Nasir Shuaibu 
An Islamic group popularly known as Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shiites), was scheduled to hold its annual Arbaeen Symbolic Trek, yesterday. Arbaeen is a Shiite annual religious practice usually conducted on 20th Safar of the Islamic calendar to mark the 40th day of the murder of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammed who was killed on 10th Muharram. The Bauchi State representative of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Malam Ahmad Yusuf Yashi, while addressing journalists in Bauchi, said that the purpose of the trek was to experience the trial and tribulation faced by the household of the Holy Prophet who was chained and dragged in the scorching desert, barefoot from Karbala in Iraq to Damascus in Syria after the killing of Imam Husain 61 years after Hijra.
“The fortieth day (Arbaeen) commemoration after the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) is commemorated annually by the Islamic movement, following a symbolic trek by millions of people from across the country. “In Nigeria, the Islamic movement under the leadership of Ibraheem Yakub Al-Zakzaky, we use to conduct the trek just to symbolise what happened.
There are about seven axis that the Muslim brotherhood use to gather and conduct this trek, we have the Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Bauchi and Plateau axis.” According to Yashi, six states fall under Bauchi-Jos axis which comprises of Bauchi, Platuea, Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Tarabaand Yobe. “Before 2015, we use to trek from the starting point of this Bauchi and Platuea axis up to Zaria, where we meet the leader.
From there, he gives the closing remarks and people return to their states. In 2015, after the Buhari regime descended on the Islamic movement, especially our leader, killing thousands of people, the government took it upon itself to prevent this trek, particularly in Kaduna State. Since that time, we usually hold press conferences to enlighten the public on the importance of the trek for the benefit of our members and the general public.” “So there is no need for the authorities to descend on us or attack us. This is the essence of calling on the media to enlighten the public that there is no reason to panic. We have the right in the constitution to practice our religion without any fear or intimidation as Muslims,” Yashi added. Yashi, said that the association has informed the security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other members of the public along the axis concerning the trek so that it will be peaceful and safely from fears of any treats.
