Nigerian rights groups express solidarity with Palestine

By Abu ‘Adnan

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria's human rights organizations and Islamic bodies have called on the UN to go beyond condemnations and take all the necessary steps to stop Israel from its continued illegal occupation and forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes.

The coalition, led by Khadijah Olaniyan, Nigeria's representative at the International Muslim Women Union (IWMU), also urged the UN to protect civilians, especially innocent children from future Israeli aggression.

Representatives from the coalition gathered at the Lagos State Secretariat Mosque on Monday where they reviewed the aftermath of Israel's 11-day offensive in Gaza and the West Bank, which claimed the lives of 279 Palestinians, including 66 children.

"[Israel] is really out to wipe out Palestine," said Olaiyan, adding that the powers that be have silently watched Israel maim, kill, and commit war crimes.

Lakin Akintola, the director of Muslim Rights Concern in Nigeria, condemned the attacks on innocent civilians and called on the UN and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold the US responsible for the crimes against humanity.

"We'll continue to hold the US government responsible until it stops Israeli aggression because we know the answers to the Palestine-Israel crisis, lies squarely with America," he added.

He said: "Israel is the greatest apartheid country in existence today. The South Africans who segregated blacks from the rest of the community and who compared blacks to dogs have been vanquished. Apartheid has fallen in South Africa.

"But we are surprised that around the same time that South Africa's apartheid fell, Israeli aggression, segregation, marginalization, discrimination against the Palestinians who own the land just started, with more vicious wickedness."

He noted that many Americans with "good conscience" have demonstrated against the Israelis and the US government.

He also corrected the wrong impression among Nigerians that the Palestine-Israel crisis is a religious issue.

"It isn't religion. This is clearly ethnic cleansing. There are Christians in Palestine, with 27% population, and yet, the world is keeping quiet against the right of this minority, as they, alongside Palestinian Muslim population were strangulated by Israel for 11 days," he concluded.