Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso
By Ibrahim Shuaibu
Thousands of Muslim Shiite followers on Saturday marched on the streets of Kano to protest the anti-Islam film posted YouTube.
The marcher’s gathered at the Fagge Juma’at Mosque under tight security provided for them by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and combined team of policemen and plain clothes operatives to ensure a hitch free protest.
Leader of the Shiites in Kano, Malam Muhammad Turi led the marching protesters from the Fagge Mosque, through Ibrahim Taiwo Road to the Emir of Kano’s palace where speeches were delivered with burning of American and Israeli flags.
Some of the marchers carried placards bearing such inscriptions as: ‘Death to America, Israel and enemies of Islam’.
Malam Turi told the thousands of protesters that they decided to protest and express their condemnation over the blasphemous film, adding the protest was aimed at calling the attention of the American government and its allies to stop anything that will discredit Islam and its Prophet.
“Nigerian Muslims are not happy with the video because it’s aimed at discrediting Islam. We are calling on the US government and the United Nations to quickly deal with the person responsible for the film, and put end to this blasphemy across the world,” he told the mammoth crowd.
The demonstration, which lasted for some hours, was, however, peaceful, while business activities were partially disrupted in areas where the protesters marched past, as some traders, over fear of escalation of the protest, hurriedly locked their shops.
It was also learnt that the last week there was a heavy security presence in virtually all the strategic locations of the state, with armoured personnel carriers deployed at some government buildings to avoid any attempt of protests by the Muslims over the film.
THISDAY sources revealed that the security allowed the Shiites to conduct the protest despite the security challenges that the state has witnessed in the last nine months after the January 20 multiple bomb blast which killed over 186 people.