Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahamatullah Wa Barakatuhu.
What are the views of Nigerian Shia on our constitution?
Why are the Shia people not participating in civil servant?
Please I need answer to the above questions in short and precisely.
Stay blessed.

Naijacitizen:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahamatullah Wa Barakatuhu.
What are the views of Nigerian Shia on our constitution?
Why are the Shia people not participating in civil servant?
Please I need answer to the above questions in short and precisely.
Stay blessed.

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!

I think your questions are misplaced. You meant to direct them to members of the IMN.

There is great misunderstanding even in the media. They call the IMN "Shiites". They are Shiites no doubt, but grouping them as such gives the IMN exclusivity over Shia Islam in Nigeria and that is wrong. Not every Shia belongs to the IMN. That is wrong because not every Shia or Shiite is a member of the IMN. The IMN is a local religious group or organization in Nigeria. Even in Nigeria, not all Shia Muslims identify with the IMN even though the IMN is the leading Shia Islamic group in terms of numbers. And the media is just lumping all Shia Muslims and gifting them to the IMN. The media also label the IMN a sect. It's a group. Shia and Sunni are the two major Islamic sects the world over.

The Shia faith is worldwide. The IMN is local and Nigerian. Today the kaduna state government made a good clarification that it is the IMN that they banned and not Shiites or Shia Islam as a whole or as a religion.

As to why the members of the IMN do not vote or take part in civil service, I have no idea. I am not part of the IMN. I however and unreservedly condemn the killings of all civilians or religious persecution in whatever form and shape and to whomever it is done to and by whoever.

I've heard that some of them vote. And I've heard they don't. I read that Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega who was killed in Zaria with his wife and child was an APC cardholder and he was an active campaigner for the president. You can run a quick Google search. I even saw a link to his Facebook profile and of the pictures he posted during elections.

As for the generality of Shia Muslims, we believe in Imamate (divine leadership or divinely chosen leaders). We believe strictly that the only legitimate government is of the representatives of God (prophets and imams) and any government that takes its legitimacy from God based on the Holy Quran. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean we Shia go about disobeying law and order. We don't do that and our scholars have issued countless fatwas binding Shia Muslims to be peaceful and law abiding people wherever they find themselves, in their own countries or in foreign countries that may not even be Muslim countries but non-Muslim countries.

I think the entire problem in Nigeria and the IMN is largely based on misunderstanding, mistrust, doubts and fear. Understanding and dialogue are always key to peaceful coexistence.