Nigerian Shiite Leader Calls For Inspiration From Islamic Revolution

The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria says Africa must draw inspiration from Iran's Islamic Revolution.

Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, currently in Iran, said in a recent meeting with Alireza Araafi, the director of religious seminaries in Iran, that “the Islamic Revolution continues under the leadership of Ali Khamenei.”

During a meeting held in October, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei conveyed to Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky that "The Islamic Movement is expanding in Africa, Europe, and North America," mobilizing the global Shiite population.

Zakzaky, often referred to as Nigeria's Ayatollah, leads the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, a movement inspired by the Iranian Revolution, rejecting the authority of the Nigerian government. He currently faces imprisonment on multiple charges, including murder, culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of public peace, as the government seeks to suppress the revolutionary movement.

Expressing support for Zakzaky's efforts to expand Shiite Islam in Nigeria, where approximately 50 percent of the population is Muslim, primarily Sunni, Khamenei acknowledged Iran's backing of Nigeria's Islamic Movement. The support is evident in recent energy talks, focusing on cooperation to address energy challenges, while also seeking the Nigerian government's collaboration.