A massive rally took place in Lagos yesterday, organized by the Conference of Islamic Organizations (CIO), where various Muslim groups, civil society organizations, students, and Islamic scholars from across the country gathered to demand justice for Palestine and an end to the continuous Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Among the attendees was Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria representative Auwal Musa Rafsanjani. Demonstrators carried signs with messages such as “Nigeria Unites for Palestine,” “Stop Killing Innocent Women and Children,” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Would be Free.”
The rally, known as the “50,000 Man Match,” called on the Nigerian government to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel until a two-state resolution is achieved.
Prof Isa Maishanu, an adviser to the vice chancellor of Afro-Asian University, Somalia, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Usman Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, read a 14-point resolution on behalf of Nigerian Muslims.
The resolution demanded that the international community, led by the United Nations, intervene to stop Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and other parts of Palestine.
The group criticized the United States and the European Union for their support of Israel and stated that Hamas is not a terrorist organization but an elected representative of the Palestinian people engaged in armed resistance against an occupying force.
The general secretary of CIO, Lukman Balogun, emphasized that supporting the oppressed, especially when they are fellow Muslims, is a religious duty.
