In a solemn gathering at the Jannatu Darur Rahma cemetery in Dembo, Zaria, the Islamic movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, marked the 11th anniversary of the 2014 Quds Day killings. The remembrance, held on Friday, honoured the memory of 34 members who were shot and killed by Nigerian soldiers during a peaceful procession in support of Palestine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commemoration was characterised by emotional tributes, prayers, Qur\u2019anic recitations, and renewed calls for justice. The movement reiterated its continued solidarity with the people of Palestine, describing its stance as unchanging and deeply rooted in its values and mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to journalists, Sayyid Badamasi Yaqoub, a close associate of Sheikh Zakzaky, highlighted the ongoing struggle for justice, describing it as a path long trodden by prophets and those who champion truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis path is not new, and it does not change,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is the path of calling people to the religion of Allah\u2014a path that comes with risks, including death. Those who believe and stand against oppression often attract the hostility of those in power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sayyid Yaqoub emphasised that the victims of the 2014 massacre were killed not for any crime, but simply for proclaiming, \u2018Our Lord is Allah\u2019, and for refusing to bow to injustice. He stressed that the movement would continue its resistance against oppression and that the memory of the fallen would never fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese martyrs died for the cause of Quds,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is happening in Gaza today is a tragedy the world must confront. Gaza is surrounded by Muslim-majority countries, yet those nations have blocked aid and turned a blind eye to the suffering. Israel was created on Muslim land, and countries like Egypt and Jordan continue to restrict humanitarian access. People are starving to death\u2014and these regimes are complicit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added passionately: \u201cWe stand with the people of Gaza, and by Allah, if given the chance, we would go and defend them, even with our own blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malam Ibrahim Abubakar, one of the event organisers, noted that the movement commemorates the Zaria killings every year on July 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn this day in 2014, 34 people were killed and over 80 injured\u2014some severely\u2014by soldiers during the Quds Day procession,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery year, we come here to remember them through prayer, Qur\u2019anic recitation, and reflection. It is our duty to honour their sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that those who speak out for truth and justice should expect challenges, but must remain steadfast, especially in standing with the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maryam Dalhatu, who lost relatives in the 2014 attack, said she was grateful for the continued remembrance but still mourns their loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy message to the oppressors is simple: the path of violence and the killing of innocents leads nowhere. Their actions will only bring them ruin, in this life and the next,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alkasim Muhammad Gyallesu, one of the survivors of the massacre, recalled being shot by soldiers while participating peacefully in the procession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were unarmed,\u201d he said. \u201cAll we did was express solidarity with Palestine and denounce injustice. I still live with the physical pain from the bullets fired that day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ceremony began with prayers and Qur\u2019anic recitation, followed by a symbolic parade and speeches from scholars and community members. As the day concluded, the Islamic movement reaffirmed its enduring commitment to justice and to the Palestinian cause, vowing that the memory of the Zaria martyrs would never be forgotten.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a solemn gathering at the Jannatu Darur Rahma cemetery in Dembo, Zaria, the Islamic movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, marked the 11th anniversary of the 2014 Quds Day killings. The remembrance, held on Friday, honoured the memory of 34 members who were shot and killed by Nigerian soldiers during a peaceful procession in support of Palestine. The commemoration was characterised by emotional tributes, prayers, Qur\u2019anic recitations, and renewed calls for justice. The movement reiterated its continued solidarity with the people of Palestine, describing its stance as unchanging and deeply rooted in its values and mission. Speaking to journalists, Sayyid Badamasi Yaqoub, a close associate of Sheikh Zakzaky, highlighted the ongoing struggle for justice, describing it as a path long trodden by prophets and those who champion truth. \u201cThis path is not new, and it does not change,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is the path of calling people to the religion of Allah\u2014a path that comes with risks, including death. Those who believe and stand against oppression often attract the hostility of those in power.\u201d Sayyid Yaqoub emphasised that the victims of the 2014 massacre were killed not for any crime, but simply for proclaiming, \u2018Our Lord is Allah\u2019, and for refusing to bow to injustice. He stressed that the movement would continue its resistance against oppression and that the memory of the fallen would never fade. \u201cThese martyrs died for the cause of Quds,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat is happening in Gaza today is a tragedy the world must confront. Gaza is surrounded by Muslim-majority countries, yet those nations have blocked aid and turned a blind eye to the suffering. Israel was created on Muslim land, and countries like Egypt and Jordan continue to restrict humanitarian access. People are starving to death\u2014and these regimes are complicit.\u201d He added passionately: \u201cWe stand with the people of Gaza, and by Allah, if given the chance, we would go and defend them, even with our own blood.\u201d Malam Ibrahim Abubakar, one of the event organisers, noted that the movement commemorates the Zaria killings every year on July 25. \u201cOn this day in 2014, 34 people were killed and over 80 injured\u2014some severely\u2014by soldiers during the Quds Day procession,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery year, we come here to remember them through prayer, Qur\u2019anic recitation, and reflection. It is our duty to honour their sacrifice.\u201d He added that those who speak out for truth and justice should expect challenges, but must remain steadfast, especially in standing with the Palestinian cause. Maryam Dalhatu, who lost relatives in the 2014 attack, said she was grateful for the continued remembrance but still mourns their loss. \u201cMy message to the oppressors is simple: the path of violence and the killing of innocents leads nowhere. Their actions will only bring them ruin, in this life and the next,\u201d she said. Alkasim Muhammad Gyallesu, one of the survivors of the massacre, recalled being shot by soldiers while participating peacefully in the procession. \u201cWe were unarmed,\u201d he said. \u201cAll we did was express solidarity with Palestine and denounce injustice. I still live with the physical pain from the bullets fired that day.\u201d The ceremony began with prayers and Qur\u2019anic recitation, followed by a symbolic parade and speeches from scholars and community members. As the day concluded, the Islamic movement reaffirmed its enduring commitment to justice and to the Palestinian cause, vowing that the memory of the Zaria martyrs would never be forgotten.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26186"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26189,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26186\/revisions\/26189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fctnewsgazette.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}