Palestine statehood: Nigeria’s abstention contradictory, distasteful –Muslim Rights Concern
Nigeria’s
last Tuesday’s abstention from voting for a Palestinian Statehood is
cowardly, distasteful and contradicts the nation’s long held
anti-apartheid stance, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has said.
MURIC
Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, said Thursday in a statement that
Nigeria has no basis supporting Israel this time around, having been
known for its principled stand on international issues including playing
leading roles against the apartheid regime of South Africa, Rhodesia,
Zimbabwe and Angola until it collapsed has also been the promotion of
fundamental human rights on the international scene.
The
request to officially recognize Palestine as a state within the 1967
borders with full UN member benefits and state status throughout the
international community was presented by Jordan on 30th December, 2014.
Whereas Argentina, Chad, Chile, Jordan, Luxembourg, China, France and
Russia (8 justice seeking countries) voted ‘Yes’ to a Palestinian state,
only Australia and the United States voted ‘No’ while Nigeria joined
Lithuania, South Korea, Rwanda and Britain in the abstention camp.
“The
MURIC is astounded by this conservative shift in Nigeria’s foreign
policy. It is on record that Nigeria has always been in the forefront of
Africa’s struggle for freedom, justice and equal rights. The latest
support for Zionist Israel which is notorious for killing unarmed
civilians, women and children is therefore most baffling,
uncharacteristically cowardly, highly reprehensible, long in impunity
but short in principle.
“In
retrospect, we are constrained to liken Nigeria’s decision to pitch
tent with Israel to President Jonathan’s consistent disgust for Islamic
norms and values, his unveiled desire to marginalize Muslims in the
scheme of things and his unhidden mien for the debilitation of Muslims
both locally and internationally,” Akintola said.
He
listed the recent removal of Arabic Ajami from the newly introduced
N100 note among others as symphonises the President’s lack of regard for
Islamic norms and values.
He
therefore urged Muslims in the leadership cadre of the Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) to call the President to order, adding that
Nigeria is a multi-religious country and that to ensure enduring peace,
whoever assumes the mantle of power must be ready to treat both
Christians and Muslims equally and fairly.
He
also urged the international community to observe the trend in
President Jonathan’s administration, particularly the way and manner he
has sidelined Muslims and adopted far-reaching anti-Muslim policies.
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