There was pandemonium in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday as members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, otherwise known as Shi’ites, set the national flags of the United States of America and Israel on fire during a massive rotest to mark Quds.
The protest was in solidarity with the people of Palestine who were allegedly terrorised by the Israeli government with support from the USA.
The protesters, in their number, gathered at Wuse market, chanting anti-US songs to mark the last Friday of Ramadan as Quds Day.
The protest was disrupted with the arrival of anti-riot policemen at the market where many female protesters were arrested and clamped inside the bus that conveyed them to the location.
Those arrested were beaten up and whisked away by the police with their hijabs removed.
They were later sighted by SaharaReporters at Eagle Square.
As the attack on their members continued, the angry protesters set ablaze the national flags of the two countries to show their disagreement with the continued occupation of Palestine.
The incident led to confusion in the market as traders and passersby scampered for safety while motorists were forced to divert their routes.
The Secretary of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdullahi Musa, who spoke to SaharaReporters, said the burning of the flags was a yearly ritual by Shi’ites worldwide on the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramadan as instructed by the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, late Sheikh Khomeini.
He said, “Today is last the Friday of Ramadan and we burnt the flags in solidarity with the people of Palestine. For more than a decade, there has been an international convention that defined apartheid as a crime committed when officials systematically oppress one group in the territory under their control, and subject it to inhumane acts, with the intent to maintain the domination over that group for the benefit of another group.”
(Sahara Reporters)
The protest was in solidarity with the people of Palestine who were allegedly terrorised by the Israeli government with support from the USA.
The protesters, in their number, gathered at Wuse market, chanting anti-US songs to mark the last Friday of Ramadan as Quds Day.
The protest was disrupted with the arrival of anti-riot policemen at the market where many female protesters were arrested and clamped inside the bus that conveyed them to the location.
Those arrested were beaten up and whisked away by the police with their hijabs removed.
They were later sighted by SaharaReporters at Eagle Square.
As the attack on their members continued, the angry protesters set ablaze the national flags of the two countries to show their disagreement with the continued occupation of Palestine.
The incident led to confusion in the market as traders and passersby scampered for safety while motorists were forced to divert their routes.
The Secretary of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdullahi Musa, who spoke to SaharaReporters, said the burning of the flags was a yearly ritual by Shi’ites worldwide on the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramadan as instructed by the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, late Sheikh Khomeini.
He said, “Today is last the Friday of Ramadan and we burnt the flags in solidarity with the people of Palestine. For more than a decade, there has been an international convention that defined apartheid as a crime committed when officials systematically oppress one group in the territory under their control, and subject it to inhumane acts, with the intent to maintain the domination over that group for the benefit of another group.”
(Sahara Reporters)
