By Khalid Idris Doya
Bauchi, Nigeria, April 19, 2026(Series News Online)- The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, also called the Shi’ites, has urged Muslims and Christians worldwide to unite against oppression and work together to entrench justice and improve global living standards.
The call was made on Sunday by Malama Zeenatuddeen Ibraheem Zakzaky, wife of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, at the closing session of the 5th International Conference on Islamic Thought.
The three-day conference, themed “The State of Affairs and the Way Out,” was organised by the Sisters Forum and the Academic Forum under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky. It was held at an event centre in Bauchi.
Participants were drawn from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and other African nations.
Malama Zeenatuddeen advised Muslims to model their conduct on the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet.
“Muslims must live their lives according to how Allah enjoined us in the Qur’an and the way the Prophet has brought it to us,” she said.
She explained that the conference was convened to remind adherents of their duty to practise Islam in full.
“We are not saying that everybody should become Muslims, but we also cannot afford to live against the teachings of the Qur’an,” she added.
Speaking on the ongoing confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, she framed it as a contest between oppressors and the oppressed.
“I don’t want people to ask me about this war, but as all can see, it is now clear. I am siding with the axis of resistance against aggression. We know who the aggressors are,” she said.
She maintained that peace and development are impossible where injustice persists.
“It is mandatory to act against injustice. All the Prophets of God came to fight oppression and establish justice,” she said.
She noted that the conference sought to deepen understanding of the Islamic Movement’s objectives in Nigeria and to reinforce global opposition to oppression.
On global tensions, including the Iran–United States crisis, she described the situation as a clash between truth and falsehood and urged people to stand with justice.
She said the gathering was part of continuous efforts to educate the public on fairness, human rights, and solidarity with oppressed peoples, especially Palestinians.
Malama Zeenatuddeen accused the United States and Israel of pursuing expansionist and self-serving policies in Iran and Palestine, and she asked Nigerians to be wary of foreign interference.
She cautioned against claims that the United States could solve Nigeria’s security problems, insisting that national sovereignty must be defended.
“The US is only after the wealth and resources of other countries. Nigerians must be careful and protect their sovereignty,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr. Fatima Ismail of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said the annual conference was aimed at raising justice consciousness and encouraging resistance to oppression globally.
She called for unity between Muslims and Christians to confront injustice wherever it appears.
“Silence in the face of oppression only worsens global conditions,” she said.
After the closing ceremony, thousands of members of the Islamic Movement staged a peaceful protest in Bauchi. The demonstrators marched to the CBN Roundabout, chanting slogans in support of Palestine and denouncing the United States and Israel over the Middle East conflicts.
The protesters described the conduct of Western powers as unjust and oppressive and demanded global resistance.
During a solidarity rally for Iran and the Axis of Resistance, Engineer Abdullahi Musa, a follower of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, said the movement would continue to back oppressed people, particularly Palestinians.
He said opposing injustice is an obligation for all believers, regardless of faith, and cited the teachings of prophets as grounds for resisting oppression.
“We are out today as usual. We have been coming out for decades to show our solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine,” Engineer Musa said.
“You see, we have a lot of people that have been shot down. A lot of people have been killed for this cause. And we continue. Why? Because it is mandated for all believers, either Muslim or Christian, whatever religion you think you are practicing, you must act against injustice,” he said.
“It’s mandatory. You must act against injustice. The purpose of all the Prophets of God is to come and fight for justice. Jesus Alaihis Salam has fought for justice. If you are a Christian, you should know that fighting for justice is part of religion. So that is why we prefer to even lose our lives in fighting for justice,” he added.
“Because when we get back to the Almighty God, He will surely ask us, ‘What have you done when people have been oppressed?’ We will tell Him, ‘God Almighty, we have been fighting for justice and in the process we were martyred.’ That is it. And that is why we are out today,” Musa stated.
He recalled Imam Khomeini’s designation of the last Friday of Ramadan as a day of support for Palestine, stressing that solidarity with the oppressed is a continuous duty.
“Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, has declared the last Friday of every month of Ramadan as a day of the oppressed. Who are these oppressed? The people of Palestine. And he said it in several locations that every day is for Palestine. So as such, you can come out at any time, at any moment, to protest against the injustice meted against these oppressed people of Palestine,” he said.
“So that is why we are out today. Purely, we are out to show our solidarity with the oppressed people. You can see how they are being killed, bombardment everywhere in the Middle East. Even the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has been killed. Why? Why did America kill him? Because he stands for the oppressed people of Palestine. So if the graceful leader of Iran can sacrifice his life for Palestine, who am I not to come out and show my solidarity for Palestine?” he said.
He called on the Nigerian government to adopt a firmer position against global injustice, saying existing responses were inadequate.
“We have seen so many nations acted against this injustice, but we are yet to see a concrete action by the Nigerian government. So if there is any message that I should have for the Nigerian authority, it’s for them to stand by the oppressed. It is their duty. They have every right to go against injustice. They have every right to speak against injustice, even though sometimes they show their concern, but it’s not enough,” he said.
“We as Nigerians, it’s not what the Nigerian government is doing, it’s not enough. We want this government to come out vividly and show their solidarity with the oppressed people because in this country we have Muslims, we have Christians, we have those that don’t even practice religion, but they are all human,” he added.
“The major point of concern is humanity. Humanity first before everything. So we are humans, we want humanity, and we stand with the oppressed people of Palestine. We want the Nigerian government to do something. Besides, they have been killing, they have been killing,” he said.
“Even right now, I’m talking, I’m speaking with you. We have a lot of corpses, our corpses that have been killed by the Nigerian Army. To be precise, the Guard Brigade in Abuja, they have killed 27 people and they are still holding about 20 corpses with them. These people’s only offence was to say ‘free Palestine’. So if the government that killed people that come out to the streets calling for the freedom of Palestine, what do you expect from them?” he added.
On the 2027 general elections in Nigeria, Musa said: “Yes we are heading to what they called general elections, but does it work? It doesn’t work. We have a problem in this country. Our problem in this country is not leadership. The problem of this country is the system.”
“So my message to Nigeria is, don’t just waste your time. It is better you should wake up and fight against this regime, the system. The system is the problem, not the leadership. We have tried APC, we have tried PDP, we have tried a lot of parties. We have tried in this country, but day in, day out, every day, the situation of this country is worsening. That shows that the leadership is not the problem, the system is the problem,” he said.
Also addressing the gathering, Sheikh Muhammad Abbare, representative of Sheikh Zakzaky in Gombe State, advised Nigerian political leaders to focus on ending killings and injustice instead of early election campaigns.
He said good governance must be anchored on justice and fear of God, adding that global powers such as the United States and Israel were fueling oppression worldwide.
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