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The Sultan of Sokoto-led group, Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has blamed the “complicity and diabolical” role being played by the Western world and the failure of the United Nations and the Arab League on the protracted bloody war between Israel and Palestine.
JNI is under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, the spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria.
The JNI, which said this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Secretary General, Prof. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said before Saturday’s Hamas' surprise attacks on Israel, over 300 “defenceless” Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank since January this year.
Aliyu said, “This clearly debunks any futile attempts by the Israeli backers, especially the United States of America, to justify the bloodletting in the besieged Gaza Strip,” adding, “The ongoing attempt by the Western Leaders and their acolytes to change the true narratives through their highly biased media is rather unfortunate and a crime against humankind.”
Aliyu, who gave a narrative of the origin and cause of the Israeli-Palestinian war, lamented the Israeli attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque which, according to him, is the third sanctified site after Makkah and Madinah.
According to him, Qur'an 17, verse 1 explains more on the relevance of the mosque to the Muslims.
He stated, “We firmly believe in the universal principle that truth always triumphs over falsehood, no matter how long it takes. And in order to put a stop to the ongoing pogrom, the protracted conflict in the Gaza Strip must come to an end for the sake of human global peace.”
Aliyu explained that Gaza, a small territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, which has become a focal point of the conflict, came under Egyptian administration after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and was occupied by Israel during the 1967 six-day war.
He said, “The roots of the conflict could be traced to the infamous Balfour declaration and the Sykes-Picot agreement in the late 19th century, which paved the way for the establishment of a racist Jewish state and mass expulsion of Arab Palestinians, which reached its climax after the end of the Second World War and the declaration of the state of Israel in 1947.
“Freedom lovers and justice-seeking people of the world should know that a census conducted in 1916 in Palestine shows that the Jews were about 90,000, while the Palestinians were almost 700,000.
“But as a result of the partition of Palestine in 1948 by the United Nations (UN), tens of thousands of Palestinians were expelled and replaced by illegal Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Unions and other eastern European countries.
“Successive Arab-Israeli wars from 1948, 1967 and 1973 had not helped in the liberation of the occupied territories only rather it unfortunately exacerbated the sufferings of the Palestinians and continuous land grabbing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“Various international efforts, including peace talks and ceasefires, have been attempted but a lasting resolution has remained elusive to the world. The conflict has continued unabated, fundamentally because of the failure of the international community especially the UN and the Arab League.
“Equally, the attempts no doubt point to complicity and diabolical role being played by the western world, in the ongoing conflict. Posterity will nevertheless account for the misdemeanor done to humanity, no matter how long it takes.
“Before the recent Hamas's surprise attacks on occupation forces, over three hundred defenceless Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since January 2023. This clearly debunks any futile attempts by the Israeli backers, especially the United States of America, to justify the bloodletting in the besieged Gaza Strip.”
The statement further noted that international mediators including the US, UN, the European Union and Arab states, can play a facilitating role - with utmost sincerity in the peace process.
Aliyu lamented that as a result of the war, Gaza is currently faced with severe humanitarian challenges “as a result of more than one and a half decades of suffocating blockade imposed by the Zionist's occupiers of Palestine and their ally- Egypt which has equally maintained stricter inhumane restriction of the flow of goods and people”.
JNI said, “Therefore, for the sake of humanity, JNI joins other global voices of reason to call for an immediate ceasefire in the region to create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue and peaceful resolution.
“The continuous violence and loss of innocent lives serves only to escalate tensions and deepen the sufferings of the people. In this regard, the United States of America (US) as the most active role player in the Israel-Palestine conflict is called upon to exercise restraint, have a rethink on its unconditional support for the continued occupation of the Palestinian lands.
“The US should wake up from its slumber and recognize the reality of the unfolding multi-polar order and potential escalation of the ongoing conflict, to not only a regional conflict but a global war.
“The world should know that this is not a war between Jewish and Muslims but a conflict between an oppressor and the oppressed. Palestinian people consist of both Muslims and Christians, and they deserve the sympathy of all people who truly believes in the sanctity of human life and dignity.
“Furthermore, we implore the Ultra Right Wing Israeli government to respect the numerous resolutions put forth by the international community, which seek to end this crisis and establish a just and lasting peace.
“Particularly that a two-state solution for both conflict entities have been on the peace table and adherence to these resolutions is a crucial step towards the resolution of this long-standing conflict. Both parties must be willing to engage in meaningful dialogue (with no strings attached).”