Shiites add value to Zaria’s economy, deny military wing

By From Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna | Publish Date: Dec 27 2015 11:24PM | Updated Date: Dec 28 2015 6:43AM

Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria yesterday denied military claims that it operates a military wing, saying they have been adding value to the economy of Zaria community.
The movement was reacting to the claim by the General Officer Commanding 1 Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army Major General Adeniyi Oyebade which said last week that the movement has no militant wing and some residents in Zaria who urged the government to ban the movement.
“There is no such thing as a militant wing of the Islamic Movement called Hurras as he claimed, as it is already known to all, including international human rights organizations, that the movement is not armed hence, it is highly ridiculous for him to make such a claim. More so, the bulldozing of our buildings which they did exposed the lie that we carry arms, because no weapons were found with us,” the movement’s spokesperson Ibrahim Musa said yesterday in two statements.
The statement described the military’s claim “as a cheap way of misleading the public on the inhuman way the army treated members of the Islamic Movement using unnecessary maximum force on armless people including women and children.”
On Zaria residence claims, movement adds value to the local economy in Zaria during its programmes.
He said the stories in some newspapers calling on government to ban what they called “EL-Zakzaky sect” was “a carefully calculated scheme by the perpetrators of the brutal Zaria massacre to further their evil agenda in Nigeria.”
He said Zakzaky lived in Gyellesu peacefully with his neigbours despite the purported lies by the faceless group and various attempts by security operatives to cause disharmony at various times.
The statement said it is therefore “absolutely mischievous and ridiculous for anyone to claim that residents have been placed under bondage for 20 years.”
The statement said members of the movement have been voluntarily donating bloods nationwide during its programmes as could be testified to by the National Blood Transfusion Service which had issued letters of acknowledgment every year for the past three years to Sheikh Zakzaky.
He added that “who knows whether those soldiers that came to kill us or their relatives might have even been saved by our own blood in the past?”
He said Zakzaky’s residence had been a refuge to Christians and other minority ethnic groups during communal crisis, while its medical wing, ISMA, has been involved in community-based programmes such as sanitation, immunization as well as providing support in public hospitals during strikes, among others.
The movement said its activities are not sectarian that was why it’s has been organizing Quds day rallies for over 30 years to support the Palestinian cause who are majority Sunni Muslims and Christians. It said its Sallah feast programme has been a platform where Nigerians irrespective of their faith attend to discuss issues affecting them.
It said its film village destroyed by the army was established to shoot the movie on the life of Sheikh Usman bn Fodio, who is great Sunni reformer.

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/shiites-add-value-to-zaria-s-economy-deny-military-wing/126331.html#HbqEfZBOC5t52ZIH.99

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Cc: lalasticlala

E be like say army never finish this people. Them still get mouth to talk. Na them get themselves sha