The following press kit provide background papers presented at the Fifth World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) conference in July 2018.

The papers provide (i) an overview of the background of the movement (Caterina Aiena); a discussion of how the ‘Shia’ label and narrative is a label used by the Nigeria authorities to demonise and mis-characterise the movement and the Sheikh for different audiences (Arzu Merali); (iii) and overview of the legal campaign with a focus on the submission to the International Criminal Court regarding the Zaria Massacre of 2015 (Abed Choudhury); and (iv) an overview of the campaign to secure his release since 2015 (Massoud Shadjareh).

For further information or comment please contact the Press Office on media@ihrc.org or call +44 20 8904 4222 during office hours (10am – 6pm, Monday – Saturday, UK time).

Keywords: Islamic Movement of Nigeria; Sunni; Shia; Salafi; Sectarianism; Al-Quds Day; police brutality; Zaria massacres; Nigerian army; Buhari; Zakzaky; liberation theology; internalised racism; ICC; International Criminal Court.

WOCMES PAPERS

A background to the Islamic Movement of Nigeria – Caterina Aiena (3 pages, double spaced)

ICC and the evaluation of the case of Nigeria – Abed Choudhury (7 pages, double spaced)

Islamophobia at the Intra-Muslim Level – Arzu Merali (9 pages, double spaced)

The campaign around Mu’allim Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria – Massoud Shadjareh (9 pages, double spaced)