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The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, what do we know about it?

This photo taken on August 11, 2016 in the northern Nigerian city of Kano shows members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) marching to press for the release of their leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky. (Photo by AFP)

Led by respected cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) is the most prominent Muslim movement in the African country. The movement is based in the north of the country and carries out most of its religious activities at its headquarters, Husainiyya Baqiyatullah, located in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State. The movement runs a number of other charities, educational and medical institutions, offering services to Muslims and others in northern Nigeria.

The IMN was established in 1984 and through the years, the movement has attracted many to its teachings of the Holy Quran and Islamic seminaries. The movement has stressed the liberation of Palestine as one of its key stances, drawing many to the cause.

Although the movement has reaffirmed its commitments to peaceful activities within the Nigerian law and constitution, the IMN leaders and members have faced harassment over the years, with some inside the government accusing the group of committing acts of lawlessness.

The crackdown on the movement reached a boiling point in December 2015, when Nigerian troops carried out raids on IMN’s religious gatherings and processions in Zaria. Zakzaky and hundreds of his followers were arrested during the deadly raids. Later investigations by rights groups revealed that at least 350 IMN members had been killed in the violence.

The IMN says elements in the country’s military, who have documented links to radical Wahhabi preachers in countries like Saudi Arabia, have been behind the crackdown on the group.

Nigeria is a religiously divided country. It is mostly inhibited by Christians in the south and Muslims in the north. Most of the Muslims in Nigeria are Sunnis and a tiny portion of them are believed to have a radical interpretation of Islam, making them inclined to Takfiri ideologies promoted mainly in the Middle East region.

A Takfiri group called Boko Haram has waged more than seven years of insurgency in northern Nigeria and neighboring countries, killing thousands.

Muslims have staged numerous demonstrations in Nigeria since December 2015, calling on the government to release Sheikh Zakzaky, their spiritual leader, and his supporters. Rights groups and governments have also criticized Nigeria’s treatment of Muslims and their leaders, calling for an end to the cleric’s detention.

A court in Abuja ruled late last year that the continued detention of IMN members, including Sheikh Zakzaky, was unlawful and against Nigeria’s constitution. The court imposed a 45-day deadline for the freedom of the cleric and his followers. The deadline is supposed to end on January 16, 2017.


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