By Abdulmumin Giwa
The Islamic Human Rights Commission of London, IHRC has called on the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to prohibit Army’s presence at the annual Al-Quda Day demonstrations led by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria across major cities of the country on the last Friday of every Ramadan.
The call is contained in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and signed by Massoud Shadjareh of the IHRC.
Shadjareh further stated that it is imperative to send a strong message to ensure that peaceful and vulnerable members of Nigerian society can demonstrate support for Palestine uninhibited.
He explained in the letter that the IHRC is writing to the President to raise concerns about information it had received that the Nigerian Army will be in attendance and a threatening force at the annual Al Quds Day rally on Friday 1 July 2016.
The letter also enumerated several attacks on the pro-Palestinian rallies by the government in the past where peaceful protesters and members of the IMN have suffered casualties and deaths.
Shadjareh further stated that the on-coming Al Quds Day on Friday poses multiple risks, particularly with the perpetrators of attacks on the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, the Army in attendance.
It would be recalled that the IHRC took the case of the Zaria Army attack on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria last December to the International Criminal Court, ICC seeking justice on crimes against humanity committed by the Army.
abdulmumingiwa 