The Al-Thaqalayn Cultural Foundation, a Shi’ite organization based in Kaduna state, has warned Saudi Arabia and Iran not to turn Nigeria into a war zone following the proscription of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria aka Shi’ites by the Federal government.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have been sympathetic to the plights of Shiites in Nigeria.
Muslims in both countries have staged protests at some point demanding the release of detained leader of the group, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna today July 30th, the Secretary-General of Al-Thaqalayn, Sheikh Hamza Lawal, said the Islamic Movement of Nigeria does not represent what Shiism is all about.
“We urge the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia to desist from making Nigeria another testing ground of their struggle for regional supremacy. We cherish our peace.
We don’t want Nigeria to become a theatre of war by these two arms of Islam. Saudi Arabia representing the Sunni arm and Iran representing the Shii arm. We don’t want internationalisation of the war on terror. We want the sovereignty of Nigeria to be protected.
We in Nigeria will be able to solve our problems internally. We don’t want any influence from either Iran or Saudi Arabia. Enough of the hypocrisy, selfishness and partisanship. We are all in this together and if Nigeria sinks, we will sink together and if it floats, we will all float together.
So the Sunnis and the Shiite, have to as matter of necessity, not of a choice, agree on this common understanding that we don’t need Saudi Arabia politically. We don’t need Iran politically” he warned.
