By NewsBits
With all the socio-political and economic problems challenging Nigerians daily, it is strange that the war between Israel and Hamas is attracting interests from Nigerian Muslims who have staged a protest to challenge what they called ‘’onslaught of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
It is on record however that the ongoing war between Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas and Israel began on Saturday October 7, 2023, following a coordinated surprise offensive, and unprovoked attacks on Israel. The attack began in the morning with a barrage of at least 5,000 rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip against Israel, all of which the Nigerian Muslim community did not condemn.
The pro-Palestinian protest was staged by a coalition of religious and civic rights organisations across the country at the weekend in solidarity with Palestine. Organised by the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), the protesters, both male and female, converged on Ojota Park, Lagos State, with placards saying, ‘Al-Quds belongs to the Muslims’, ‘Israel stop killing Palestine children’, ‘Stop the bloodshed in Gaza’, ‘End Israel apathies now’, ‘Good people of America must stop Joe Biden’s collaboration with killers.’
They demanded that the Nigerian government should put on hold all diplomatic relations with Israel until the Two- State resolution is achieved, but they forgot that Israel has nothing to lose even if the Nigerian government were to be naïve to harken to their demands. It is indeed Nigeria that has all to lose.
In a resolution read by the Dean, Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and Adviser to Vice Chancellor of Afro-Asian University, Somalia, Prof. Isa Maishanu, the support groups (the Pan-Nigerian Front for The Support of Palestine) noted that after a deep study of the crisis, the international community, led by the United Nations, should prevail on Israel to cease its bombing of Gaza and other areas.
The resolutions include, “the United Nations should lead efforts at creating humanitarian corridors and ensuring that aid and relief packages get to Gaza and other places. Any interim peace process, must, as a matter of necessity, incorporate the lifting of the siege on Gaza.
“We consider as irresponsible, reprehensible and barbaric, the show of support by the duo of the United States and the European Union for Israel and we hold them complicit and culpable in this human tragedy happening before the global audience.
“ICC should commence a prosecution of the war crimes committed by Israel, both now and before, this time, taking into consideration, its violation of all extant international law including, failure to protect the people under its occupation as written in the Geneva Convention.”
The group affirmed that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, but rather an elected representative of the people engaged in arms insurrection against an occupying force as allowed by international law.
“The international community, led by the UN, must retrieve the peace process from the monopoly of the United States, which has become part of the Israeli occupation machinery. The world must work to bring Israel to the two-state solution, compel it to halt settlement building and lift its siege on Gaza.”
CIO called on the Arab League, African Union, and other regional governments to exert pressure that would change the character of the Zionist state of Israel and make it conform to international laws and norms.
“We sound the note of warning to Arab States who have normalised or are hoping to normalise, to halt forthwith, as this is the credential that Israel needed to wipe out Palestine as Netanyahu made clear in his speech at the recent United Nations General Assembly,” the resolution said.
The group encouraged the global audience horrified by this genocide being committed by Israel to boycott all Israeli products and those of its affiliates. “Corporate entities should divest away from any outfit having anything to do with Israel and governments should impose sanctions on the Zionist state.
The Board of Trustee, Amnesty International of Nigeria and Executive Director Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, said Amnesty International condemned the continuous regression and attack on the Palestinians, most especially, children, women, disabled, as well as aged people, who have been brutally murdered as a result of the conflict.
“Amnesty International continue to demand justice, and accountability and ensure peaceful resolution of the problem today in Gaza. This conflict has been going on for years, but because of a lack of political will at the global level, this has not been stopped, and therefore, with this past murder of children, women we have no option but to continue to voice out this oppression and violence against children and women orchestrated by extremist forces in Gaza and Palestine.”
He noted that Amnesty International and other civil society organisations in Nigeria are solemnly behind the voiceless oppressed and innocent people that have been killed.
“We call on the global world to initiate the genuine process of dialogue that will end this conflict. It is important that this conflict is resolved in the interest of peace and justice and human rights,” Musa said.
The Mufti, Conference of Islamic Organizations (CIO), Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi, said obviously from the look of things, the Israel blown war is not only on Palestine, but the Muslim Ummah in totality.
He commended all past presidents of Nigeria except President Jonathan for standing in solidarity with Palestine right from when Nigeria gained independence.
He called President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to speak on behalf of the oppressed. “Our hope is from Allah and that Palestine will surely succeed. People all over the world have come out to condemn the barbaric attack. Despite what is going on in Sudan, they also came out to condemn Israeli action.”
He commended the Nigerian government for standing behind Palestine. “We thank President Tinubu for standing for Palestine and we urge him to continue to support them, we want him to speak out and condemn the act.”
He commended Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for allowing the protest to hold in the state.
Chairman, Council of Muslim Scholars in Nigeria, Sheikh Abdul Fatai Thanni, said Nigeria Muslims came together to show concern and sympathy to the people of Palestine and Gaza and also to condemn what is happening there.
“The Western community is supporting injustice and eradication of the International law and also defeating the purpose for establishing the United Nations, which is to allow humans to live with freedom and liberty. The American is supporting Israel after putting Gaza in castigation for more than 15 years. Now they have disallowed food, water, medicine, power and fuel to enter Gaza, while bombing houses, hospitals, churches and innocent civilians, this is outrageous,” Thanni said.
He called on the leadership of the Western world to intervene and let peace reign. Senior Lecturer, University of Lagos, Prof. Tajudeen Yusuf, called on the United Nations to treat nations equally, he chided the United Nations for its inability to curb long-time oppression against the Palestinians, saying, “every human being should be treated with dignity that is the only way peace can be restored to the world.”
