Re: Ban El Zakzaky Sect; Zaria residence beg federal government

Ahlul Bayt News Agency - My attention was drawn to a headline in a major Nigerian Newspaper "THE NATION" of a news item on its front page of today's edition captioned "BAN EL ZAKZAKY SECT-ZARIA RESIDENTS BEG FG". It is not just a coincidence that almost all major Nigerian Newspapers carried this news item & mostly on their front pages. It was a carefully calculated scheme by those who executed the brutal Zaria massacre to further their foreign evil agenda in Nigeria.

First & foremost who are the faceless group referred to as "Zaria Residence" here? What is their identity, who elected them to represent all the Nigerians resident in Zaria & who is sponsoring them to make such a proclamation that made front pages in most Nigerian dailies?

Secondly, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky does not have a "sect" & he has said it on countless occasions that he does not belong to any sect. His Movement is "Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN)" & not sect Movement. He leads an Islamic Movement that has millions of Nigerians that included both Shia & Sunni Muslims with warmly association with various Christian groups in Nigeria.

One of the major programs of IMN is to yearly commemorate the birth anniversary of Sheikh Uthman Ibn Fodio (ra) who was a great Islamic Reformer in the West African sub-region & a Sunni scholar. The Islamic Movement of Nigeria spent millions of Naira to produce an epic film on the lives & times of Sheikh Uthman Ibn Fodio (ra). The production of that film has lasted for more than 10 years, some scenes were shot in neighboring Niger Republic where Sheikh Ibn Fodio was born. The film will be release shortly.

Another major programs of IMN is the yearly AlQuds Day procession that draw attention to pathetic plight of oppressed Palestinian Muslims & Christians under inhuman Israeli occupation. The overwhelming majority of Palestinian Muslims are Sunni Muslims but the IMN has staged yearly peaceful rallies in their support for the past 30 years. It was in one of those rallies that last year the Nigerian Army killed 34 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria including 3 biological sons of Sheikh Zakzaky.

From the above two examples, I will rightly say that the IMN under the leadership of Sheikh Zakzaky is not sectarian as these blind haters are trying to portray.

And if by "sect" the promoters of this agenda means the Shia school of thought that most of the members of IMN subscribed to then we say that there is no country in the world that banned Shia Islam then why should a secular Nigeria be the first to do so?

There are more than 300 million followers of Shia Islam in the world today with substantial majority in three (3) ie Iran, Iraq & Bahrain. There are substantial minority of followers of Shia Islam in Yemen, Pakistan, Lebanon, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, Afghanistan etc.

Islam has two major divisions: Sunni & Shia. All the murderous terrorist groups in the world that are killing innocent people in the name of Islam are offshoots of the Wahhabi contamination of Sunni Islam. From AlQaeda, ISIS, BokoHaram, Taliban, AlShabab in Somalia etc are all inspired by the Wahhabism contamination of Sunni Islam. Why are people not calling for the banning of the terrorism-enabled Wahhabism that contaminated Sunni Islam & produced bloodthirsty monsters that only kill & destroy?

I am absolutely sure that most of the members of the faceless group that called themselves "Zaria Residence" are Wahhabi/Salafi. They are followers of this intolerant sect that is hostile to all including the more tolerant non-Wahhabi Sunni Muslims. Today it is the intolerant murderous terrorist groups that are inspired by Wahhabism that pose existential threats to all humanity & not followers of Shia Islam who are always tolerant & peaceful in their dealings & conducts.

His Eminence Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky had lived with Gyellesu residents in Zaria happily despite attempts by security operatives to cause disharmony. This is evident from the way he exchanges pleasantries and gifts during festivities as can be attested from the Movement's websites over the years. He hosted Eid feast with many from far and wide, including Christians in attendance.

Members of IMN had engaged in provision of free social services to the community, including water and sanitation, healthcare to neighborhood.

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria have over the years embarked on a campaign of voluntary blood donation. At each of its programs, not only in Zaria, the National blood transfusion services come to collect hundreds of pints of blood to transfuse to needy people in hospitals across the country. Who knows whether those Soldiers that came to kill us or their relatives might not have even been saved by our own blood in the past?

It was not a coincidence that his house was a place of refuge when there was crises in Zaria such as the election crisis of 2011. All the minority Christian population of his area ran to his house during the 2011 post election crisis for protection. All these are the facts that government is trying to obscure through bogey newspaper headlines and reports or interviews with security operatives posing as Zaria residents.

It is important that all well meaning Nigerians stand against this foreign-sponsored agenda of the Nigerian government. Nigeria should embrace all its components through dialogue, mutual respect & peaceful coexistence.


Harun Elbinawi Elbinawi

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