The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) on Monday appealed to Muslim youths in the country for exercise restraint over the death of top Iranian military commander, Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.
According to NSCIA, the issue between the USA and Iran can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
” The attention of NSCIA has been drawn to a planned peaceful protest by some Muslim youths in the country to vent their anger over the killing of Iranian top military commander, Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.
” Although protest are integral part of civil democracy all over the world, however NSCIA believes that the timing is wrong,” the council said.
The Mail News reports that Soleimani was killed on Sunday by a US Military airstrike in Baghdad.
The development has generated tensions between Washington and Tehran and in other parts of the world.
A statement issued by its Head of Media and Public Affairs, Aselemi Ibrahim, the NSCIA said : “If CAN is sincere on her claims of religious oppression against Christians in Nigeria, let it produce one such case for which it has challenged in the court of law. On the contrary, Muslims in Nigeria are the ones that have come under untold persecution on account of their faith. That their persecution is not reported by the Christian-dominated media does not reduce the authenticity of this assertion.
“Our biggest worry is that truth and falsehood appear to be losing their distinctiveness. This is because CAN has been peddling a lot of conspiracy theories to America and other foreign countries and they have accepted these lies without regard to the rules of evidence and investigation. The Council views the listing of Nigeria on the watch list of countries with religious rights violations as misinformed and biased, just because a Muslim is the leader of the country. It is now obvious that CAN is working with foreign interests to undermine the unity of the country and stoke the fire of instability.
