The National Coordinator of Jama’atul Tajdidil Islamiy, Sheikh Abubakar Mujahid said it’s disheartening for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to have raised the oppression done by the Jews to the Palestinians at the gathering of the world leaders at the 78th UN General Assembly.
Speaking with Muslim News, Sheikh Mujahid, a Senior Lecturer at Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna State, described it as an unworthy omission.
He noted that the Nigerian foreign policy from time immemorial, particularly during the regime of Generals Yakubu Gowon and late Murtala Muhammad has been championing the cause of the oppressed people in Africa and the world.
According to him, “Nigeria spearheaded the independence of Namibia, Zimbabwe, among others, and it has been the bedrock of the foreign policy of Nigeria to always speak against oppression anywhere in the world. Hence, it’s disheartening for the president not to mention the oppression done by the Jews to Palestinians.
“As we are speaking, the Jews are bombing the Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank with no reason. The Palestinians have become a political tool in the hands of Benjamin Netanyahu and others. If they want to score a political victory, they start by just attacking Muslims or going to Al-Aqsa mosque to harass worshippers, among others. In exchange, the Israelis will rather support the inhuman policies of the government.
“It’s disheartening to see this from a person who the Muslims united to bring to power. Muslims, especially from the northern part of the country had to disown their brother, a tribesman, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to vote for him because some non-Muslims were against him, because he is a Muslim and an advocate of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“If not for that, he wouldn’t have had a chance. But his policies are now going against him and the interest of oppressed Muslims and non-Muslims in Palestine. I call on President Tinubu to critically look into his foreign policy, especially as it relates to Palestine and come up with a new statement on the Palestinian issue in conformity with what has been in existence.
“After all, he said he’s going to continue from where Buhari stopped. If it was another political party, we’d have said that it’s the policy of the party to support oppression. But this is the policy of the person you took over power from and you promised to continue from where he stopped and now you’re departing.”
The national coordinator called on the president to readdress his wrong, saying that Palestine is not only dearest to Nigerian Muslims, it is very important to the Muslim ummah globally and the rest of the world that believe in justice and equity.
“It is an issue of oppression. An issue of human rights abuse and not just about Islam. The UN has given the verdicts not once nor twice that Israel is abusing the human dignity of the people of Palestine. So it’s about protecting humanity. This is what we expect President Tinubu to do.”
Sheikh Mujahid, however, said the omission of Palestine in President Tinubu’s speech could have been unintentional, saying it could also have been as a result of the US influence on Nigeria and other countries to protect Israel at all cost.
“First, it could be the influence of his close advisers or maybe Tinubu wants to please the US. The Jewish Americans are always trying to push the US to protect Israel at all cost, especially at the United Nations. And, maybe Tinubu wants to appease the Americans; and to appease the Americans you have to appease the Jews. This is one.
“Secondly, he could be an unintentional omission, although unworthy. If it’s so, we give him that excuse so that he will rectify it subsequently. Or maybe his advisers, or people at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs forgot to include it in his speech. And now, we are alerting them. Wake up! They should wake up and not make such mistake again; If he doesn’t do that, it will affect him in the 2027 election. People will count that as one of his errors and we hope he doesn’t fall into that trap! We hope his advisers will not push him into such trap,” he added.
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