Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission said it has set up a panel to investigate the clashes between the army and the Shiite Muslims with a view to preventing a reccurrence. The military accused the group of attempting to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, an allegation that the sect denied. Iranian outlet Tasnim News quoted a spokesman for the IMN as claiming the Nigerian government attacked their group because of “the rapid growth of Shiite population in Nigeria”, adding to the narrative that the quelling of the attack on Buratai was religiously motivated.
Advertisement
The military raids on Zakzaky’s dwelling and religious centres in two other places in Zaria started hours after.
A senior Iraqi Shiite cleric and the Leader of the Sadrist Movement, Moqtada al-Sadr on Monday strongly criticized the Nigerian security authorities attack on the house of a Nigerian Shiite cleric, Ibrahim al-Zakzaky and called on his followers to go out in protest demonstrations on the incident next Friday.
The Iranian news agency said initial clashes were followed by an army raid on Zakzaky’s home, which left several of his followers dead.
The leader of the Islamic Movement, Ibrahim Zakzaky, was wounded in the fighting – and his wife and son were reportedly killed.
According to the son, Mr. Zakzaky’s family does not know about his current medical condition and want him to see a doctor immediately. While the military claims El-Zakzaky is safe, pictures have emerged showing the leader bloodied and with visible evidence of bodily harm.
Killing of hundreds of Muslims from the Shia community in recent days in Nigeria instigated agitations in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Responding to demands for action by Iranian MPs, Majlis [parliament] Speaker Ali Larijani said that Tehran was acting to help Nigerian Shiites harmed in Nigerian Army operations. Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that while the relations between Iran and Nigeria are positive, Iran holds the government responsible for the event.
The Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, or IMN, rejected that account.
In a statement Monday, the army said both the military and Shiites lost lives but a toll still is being compiled. “What happened in Zaria was nothing but an act of brutality by the Nigerian military”.
On Wednesday, Sen. Shehu Sani, a human rights activist, said “The Zaria killings simply affirmed the fact that as a nation we have not learnt our lessons from our painful and hard experience”.
“Nigerian security forces have a history of carrying out unlawful killings and other human rights violations”.
Earlier this month, dozens of people died in a suicide attack on a Shia procession near northwestern Kano city. The Sunni extremist group Boko Haram began seriously escalating its militant activities in 2009 as a result of clashes with the Nigerian military.
Advertisement
Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
