Hawzah News Agency- The conference brought together a broad spectrum of scholars, intellectuals, resistance activists, international figures, and a large number of students and researchers from the Qom Seminary. Speakers and participants from Iran, Nigeria, Iraq, and several African countries addressed the gathering, offering analyses that underscored the deep-rooted connection between resistance movements in Gaza, Palestine, Nigeria, and other justice-seeking fronts across the Muslim world.
Organizers stated that the primary objective of the conference was to commemorate the martyrs of Zaria and to shed light on the lesser-known dimensions of the crimes committed by the Nigerian army in December 2015 against the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, led by prominent cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky. During that operation, hundreds of Shiites—including members of Sheikh Zakzaky’s family—were killed, while many others were injured, detained, or forcibly disappeared.
Participants drew parallels between the Zaria massacre and the ongoing Israeli siege and military aggression against the Gaza Strip. Speakers stressed that the persistence of oppression against Muslim communities in different regions highlights the urgent need for unity, coordination, and solidarity among resistance movements and freedom-seeking nations.
Addressing the conference, several scholars emphasized that the suffering of Palestinians under occupation and siege, alongside the persecution of Shiites in Nigeria, reflects a broader pattern of systematic injustice that is often ignored or distorted by dominant Western media narratives. They noted that confronting this information blackout requires a coordinated intellectual and media response from scholars, institutions, and independent outlets.
The conference focused on several key themes, including:
- A legal and humanitarian analysis of the Zaria massacre and the necessity of sustained international legal and human rights follow-up.
- The intellectual and ideological role of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky in shaping and inspiring the wave of Islamic resistance and political awareness in Africa.
- An overview of the latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank, highlighting the importance of unified support from the Islamic Ummah for the Palestinian cause.
- An examination of the links between global resistance movements and the revival of Islamic identity and consciousness in different societies.
- The responsibility of scholars, intellectuals, and media professionals to provide accurate, ethical, and comprehensive narration of these crimes and acts of oppression.
- The mission of Islamic seminaries in what was described as the “jihad of explanation,” aimed at countering disinformation and historical erasure.
In their concluding statements, speakers underscored the pivotal role of Islamic seminaries and academic institutions in articulating the realities of the events in Palestine and Nigeria. They called for the establishment of an effective and coordinated media front capable of challenging Western censorship and amplifying the voices of oppressed Muslim communities worldwide.
The conference concluded with renewed calls for solidarity, awareness-raising, and sustained action to ensure that the sacrifices of the martyrs of Gaza and Zaria are neither forgotten nor misrepresented, and that accountability for these crimes remains firmly on the international agenda.
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