nigeria’s Supreme Council for Shari’ah (SCSN) has urged the Federal Government to reassess its ties with Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Council called for a comprehensive review until Israel respects international law and the rights of Palestinians.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria should urgently review its relations with Israel until it respects International Law and the rights of Palestinians,” Sheikh AbdurRasheed Hadiyyatullah, President of the Council, said at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
The umbrella Shari’ah body expressed grave concerns over what it termed as a ‘genocide’ in Palestine, criticizing the international community for its failure to address the root cause of the conflict.
The Council condemned the United States for its ‘unconditional’ support to Israel, which it claimed was facilitating the ongoing crisis.
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Hadiyyatullah stated, “The Zionist State of Israel, the US and its European allies, were the only countries that supported the apartheid regime of South Africa.
“Those countries that supported apartheid in South Africa are the ones supporting apartheid in Palestine.”
The Council’s call for a review of relations comes on the heels of a recent UN General Assembly resolution adopted on December 15, 2022, with 167 votes in favour and six against.
The resolution stressed the necessity of ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and returning to pre-1967 borders.
However, the apex Shari’ah body expressed disappointment over the alleged continued violation of UN resolutions by Israel.
“The United Nations, which could not stop the establishment of the Zionist State of Israel in Palestine, however, guaranteed the right of Palestinians to self-determination and their existence as human beings. It has consistently passed resolutions that have been violated by the Zionist State of Israel,” Hadiyyatullah said.
The Council also denounced the recent bombing of al-Hilal Baptist Christian hospital and the killing of women and children allegedly due to Israeli bombardments on Gaza.
In addition to the reassessment of relations, the SCSN urged the Nigerian government to provide relief materials to the Palestinians.
“On behalf of the teeming Muslims and Christians and people of conscience in Nigeria, we urge the government to provide relief materials to the besieged Palestinians who are in dire need of food, clothing, medicine, and other essentials,” Hadiyyatullah added.
Lastly, the Council called on Nigerian humanitarian organizations and mosques to mobilize assistance for the distressed people of Palestine and urged people of all faiths to offer special prayers for the Palestinians and all oppressed people of the world.
