A prominent Shia Muslim cleric from Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Tehran on Saturday.
The event was attended by several Iranian officials and academics, as well as the Nigerian Shia leader’s family.
Sheikh Zakzaky spoke about his long history of activism and education in Nigeria, which began in the 1970s. He said he preferred to keep a low profile and avoid fame or popularity. He also expressed his admiration for the late Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, who inspired him to educate Nigerian students about Islam.
He said that the Islamic Revolution in 1979 had a profound impact on the world, especially on Muslims and oppressed people. He said that even people with different ideologies, such as communists, were influenced by the revolution and its message of justice and resistance.
Sheikh Zakzaky, who has been persecuted and imprisoned by the Nigerian authorities for his religious and political views, is currently visiting Iran with his family. He had a meeting with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on Saturday.
