Nigerian Army is the New ISIL - Islamic Movement of Nigeria

“Survivors of the carnage told us of how the Nigerian soldiers were jubilating that "Today no more Shia in Nigeria". Some of them said: "Do you pray? We were told you don't pray" and other slogans.”

In the first part of this interview, spokesman for the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim Musa, in an exclusive interview with THE BRIEF NG, explained how the current administration has forgotten how it came to power.

Refusing to be responsible for the decisive votes that brought Buhari to office, Ibrahim Musa said the movement did not take any stand on who it supported at the polls, despite its 6.05m population in Nigeria.

In this second and last part, Mr. Musa spoke on Nigeria's new found love with Saudi Arabia, the killings of Shiites in Saudi Arabia, and how the Movement has remained focused despite its leader's continued detention. 

As a Nigerian first, how do you feel about our involvement in a Middle Eastern regional struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran?

I don't think it is a struggle by the two Middle Eastern countries.

Our Islamic movement predates even the Islamic republic of Iran. But it seems the army acted on a script given to it by Saudi Arabia.

Survivors of the carnage told us of how the Nigerian soldiers were jubilating that "Today no more Shia in Nigeria". Some of them said: "Do you pray? We were told you don't pray" and other slogans that depicted the Nigerian army as a jihadi outfit like ISIL and co. 

The Islamic movement is not doing the bidding of Iran here in Nigeria. We are simply following Islam as narrated by the household of the prophet.

A political commentator accused Buhari of joining the Saudi-led anti-terrorist coalition, and opening the door for wider terrorist attacks on Nigeria by killing Shi’ites in the North, while the Saudis execute Shi’ite mullahs and prisoners in Saudi Arabia. Do you agree with this?

I disagree with the commentator because the Shias anywhere in the world are not terrorist of the likes of ISIL and co. Islam is the religion of peace, only that some people are trying to give it a bad image in order to hang it, so to say. There is no compulsion in religion, that is what Allah said in the holy book of Qur'an. So there won't be anything like Shia terrorist group here like other murderous groups in the name of Islam ravaging some Islamic countries.

What keeps the IMN going, despite several attacks by different governments of Nigeria?

It is just the support of Allah, which ordinary political observers might not understand. But that was how Islam started and spread widely. We only propagate our beliefs, and since it is the ultimate truth, people will gradually understand it, and some minorities will be vehemently opposed to it and try to crush it. But in the end the truth will prevail, as it always does.

How has the movement remained focused despite Zakzaky's continued detention?

Yes the Islamic movement is focused because we understood the mission of Sheikh Zakzaky which has been in existence for close to forty years. We know the milestones on the path, and we are not taken aback by what happened recently. The Sheikh has foreseen this army's onslaught against us and admonished us on it; therefore it will not distract us.

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