresh in our memory. Their only 'sin' was to attend Quds Day rally in support of Palestine and opposition to the occupation of the first qibla of Muslims.
This year undoubtedly mourning ceremony on the occasion of Arbaeen (the 40th day following the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein) by millions of followers and lovers of Ahl-al-Bayt (AS) in Nigeria caused this unprecedented criminal aggression against Muslims by stimulation of Israel and violent Wahhabis' (survivors of Umayyad in our era) support.
World Assembly of Islamic Awakening offers condolences to the martyrs' families and wish Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Awakening Movement in Nigeria and his respected family and other victims of this painful incident speedy and healthy recovery. It calls for releasing all the innocent Muslims in prison or under medieval torture on charges of affection for Ahl-al-Bayt. It also requests the Nigerian government to prosecute, pursue and arrest perpetrators of this tragedy due to their violent acts as soon as possible.
World Assembly of Islamic Awakening asks all Muslims around the world to raise their voices on this issue.
I confidently hope that blood of martyrs of Karbala (AS) will lead people to pursue righteousness in Africa.
Ali Akbar Velayati,
Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening"
MS/PR