-- By Shaikh Zakzaky (h).
Another thing that I have to make very clear is the idea of calling us IMN (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) and calling me the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria. I know we use the word ‘Islamic movement’ but to our understanding, Islamic movement is not a name, it is an idea, similar to Islamic awareness, Islamic ideology, Islamic education, Islamic philosophy. It is a sort of concept we never use as a name! And there is nothing like ‘members of the Islamic movement,’ they don’t exist; there are only activists (not members). We don’t have membership card, you don’t register to become a part of us. Once you are active, that is all! The movement is open to all people, not only Muslims. You may not know that there is a Christian forum of the Islamic movement, among the fora that we have. We have many for a, such as Academic forum, Sisters forum, Media forum, and so many others. One of these fora is the Christian forum of the Islamic movement under the leadership of Pastor Yohanna Buru.
So, (the Islamic movement) is a sort of an idea which everyone can belong to; the idea of movement towards a change. The reason we call it Islamic is because we agree to give our lives to do it because it is the teaching of Islam. According to the teaching of Islam, you are supposed to do everything for the sake of your creator, the Almighty. So, whoever identifies himself with the idea is part of the movement, not a member.
And similarly, the Islamic movement does not own a single property, movable or unmovable. There is no building belonging to the Islamic movement. It doesn’t exist! All the buildings are either private property or owned according to religious institution. In Shia, they believe that they have a leader every time, and that leader can own some properties. Only the Shia can know this. Every Shia man is duty-bound to give one-fifth of the booty he gets to the Imam of his time, and some people have been given the custody of the collection, to manage it. So, it is religious.
When they attacked us, they called us “Shi’ites” and they continue to give us different names. In the late 70s, they were calling us “students” because then we were students. And in 1980, they were calling us students. And in 1982 they changed our name and started calling us “Shi’ites” with different spellings and pronunciations. Sometimes they would say “sha-yits,’ whatever that is. I know the last time I was in court before this time (during Abacha regime), I was asked in court, “Are you not the leader of “Shi’ites?” And I asked, “What is “Shi’ites”? Is it tea or coffee?” And then some newspapers wrote: “El-Zakzaky denies Shi’ites, he says he is not a Shi’ite!” So, I don’t know what “Shiites’ are.
But they continue to call us “Shi’ites” up till the time they attacked us in 2015.
Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) (In his Speech on the 6th Year Anniversary of the Zaria Massacre. From his Abuja residence, 14/12/2021).
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Shaikh Zakzaky