For IMN, the model appears to be the aspirations of the post-revolutionary Iranian Islamic state. Boko Haram’s vision appears more nebulous and less developed, but both try to function as a state-within-state.”“For the records, we and Boko Haram are clearly poles apart. As Sheikh Zakzaky himself repeatedly pointed out, Boko Haram is the creation of the oil-hungry West, a claim, Ambassador Campbell erroneously said is implausible. However, it is on record that the equally dreaded ISIS organisation wreaking havoc in the Middle East, to which Boko Haram gives its allegiance, is the creation of the United States.”The spokesman argued: “Boko Haram simply sprang up, hitherto unknown to anybody as to its teachings, schools and media and started terrorising people. On the contrary, the Islamic Movement is a mass movement and its leader, Sheikh Zakzaky, has been calling for inter and intra-faith unity, tolerance and peace for decades.

Source: The Guardian May 14, 2018 03:56 UTC