KANO, Nigeria: Israel's blockage of Gaza city was condemned in a protest staged by hundreds of Shiite Muslims in Kano. The demonstrators urged President Umaru Yar'adua to sever diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.

Speaking during the protest, the representative of Sheik Ibrahim El-zakzaky, Malam Sanusi Abdulkadir, said it is high time the whole world gathered in unison to call Israel to order.

Abdulkadir said Muslims have suffered untold hardship for the period the Israel blocked the routes, lamenting that people all over the world folded their arms without denouncing the inhuman treatments.

"We have rights to make this call because the Federal Government has condemned injustices in South Africa and other parts of the world. So now, it is incumbent upon us, the religious leaders to call on government to do something on this injustice", he said.

He said they can not compel the Israel government to stop the injustice but they can urge Nigerian government to prevail, diplomatically, on the Israel to lower the bar placed on the Gaza routes.

The Shiite leader also said human rights activists should rise against the inhuman treatment meted out to Gaza people by Israel.

He said history has shown that, apart from Gaza case, no any country in the world was ever made prisoner by another country. "We have to show our displeasure to the injustices meted out to the Gaza people", he stated.