Iran media sheds light on ‘Islamic movement’ in Nigeria
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency shed light on Thursday on the role
that Iran and its support for Shi’ite Islamic groups may be playing in Nigeria.
The website published an interview that Ibrahim Zakzaky gave on TV this week.
Zakzaky is a leader of the “Islamic Movement” in Nigeria. He had been detained
in Nigeria since 2015 but was recently released, according to reports. Reuters
describes him as leader of a banner Shi’ite group. What is interesting here is
that Iran’s Tasnim wants to showcase his role now, which appears to lift the
lid on growing Iranian interests in spreading its influence in Africa.
What did the report say?
Zakzaky called the “Islamic Movement” the “voice of the
Islamic Revolution of Iran in Nigeria" and he “stressed that the movement
is witnessing growth and prosperity.” He added that “after the victory of the
Islamic Revolution in Iran, we realized that the ideas of this revolution are
similar to the ideas of us students at the university."
Nigeria has a large Islamic community, making up around half
the country and Nigeria has been plagued by extremists linked to Boko Haram in
the last decade. However, the role of pro-Iranian or Shi’ite groups is more
complex because Boko Haram is ostensibly rooted in Sunni extremists and linked
to groups, like ISIS, that tend to be sectarian and against Shi’ites.
In his discussion, Zakzaky says he was once a student of
economics and attended Islamic meetings, and he promoted the teachings of
Islam. "When we were at the university, we had Islamic activities. I was
in prison for nine years, seven of which were in the 1980s. They were harassed
and harassed.” He claims his house was raided and children killed in the past
by authorities. "My wife was injured in that attack and the bullet has not
left her body yet. She also has a bullet in my body and I suffer from low
vision….We are still living under the supervision of the authorities and we are
not allowed to talk about the attacks on us."
He says that injuries suffered in a past raid by security
forces now require foreign treatment. “After our release from prison, we asked
for a passport." He described the “message from Imam Hussein” in his
discussion and that he observes the Shi’ite ceremonies of Ashura and Arbaeen.
“Blood is victorious over the sword,” he said.
He also discussed what he claimed were attacks on Shi’ites
in Nigeria. "What happened in Abuja was the attack of the country's
officials on the symbolic marches for the resurrection of Imam Hussein…we will
announce the exact statistics soon. Of course, some of those killed were not
people present at the march, but passers-by.” The incident refers to a recent
killing of Shi’ites in the capital of Abuja. Shi’ites are frequently targeted
by extremists in places like Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Authorities
in Nigeria claim that the police were not involved in attacks in Abuja and that
in fact the police had cracked down on a banned Shi’ite Muslim group, arresting
57 people.
The Sheikh said that it was important for his followers to
be on the “path of Jihad,” although it was not clear what he meant by this. He
compared his struggle to that of Nelson Mandela, the South African civil rights
leader.
What is interesting here is that Iran’s media is taking a
greater interest in Shi’ites in Nigeria and this may be part of a process of
seeking more recognition for groups that are inspired by Iran’s 1979
revolution. Groups like Hezbollah already operated in West Africa.
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