Shiites Hold Abuja Rally Mourning Iran Leader Khamenei

Shiites Hold Abuja Rally Mourning Iran Leader Khamenei
Demonstration coincided with global Quds Day in support of Palestine.
Security tightened in Abuja as protests also occurred in Bauchi.

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria on Friday staged a rally in Abuja to mourn the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The gathering marked the first time the group had organised a public demonstration in the Federal Capital Territory since the cleric was reportedly killed on February 26 during the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.

The rally coincided with the annual Quds Day and attracted thousands of Shiite Muslims to the National Mosque Abuja.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that participants carried banners, waved flags and chanted slogans condemning Israeli actions against Palestinians. Ahead of the rally, concerns about possible protests prompted heightened security measures across parts of Abuja. The United States Embassy in Nigeria also temporarily shut operations amid fears of demonstrations.

Speaking with Punch, the Chairman of the Media Forum of the Islamic Movement, Ammar Rajab, said the movement had observed Quds Day in Nigeria for more than four decades.

According to him, the annual event usually features lectures, discussions, processions and awareness campaigns focused on the Palestinian cause.

Rajab said this year’s observance carried added significance due to the worsening humanitarian situation in Palestinian territories.

He said, “This year’s observance is particularly urgent as reports indicate that over 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since October 2023, with hundreds of thousands displaced. Journalists have been barred from reporting the crisis, leaving the reality largely hidden.

“We also mourned the assassination of Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, highlighting his uncompromising stand against oppression and injustice, and reaffirmed the movement’s call for the freedom and liberation of Palestine.”

Rajab dismissed claims that security operatives attacked members of the group during the rally.

“It is not true. We started peacefully and left without any intervention from the police,” he said.

Some residents, however, reported traffic congestion along the Nyanya and Mararaba axis as security personnel mounted checkpoints and conducted vehicle searches following the announcement of the rally.

In Bauchi, members of the movement also staged a demonstration in support of Palestine and Iran.

The leader of the group in the state, Ahmad Yashi, said the protest formed part of activities marking Quds Day, which is observed globally on the last Friday of Ramadan.

“This is a known demonstration held on the last Friday of every Ramadan worldwide under the Quds Day platform. It is to show support and sympathy for Palestinians who have been under invasion for about eight decades,” he said.

Yashi maintained that the demonstrations organised by the movement had always been peaceful. He alleged that past breakdowns of law and order were caused by misunderstandings between authorities and members of the group.

He also reiterated the group’s support for Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.

“We are with Iran in heart and soul. They targeted the Iranian Supreme Leader to make the country surrender, but they are mistaken. The Supreme Leader, as a religious authority, was among those dousing tensions,” Yashi said.

He criticised Western powers, accusing them of contributing to global instability.

“Islam is a peaceful religion, but the West is the problem. They are selfish and want everyone to bow to them. This will not happen; those days are gone,” he added.

Yashi disclosed that members of the movement in Bauchi had earlier held a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Iran.

Shiites Hold Abuja Rally Mourning Iran Leader Khamenei

“We conducted a peaceful demonstration in support of Iran, and every Muslim must take a side in this war. You are either with the righteous or with the oppressors,” he said.