Former Minister of Culture, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has called on Muslims and Christians to unite in order to end persecution on religious and ethnic grounds in the country.
He said this in the aftermath of a violent clash between the police and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria popularly known as Shiites, who were demanding the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
The clash took place in the Maitama area of Abuja on Monday.
El-Zakzaky has been in detention since December 2015, when a clash in Zaria, Kaduna between members of the group and soldiers left hundreds of the group’s members dead.
The Army had accused the group of attempting to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.
Fani-Kayode said that while Christians like him have been defending the rights of Muslims against persecution on the grounds of religion, the same could not be said of most Muslim religious and opinion leaders.
The former Aviation said this in a series of tweets on his verified Twitter page on Tuesday morning.
He said, “Someone said Nigerian Christians must stand up for the Shiite Muslims and condemn their persecution by Buhari. I agree because it is wrong for any govt. to persecute ANY group of people on religious or ethnic grounds. I am however constrained to ask the following question…1/2
“…How many times have the Shiites CONDEMNED the killing of Christians by Muslims in Nigeria or the persecution of Christians by Buhari? I have spoken up for Sheik El Zak Zaky and the Shiites more than most but support must be reciprocal.They must speak up for Christians too!”