On Sunday, July 20, members of the Muslim community in the Agege area of Lagos under the aegies of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) and The Muslim Congress (TMC) gathered to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in a procession.
The event, held at Anwarul Islam College, Agege, drew men, women, and children, all united in their demand for justice and an end to the violence and genocide in Gaza.
Demonstrators carried placards bearing messages as “Free Free Palestine”, “Free Free Gaza”, “From the River to the Sea”, and “Palestine Will Be Free”, as they marched through the streets and local markets.
Leading the procession was the Grand Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi’i.
Speaking in Yoruba, with English translation by Ustadh Davies Abdullah, Sheikh Shafi’i condemned what he described as the “21-month Gaza genocide” and the failure of both Western and Arab nations to halt the ongoing massacre, which he said has claimed nearly 60,000 lives – mostly women and children.
“We’re here to show our solidarity with our brothers and sisters and register our displeasure in respect to happenings in Gaza and Palestine in its entirety,” Sheikh Shafi’i declared.
“The illegal occupants of Palestine, Israel, with the support of the US and Europe, are making lives unbearable for people in Gaza, the West Bank, and all over the nooks and crannies of Palestine.”
He also reacted to the recent video broadcast by Abu Obeida, spokesperson of Hamas’ military wing, released on Friday, July 18. In the nearly 20-minute broadcast, Abu Obeida pledged that Hamas was prepared for a long-term war in the absence of a ceasefire agreement and criticised Arab and Islamic leaders for their lethargy and inaction.
Commenting on the statement, Sheikh Shafi’i said: “Whoever listened to Abu Obeida’s broadcast speech in Arabic or any language would realise he has left the Ummah to Allah’s will. He said Allah will ultimately judge every human on earth today, starting from Islamic scholars and clergymen and leaders of the Muslim world, who watch the atrocities going on in Gaza with arms akimbo – watching the indiscriminate killings of women and children in Gaza.”
He condemned the blockade of aid to Gaza, including the complicity of neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, and condemned the indifference of Muslims around the world to the crisis.
“Therefore, it is pertinent that all Muslims across the globe stand against this injustice. We must come together and speak in one voice to end this genocide,” he urged.
Sheikh Shafi’i called on government at all levels, religious leaders, and those in positions of authority to support the cause of Palestine.
“We are playing our own part today by calling everyone to support the people of Gaza,” he said. “We pray Allah grants all the supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu exactly what they deserve. May Allah SWT, the Omnipotent, save the people of Gaza from their oppressors”, he said.
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