By Yunus, Olawale
In the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine, in which Israel and its supportive nations have been killing thousands of Palestinians, the Muslim groups of Nigeria, under the platform of the Coalition for Global Peace (CGP), have staged their solidarity to call for an immediate ceasefire.
In a press statement released by the groups on Friday, October 13, 2023, titled “Let There Be Justice for the People of Palestine,” the CGP expressed its concerns about the unfortunate war killing innocent Muslim communities in Palestine and the deadly destruction of properties in the region by the Israeli military. It therefore came up with some observations that world governments and authorities should take into consideration.
The Groups said, “Worried by the ongoing escalation of the decades-long crisis between Israel and Palestine, the Coalition for Global Peace organised an emergency stakeholders’ meeting during the week and came up with the Coalition notes with concern for the troubling realities.”
The group said that Israel is the only nation in the world today that openly engages in colonialism and apartheid. It is the product of unbalanced international politics supported by western powers. In defiance of international law, Israel is the only settlement nation that still treats the Palestinians, the original occupants of its occupied territory, in the most inhumane ways. Israel is the only nation in the world that views its neighbours as adversaries due to the unfair character of its establishment. Instead of erecting understanding and friendship-fostering bridges, it constructs psychological and physical obstacles.
CGP said, “Israel is the only country in the world that openly disregards resolutions of the United Nations. Israel’s strongest backer, the United States, continues to show its unsuitability as an impartial arbiter in the Middle East crisis.”
“The current Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, by his oppressive policies towards the hapless people of Palestine, has made the path of peace difficult. The United Nations is gradually becoming a lame-duck global platform that finds it difficult to guarantee global peace and security.”
The groups urged the international communities to take rapid steps to ensure that there is an immediate ceasefire in the regions. They said, “We urge the United Nations to live up to its mandate as the guarantor of global peace and security.
“We call for the investigation of reports of violations of international laws on both sides and bring perpetrators to justice. We urge the United States to review its disposition to the Middle East crisis and prove to the world that it is a fair arbiter.”
The Groups also sought the attention of African nations, especially Nigeria, to sustain their solidarity with the people of Palestine, with whom they share the burdensome experience of colonialism. And appeal to journalists, politicians, religious leaders, social media influencers, and other opinion-formers to verify the sources of their news as a mark of their commitment to global peace.
The statement was approved by the members of the Groups among them the Da’wah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN), the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Women in Da’wah, the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), the Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria (MULAN), the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) and many more.