Millions of people on Friday attended the International Quds day marches organised by the Islamic Movement across Northern states to show their solidarity with the “oppressed Palestinian people” and condemn alleged Israeli atrocities in occupied territories of Palestine.
Thousands of Members of the Islamic Movement in Sokoto, Katsina and Potiskum started their peaceful procession in the morning before Friday prayers, where they passed the major streets chanting slogans in support of the Palestinian course.
In Katsina, Sheikh Yaqoub Yahya, addressed the mammoth crowd that participated in the march, calling on the international community to cut the hands of Israeli usurpers in Palestine.
In Sokoto, Sheikh Qasim Umar called on the thousands that attended the march not to relent in their efforts to see to the liberation of Palestine from the clutches of Israeli Zionists.
Similarly, the Quds Day marches were held after Friday prayers in many other cities like Kaduna, Zaria, Kano, Bauchi, Yola, Lafia, Gombe and Jalingo.
With members of the Movement cladded in white T-shirts with inscriptions “Free Sheikh Zakzaky”, Free Palestine” they also called for the immediate and unconditional release of the leader of the Movement who has been in detention since the Army attacked the center of the Movement in Zaria last December.
Addressing the protesters at the close of the event in Kaduna, Malam Aliyu Tirmizi who led the demonstration warned against the importation of state terrorism by the Nigerian government from Israel as evident in what happened in Zaria last December.
Soldiers were cited in Katsina and Sokoto during the marches. They, however, did not make any effort to disperse the protest.
During the marches, public statement was issued and distributed to bystanders, signed by Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello.
It reads: “As we march out today in millions on the streets to protest against Israeli occupation and aggression in Palestine, we are answering the call made by Imam Khomeini in 1979, wherein he declared the liberation of Quds ‘a religious duty of all Muslims.”
The Khomeni declaration urged “Muslims all over the globe to observe the last Friday of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day, and to pledge support and solidarity to the people of Palestine and their legitimate rights.”
It also called on them and Muslim governments “to join hands and sever the hand of this usurper (Israel) and its supporters.”
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