In an interview with Mehr News Agency, the Nigerian analyst and student of Al-Mustafa International University Ali Mustafa said that the Islamic Movement’s weapon against the enemies was positive reasoning, digging for truth and good conduct, and that the teachings of their leader Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky would never be forlorn.
Would you please update us on the latest news from Nigeria? How is the condition of Sheikh Al-Zakzaky? How many have been injured or killed?
Since after the military brutality against Shiite Muslims in Zaria, which left about 2000 killed, many missing, some injured, properties worth millions of dollars destroyed and stolen also the revered Leader of the Islamic Movement, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky was shot four times and whisked away by the military, people all over the universe have been condemning the inhumane acts of the Nigerian Army. During the raid on the house of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky his three biological sons were among those killed by the Soldiers on Sunday. Also killed is Malama Binta Yaqoub, the senior sister of Sheikh Zakzaky who lived in the same house with the Sheikh. The Children are Hammad, Ali and Humaid. Humaid, a thirteen year old boy, is the last child of the Sheik.
The children were killed in front of the Sheikh when the soldiers broke into his residence. Suhaila Ibraheem Zakzaky, the Sheik’s daughter, sustained brushes on her face. It could be recalled three sons of Sheikh Zakzaky were killed on July 2014 while holding International Quds Day rally in Zaria. The members of the Islamic Movement who sustained different degrees of gunshot injuries are still in prison without medical care. Nigerian Police killed thirteen members of the Islamic Movement in last week’s procession which was held in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria.
Reports reaching us have indicated that there are more than forty members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, who are languishing in two prisons in Kaduna after surviving gunshots on Saturday, 12th December, 2015. Among them two died Tuesday due to unattended wounds, whose release we are still negotiating with the Police authorities in Kaduna. Some of the wounded members are detained in Open Prison at Barnawa quarters, while the rest are in Kaduna Central Prison. On Wednesday, five corpses of our members were handed over to us for burial by the Police in Kaduna, who were given proper Islamic burial. However to our greatest shock, they were tortured using electric shock and also stabbed several times. It was gruesome murder. They were killed after being arrested at the peaceful procession staged in Kaduna on Tuesday, 2015-12-15, condemning the continued detention of our Leader, Sheik Ibrahim Yaqub Zakzaky and the military brutality against Muslim brothers in Zaria. On Thursday, 2015-12-17, four were buried; the following day, Friday, three were again buried after being handed over to us by the Police Command. This made the total number of people killed by the Police during this peaceful protest in Kaduna to thirteen.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna state government has taken over the destruction of all the properties of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria located across Zaria. They have destroyed the remaining parts of the Husainiyya Bakiyyatullah and the Fudiyya Islamic Center Tuesday and on Wednesday, 23 December, they commenced the destruction of Darur Rahma in a village called Dembo, a place where we burry our martyrs.
How is the atmosphere in Zaria? How is the condition of Muslims in general and Shia community in particular?
As I said earlier, the enemies are now engaged in destroying the Islamic Movement’s properties. Many people in the country, including Christians, are not happy with the continued atrocities being committed against the innocent Muslim brothers. Recently, the Nigerian Army and Kaduna State Government of Nasir El-rufa'i have demolished the grave of Hajiya Hari Jamo the Mother of Sheikh Zakzaky located at Jushi yard in Zaria. The building was reduced to rubbles on Thursday , 2015-12-24; at around 10am local time. On the other hand, many are happy to the extent that they engage themselves in looting the properties of the martyred brothers and sisters from their pockets as well as stealing and selling the properties gotten from the demolished buildings of the Islamic Movement. Despite the hardship, the Muslim brothers, followers of Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky maintain peace and remain calm holding with their peaceful processions in different parts of the country demanding the unconditional release of their Leader. Meanwhile, some of the state governors have issued a statement prohibiting any religious gathering.
What are the reasons behind such a massacre by Nigerian army? Has the army in Nigeria the authority to act like this?
Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, may Allah protect him, has been a target of successive Nigerian governments for several decades. He has been jailed by most of the Nigerian Presidents, because they see him as a threat to their worldly goals. Sheik Zakzaky is a man that loves justice and hates injustice. He has been serving his society right from his childhood. He also tries to defend human right and dignity. He is very brave and remains steadfast in implementing the pure teachings of Prophet (SAW) and his holy progeny. He also tries to unite the Muslim community, which is being targeted by the policy of the enemies of conquering to rule. These, and many other of Sheik Zakzaky’s achievements, including his achievement in propagating true Islam and promoting mutual understanding among Muslims and Christians, provoke the enemies of Islam, Israel and America.
Would the incident affect the Islamic Movement and its activities?
Really it has been a sad moment to every person who cares about humanity on the unfortunate genocide in Zaria as well as the continuous demolitions of houses and properties belonging to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. This is an obvious fact that the Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and his disciples are being victimized and killed.
How do you see the future of the Movement in the absence of the Sheikh and his unknown fate?
This is how the path is. If we go back to the Islamic history, we will realize that this is what happened to all Messengers of Allah, Nuh (AS), Ibrahim (AS), Hud (AS), Musa (AS), Isa (AS), and the seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (SAW). This is also what happened to our holy Imams, especially to Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala.
Allah (T) says:
( Respite will be granted )until, when the messengers give up hope ( of their people ) and ( come to ) think that they were treated as liars, there reaches them Our help, and those whom We will are delivered into safety. But never will be warded off our punishment from those who are in sin. (12:110)
From the above mentioned verse of the holy Qur’an, we can be assured that Allah’s help is very close.
We can’t wait to seeing Allah’s help and assistance. We are very optimistic.
Let me conclude with the words quoted from the great Leader of the Islamic Movement, Sheik Zakzaky saying:
Our weapon is positive reasoning, truth and good conduct. Guns are for the reckless and foolhardy. We have been conducting our affairs peacefully, calling people to the truth for the last 36 years. So you cannot come overnight and attribute violence to us that we now resort to killing people. This is impossible. We save lives, not kill them.
Surely, the enemies can destroy and demolish our material and physical buildings, but they can’t destroy the spiritual building and faith built depth inside our heart by the revered Leader, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, may Allah protect him.
Ali Mustafa is doing his MA in Islamic Philosophy in Al Mustafa International University (MIU) in Qom.
Interview by: Parnaz Talebi
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