By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO) has held a rally, second in one week, in solidarity with and to support the oppressed Palestinians against their oppressors, Israel and its western backers who – it says – are presenting them in the picture of terrorists to justify their illegal occupation and massacre of them without leaving out even people receiving treatment in hospital.
The CIO, during the week specifically on Tuesday at Beleke Smith Mosque in Surulere Lagos, held a world press conference for the same reason, demanding that, while it was not against ceasefire by Israeli soldiers against the Palestinian territory of Gaza, all countries of the world with inhuman feeling still left in their heart should support Hamas, the group democratically elected with military right to resist the over 70-year-old persecution of their fellow Palestinians, with weapons to defend themselves.
On Saturday at the rally held near MKO Abiola Garden, Ojota, Lagos, the Conference of Islamic Conference, joined by other groups including the Amnesty International, Civil Society and Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) among several others, was more affirmative with a Declaration of the umbrella group for Muslim organisations in Nigeria, read by Professor Isa Maishanu of the Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto (UDUS), who is also the Leader of Muslim Solidarity Forum headquartered in Sokoto.
According to the CIO’s declaration, it was affirmed “that Hamas is not a terrorist organization , but rather an elected representatives of the people engaged in arms insurrection against an occupying force as allowed by international law, rationality and necessity.”
It therefore made an assertion that, “The international community led by the UN must retrieve the peace process from the monopoly of the United States which has become part of the Israeli occupation machinery.”
In the declaration, the CIO said, “We call on the Arab League, The African Union, and other regional governments to exert pressure that will change the apartheid character of the Zionist state of Israel and make it conform to international laws and norms.
“We SOUND THE NOTE OF WARNING TO ARAB STATES WHO HAVE NORMALIZED OR ARE HOPING TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL TO HALT FORTHWITH as this is the CREDENTIAL that Israel needed to wipe out Palestine as Netanyahu made clear in his speech at the recent United Nations general Assembly session
“We encourage the global audience horrified by this genocide being committed by Israel to patronize the BDS: individuals should boycott ALL Israeli products and those of its affiliates; corporate entities should divest away from any outfit having anything to do with Israel and governments should impose sanctions on the apartheid state.”
On ground at the rally, along with Professor Maishanu, were notable leaders including the Chairman, Council of Ulamau of Nigeria, Sheikh AbdulFattahi Thanni, Lagos-based Islamic scholar, Amir Qamardeen Ajala, Country Head of Transparency International who also stood in for the Amnesty International, Mallam Auwal Ibrahim Musa a.k.a. Rafsanjani, the Secretary General of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Engr. Luqman Balogun, Grand Mufti of CIO, Sheikh Zikrullahi Shaffi, Modiru of Morkaz Salam, Lagos, Sheikh Moshood Ramadan, Al-Ketuwiyy, among others.
Details of the report later….
See the CIO’s declaration below:
DECLARATION BY THE CONFERENCE OF ISLAMIC ORGANIZATIONS (CIO)
Arising from our deliberations today Saturday 21st, October, 2023 following a deep study of the crisis in all its ramifications, the Pan-Nigerian Front for THE Support of Palestine do declare and demand thus:
1. That the international community led by the United Nations should prevail upon Israel to cease its bombing campaigns of Gaza and other areas which has brought horror not just to the Palestinians but to the world
2. That the United Nations should lead efforts at creating humanitarian corridors and ensuring that aid and relief packages have access into Gaza and other places
3. That any interim peace process MUST as a matter of necessity, incorporate the lifting of the siege of Gaza
4. That we consider as irresponsible, reprehensible and barbaric the show of support by the duo of the United States and the European Union for Israel and we hold them complicit and culpable in this human tragedy happening before the global audience
5. That ICC should commence a prosecution of the war crimes committed by Israel both now and prior to this time taking into consideration its violation of all extant international law including failure to protect the people under its occupation as written in the Geneva Convention
6. We affirm that Hamas is not a terrorist organization , but rather an elected representatives of the people engaged in arms insurrection against an occupying force as allowed by international law, rationality and necessity
7. The international community led by the UN must retrieve the peace process from the monopoly of the United States which has become part of the Israeli occupation machinery.
8. The world must work to bring Israel to the Two-States solution, compel it to halt settlement building and lift its siege of Gaza
9. We call on the Arab League, The African Union, and other regional governments to exert pressure that will change the apartheid character of the Zionist state of Israel and make it conform to international laws and norms.
10. We SOUND THE NOTE OF WARNING TO ARAB STATES WHO HAVE NORMALIZED OR ARE HOPING TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL TO HALT FORTHWITH as this is the CREDENTIAL that Israel needed to wipe out Palestine as Netanyahu made clear in his speech at the recent United Nations general Assembly session
11. We encourage the global audience horrified by this genocide being committed by Israel to patronize the BDS: individuals should boycott ALL Israeli products and those of its affiliates; corporate entities should divest away from any outfit having anything to do with Israel and governments should impose sanctions on the apartheid state.
12. In this vein, we demand that the Nigerian government put on hold ALL diplomatic relations with Israel until the Two-States resolution is achieved
13. We also encourage all nations on the African continents to put on ice relations with Israel as sufferers of the brutality of colonial occupation in their history
14. Lastly, the support groups gathered here, unanimously agree that this shall be a permanent FRONT that gears to action till FREEDOM and STATEHOOD is achieved for Palestine
I thank you for your audience
Prof isa Maishanu
Dean, Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies
Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and
Adviser to Vice Chancellor of Afro-Asian University, Somalia
