Islamic Movement rejects ‘Christian genocide’ claims, says western propaganda aiming to divide Nigerians

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of Ibraheem Zakzaky, has rejected US President Donald Trump’s allegations that the Nigerian government is supporting “genocide against Christians”.

In a statement on Saturday, Abdullahi Danladi of the movement’s resource forum, described the allegations as false, inflammatory, and dangerous.

He said the organisation “has always stood firmly for peaceful coexistence, justice, and unity among all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or political leaning”.

He emphasised that Islam and Christianity share far more in common in their moral teachings than political actors often acknowledge.

Danladi argued that Nigeria’s crisis is “moral and political, not religious”, pointing to corruption, greed, and elite manipulation as the true causes of insecurity.

Quoting Zakzaky, he said, “The poor Christian and the poor Muslim have no conflict; their common enemy is the unjust system that enslaves them both.”

The movement criticised Trump’s suggestion that “radical Islamists” are committing mass killings of Christians and warned that such narratives serve Western propaganda interests aiming to divide Nigerians and justify foreign interference.

Danladi said both Muslims and Christians have suffered equally from terrorism, banditry, and attacks, stressing that these tragedies are the result of a failed political order, not an Islamic war against Christians.

He also condemned “hypocrisy” among Western politicians who have historically supported conflicts in Muslim countries while now claiming concern for Christians in Nigeria.

Danladi warned that labeling Nigerian Muslims as “radical Islamists” endangers interfaith relations, adding that the movement has consistently promoted dialogue and solidarity, with members visiting churches and hosting Christian leaders in gestures of goodwill.

He urged Nigerians to reject divisive foreign narratives, focus on shared faith and confront the real enemy: corruption and injustice.

“The real war is not between Christians and Muslims; it is between truth and falsehood, justice and corruption, sincerity and deceit,” he said.

The movement reaffirmed its commitment to peace, justice, and national unity, calling on citizens to resist manipulation and stand united.