The International Quds Day is honored every year not only in Muslim countries, but in the whole world, to renew the bonds with the oppressed people of Palestine against oppression.
First proposed by Iran, the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is named the International Quds Day, an annual pro-Palestinian event to express support for Palestinians and oppose the occupation of Palestine by Israel. The event was initiated in 1979 in Iran, shortly after the Islamic Revolution headed by Iran’s then-leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.
Asserting that the “liberation” of Jerusalem was a religious duty to all Muslims, Ayatollah Khomeini said on August 7, 1979 that “for many years, I have been notifying the Muslims of the danger posed by the usurper Israel which today has intensified its savage attacks against the Palestinian brothers and sisters. Therefore, I invite Muslims all over the globe to consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day and to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people of Palestine.” In other words, Imam Khomeini stated several tomes from the beginning of Iran’s revolution that one of his goals was the liberation of Palestine from occupation of Israel.
Quds Day is also held in several other countries, mainly in the Arab world and broader Muslim world, with protests against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Rallies are held in various countries by both Muslim and non-Muslim communities around the world.
But the philosophy of Quds Day is beyond supporting Palestine. It is in fact a day of showing borderless sympathy towards all the oppressed people in the world and a day to call for justice for all humans who are subject to violations of human rights. In other words, Quds Day sympathizes with Palestinians as well as other oppressed regardless of all odds.
Iran’s support for Palestine, a prototype for Arab countries
Although it is expected that Arab countries stand for Palestine and offer full support for their Arab brothers and sisters in the occupied lands of their neighboring, Iran has been one of the biggest teachers on how to do so.
Iran has always been backing Palestine on many fronts, but maybe the most clear example of this unique support is seen on the International Quds Day when millions of Iranians I every city across the country take to the streets of Iran every year to show their unbreakable solidarity with Palestinians.
This is what Palestinian authorities has also acknowledged several times that the Islamic Republic is way more active in standing for the violated rights of Palestinians than many Arab countries in the region.
Speaking to Aljazeera last year in April, Mohammad Al-Buraim (Abu Mujahid), the director of the Resistance Committees’ Media office in Palestine said that Arab countries should learn from Iran how to support the Palestinian people against Israel’s occupations and crimes. “We express our gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its continuous support to the Palestinian people and Resistance to reach its current status in fight against the occupiers. This is the kind of support that Arab countries are expected to show and they should learn it from Iran.” Al-Buraim noted.
Asserting that resistance is the best way to put an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands, Al-Buraim called on the Arab world to explicitly enter into political action against “the open crimes that the Zionist regime commits against the people of Palestine”.
