Sheikh El-Zakzaky Shocked By Clash Between Shiites And Nigerian Troops In Zaria
Aggrieved and devastated father, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, has spoken out on the loss of his three sons in Zaria on July 25, 2014, Friday, maintained that the Shiites had never armed themselves in their history, and Friday’s march in Zaria, Kaduna State, was not an exclusion.
Zakzaky, who is the leader of Nigeria’s Shiites, gave his comments in a brief interview by telephone to SaharaReporters on July 26, 2014, Saturday:
“We were armless during our procession, and they shot us after we ended our procession, the whole world knew our history, we have never armed ourselves. We are waiting for the lies that they will tell.”
The Shiite leader emphasised that peaceful procession had been interrupted in such a way for the first time in almost 40 years. The march included aged people, children, and women, among others. None of them were acting in a dangerous way, but this did not prevent the soldiers from shooting live bullets.
Speaking about the fate of his children, Zakzaky narrated that his son, Mahmud, who came from a university in Beirut, was shot on his stomach. He passed away while being transported to hospital.
Related: Sheik Zakzaky's Son Killed By Troops In Zaria
He also claimed that the military men later detained three of his sons.
“They took Ahmad, Hameed and Ali with them; Ahmad and Hameed are chemical and neurotics engineering students in China. It was my fourth son there, Ali, who had a gun wound that confirmed that the soldiers have killed his two brothers, and they were all arrested alive.”
The Shiite leader insisted that the soldiers of the Nigerian Army performed mass extra-judicial killings:
“If you are accusing someone of committing an offense, you must carry out prosecution according to the law of the land, but why kill people with impunity? Even if you say we have breached the law, then you must look for the leader and try him in an open court.”
Zakzaky also condoled with the families and relatives of other victims. Apart from three sons of the Shitte leader, at least nine people lost their lives in Zaria.
Related: Nigerian Army In Fierce Battle With Shiite Muslims In Kaduna
The last Friday of each Ramadan is celebrated as Al Quds Day. The tradition was created in Iran in 1979 as a way to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and, at the same time, protest against Zionists, Israel's existence and its control of Jerusalem.
Source: Legit.ng
