Islamic Human Rights Commission
NIGERIA DIGEST 25 August 2018 (Volume 2 Issue 36)

Introduction
Action Alert
Articles and Resources Digest
Videos Section
Archive Section

INTRODUCTION

Below please find an update on the continuous Free Zakzaky protests in the Nigerian capital Abuja. This week once again, Sheikh Zakzaky was forced to spend another Eid Al-Adha behind bars.  He and Muallimah Zeenah are illegally detained by the Nigerian authorities since December 2015.

We request campaigners to keep the pressure on the African Union by writing emails / letters, demanding the immediate release of the Sheikh and all those unjustly imprisoned.

Please forward any responses to any campaign letters/ emails you have sent to us and please keep the pressure up and send (follow up) letters / emails.  A model letter is provided below in the Action Alert.

To find out more about the Zaria massacre, read IHRC’s submission to the International Criminal Court HERE

To find out how you can help further, please visit the IHRC FreeZakzaky campaign page HERE

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Free Zakzaky!

ACTION ALERT: Demand Urgent Intervention of the African Union

1. CLICK HERE to send an email to the African Union and demand they intervene in this case, a model letter / email is provided below
2. If you receive a response please forward it to IHRC at info@ihrc.org

Model email / letter

If you are emailing, please use the following in the subject line:
Save the Leader of Islamic Movement

African Union Chairperson
President Paul Kagame
Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area), W21K19,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Date:

Dear President Kagame,

Re: Sheikh Zakzaky

I write to demand that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife Muallima Zeenah are immediately released as their life is in danger. Nigerian security forces are known for the brutal violence and we urge your office to take immediate action and save their lives.

According to credible reports the security forces are planning to use some covert ways to assassinate Sheikh Zakzaky. They have planned to use the pretense of bandits, kidnappers or Boko Haram to attack the convoy taking Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife to the court, hospital or to the place of their detention.

Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife were arraigned by the state High Court in Kaduna in the latest of a long line of blows inflicted on the sheikh designed to cripple the Islamic Movement of Nigeria which he leads.

On 02 December 2016 the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Sheikh Zakzaky and Muallimah Zeenah should be released within 45 days. The court described their detention, which began in December 2015 as illegal and unconstitutional. The deadline for the court order expired on 16 January 2017 but the Nigerian Government has refused to obey the court order. The Nigerian government has kept them detained illegally for over two years now and Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife still remain in the custody of the state, in clear contempt of the court order.

Current trumped up charges against him are part of a wider effort to cover up the gruesome crimes committed by members of the security forces in Zaria in December 2015 that left at least 1000 civilians dead.

The state’s denial of medical treatment to Sheikh Zakzaky has led to a severe deterioration in his medical conditions and the recent attempt to move him forcefully will put his life in danger.

I am extremely concerned as Sheikh Zakzaky suffered a stroke in early January and his condition has been further aggravated due to the continued unlawful detention and denial of access to adequate medical treatment. He was shot by security forces more than two years ago, losing his left eye in the process and is currently at risk of losing the use of his other eye.

It is imperative that you apply pressure on the Nigerian authorities so that they stop killing innocent people and adhere to the High Court judgment of December 2016, and release Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife immediately.
I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours Sincerely,

[Your signature if posting]
[Your name]

African Union Contact Details:
Email: au-banjul@africa-union.org; DIC@african-union.org
Postal Address: P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street, W21K19 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax:(251) 11 551 78 44

ARTICLES AND RESOURCES 

PRESS STATEMENT: The Military Renew Attempts At Demonizing The Islamic Movement Through Cronies
24 August 2018

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has cried out over the activities of some civil society groups waging a campaign of calumny against it in the media, which it says is sponsored by the Nigerian Army.

President of the Media Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria made this known to newsmen in a Press Statement he issued today. Below is the full statement:

“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has recently noticed some subtle campaigns of calumny against it by some faceless organisations under the cover of civil society groups. The first one called itself Coalition of Arewa CSO for Progress and Change, while the other one go by the acronym SERG, which describes itself as a pan Igbo group. While the former alleged that the Islamic Movement paid one Dr. Idris Ahmed a whopping N250m to discredit the military, the latter called for its designation as a terrorist group.

“Were it not that some people may misconstrue our silence over these spurious allegations as facts, we wouldn’t have bothered to join issues with these paid groups because we know where they are coming from and have clearly seen where they are heading to.

“The wild claim made by one Jacob Ogwuche, the National President of the so called Arewa Coalition that “Dr. Idris Ahmed and his CUPS organization is heavily funded by some categories of people,” including the “Islamic Movement of Nigeria,” is a compound lie devoid of any iota of truth whatsoever. We challenge him to publish the details of the so-called payments made by the Islamic Movement if it wasn’t merely a pigment of his imagination…

Click Here to read the full Press Release

Yet Another Massive FreeZakzaky Protest in Abuja
24 August 2018
FreeZakzaky protests continued this week as well and a massive protest was organised in Nigerian Capital, Abuja. Following is the short clip of the protest, it was started from the National Mosque Abuja.

Islamic Movement Pays Courtesy Visit to Scholars in Zaria
23 August 2018

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the Leadership of Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky Zaria Chapter pays a courtesy visit to scholars in Zaria. Shaikh Abdulhameed Bello led the entrouge. The Movement undertakes such a visit during during Eid festivals with view of strenghening unity among Muslims.

In the course of the Visit, message of unity was sent to the scholars. In his short speech, Shaikh Abdulhameed Bello  representating the Movement stressed the need of unity among Muslims Ummah especially in todays world where seed of hatred and dichotomy among Muslims was sowed. He blamed the disunity among Muslims as the handiwork of the enemies of Islam used to tarnish the image of Islam which is known for peace and unity. He maintained that Muslims should Unite to face their real enemies. Malam Bashir Mai Diwani a scholar of Tijjaniyyah order expressed happiness for the visit where ee explained that a visit of this kind shaped his thoughts on the Unity of Islam today, and urged Muslims to Unite…

VIDEOS SECTION

The Zaria Massacre
Published on 14 December 2015 – Ihrc TV
On al-Quds Day in July 2014, a unit of the Nigerian army opened fire on one of the 33 al-Quds Day demonstrations in Zaria, Nigeria. 40 were killed and many injured. This is the story of that day as uncovered by an IHRC team.

A Message On Nigeria From IHRC Chair
Published on 20 July 2018
Please Click on following link to watch and share Chairman of IHRC, Massoud Shadjareh’s video of 20 July on the plight of Sheikh. Please email us on wajahat@ihrc.org if you want a WhatsApp version.

ARCHIVE SECTION

CLICK HERE to read the interview of Ibrahim Musa, the President of Media Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. “Zaria massacre was orchestrated in Israel, bankrolled by Saudi, executed by Nigerian government”. Published on 10 July 2018

CLICK HERE to read the IHRC PRESS RELEASE dated 11 April 2016 – Nigeria: State govt admits burial of massacre victims in mass grave

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IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

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The opinions expressed in this digest do not necessarily reflect the views of IHRC