The interim leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, otherwise known as Shiites, Malam Yakubu Yahaya, on Saturday, said the movement was ready for dialogue with the Federal Government without conditions.
He said this in Katsina at a press conference in place of the usual symbolic procession to mark the Arba’een (40th) day of the murder of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad who was killed on the 10th of Muharam.
He said the movement understood the government despite the fact that the government had failed to understand it (the movement).
The IMN Interim Leader said, “Our doors are open for dialogue with the government and whoever wants to dialogue with us. Our doors are open anytime, without condition for dialogue. Because we understand the government, it is the government that doesn’t understand us. If they seek our hands of friendship, we are ever ready.
“We are peace-loving people. And we have no country other than Nigeria, so we won’t allow anybody to use us to destabilise the peace of the country.
“We are not fighting the government because we understand them but it is the government who is fighting and attacking us because they don’t understand our religion.
“Our religion permits us to rally during the observation of our various occasional events so if they agree that we have a religion they should allow us to practice our religion the way we understand it. If there is a law or verse from the Holy Book that prohibits our activities they should prove it to us.”
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