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Quds Day (Persian: روز قدس rūz-e quds), officially in Iran known as International al-Quds Day (روز جهانی قدس), is an annual event on the last Friday of Ramadan, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and opposing Zionism as well as Israel's control of Jerusalem. Across several countries, Muslims protest the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. Participation in Quds Day rallies is focused in non-Arab Iran, where Ayatollah Khomeini first introduced the event. The Iranian government sponsors and organizes the day's parades within Iran. In recent years, only a marginal proportion of young Iranians have attended.

History

The annual anti-Zionist day of protest was conceived originally by the leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In August 1979, the year of the Revolution, he stated:

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. 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, and which, in the south of Lebanon in particular, is continually bombing Palestinian homes in the hope of crushing the Palestinian struggle. I ask all the Muslims of the world and the Muslim governments to join together to sever the hand of this usurper and its supporters. I call on all the Muslims of the world to select as Al-Quds Day the last Friday in the holy month of Ramadan - which is itself a determining period and can also be the determiner of the Palestinian people’s fate - and through a ceremony demonstrating the solidarity of Muslims world-wide, announce their support for the legitimate rights of the Muslim people. I ask God Almighty for the victory of the Muslims over the infidels.

— Ayatollah Khomeini

In solidarity with the Palestinians, Khomeini declared the liberation of Jerusalem a religious duty to all Muslims.

In addition to protests in Iran, the day is also marked throughout Muslim and Arab countries. There is a focus on countries with significant Shi'a populations, particularly Lebanon where Hezbollah directs Quds Day events. Protests are also held in Iraq, the Palestinian Gaza Strip, and Syria. Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine endorse Quds Day, and hold ceremonies. Outside of the Middle East and the wider Arab World, Quds Day protests have taken place in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Sweden, France, the United States, and some predominantly Muslim countries in east Asia.

Quds Day events in Iran

In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government. Events include mass marches and rallies. Senior Iranian leaders give fiery speeches condemning Israel (which they often refer to as "the regime occupying Jerusalem"), as well as the U.S. government. The crowds respond with chants of "Death to Israel", and "Death to America". Many Iranians under the age of 30 continue to participate in Quds Day events; however, recent rallies have not shown a proportionate percentage of participation by young Iranians, with many Iranian students saying that the Arab-Israeli conflict has "nothing to do with us."

2005 Quds Day

Over one million people, with over 100,000 in each of Iran's eight largest cities, marched in the 2005 Quds Day protests in Tehran and other cities across Iran. Then newly elected President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for the destruction of Israel before a crowd of over 200,000 in Tehran.

Protests were staged throughout the Middle East and the wider Arab World, with over 30,000 Bahrainis marching in Manama, and 6,000 Hezbollah guerrillas marching in Beirut.

2007 Quds Day

The 2007 Quds Day protest saw millions of Iranians march in support of the Palestinians. During the rallies in Tehran, President Ahmadinejad said that the "creation, continued existence and unlimited (Western) support for this regime is an insult to human dignity." The protests also featured signs denouncing the U.S government for its support of Israel.

Over 3,000 people marched in Damascus carrying Palestinian flags. Hezbollah organized marches in the city's Yarmouk refugee camp.

2009 Quds Day

Supporters of Iranian opposition groups used the 2009 Quds Day to stage protests against President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian government in response to the disputed 2009 Iranian presidential election. Estimates put the opposition protest in the tens of thousands, with participants shouting slogans in support of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the candidate who received the most votes in the presidential elections. Rejecting the government's support of Palestinian militancy, opposition protesters chanted, "No to Gaza and Lebanon, I will give my life for Iran.” There were reports of similar protests in Isfahan, Tabriz, Yazd and Shiraz.

Iranian state TV played down the unrest, and state-funded Press TV reported that millions of Iranians marched for the Palestinian cause in Iran and different countries throughout the Middle East and the world. Independent sources estimated "tens of thousands" to over 100,000 in Tehran, many of them bused in by the regime. At least ten anti-government protesters were arrested during the demonstrations. An angry crowd of Ahmadinejad supporters attacked Mousavi's car while shouting "Death to the hypocrite Mousavi." In other cities Basiji militiamen attacked protesters.

As he has done on previous such occasions, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied the Holocaust, once more provoking intense criticism and condemnation from Western governments in particular. He stated, "The pretext (Holocaust) for the creation of the Zionist regime (Israel) is false ... It is a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim." His statements drew immediate condemnation from the governments of the United States, Russia, and the European Union.

2010 Quds Day

At the 2010 Quds Day rally in Tehran, Iranian President Ahmadinejad again predicted the demise of Israel, stating, "If the leaders of the region do not have the guts, then the people of the region are capable of removing the Zionist regime from the world scene." He dismissed any Israeli military threat to Iran's nuclear program, declaring, "The Zionist regime is nothing and even its (Western) masters are too small to conduct any kind of aggression against Iran and the rights of the Iranian people." Ahmadinejad also proclaimed new peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians as "stillborn and doomed." The tens of thousands of Iranians participating in the rallies continued the regular chants of "Death to America! Death to Israel!" The day before the rallies, Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted, "Israel Is A Hideous Entity In the Middle East Which Will Undoubtedly Be Annihilated."

In Quetta, Pakistan, a suicide bomber attacked Pakistani Shias holding a Quds Day rally . The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack which killed at least 65 people and wounded 160. Two days earlier, on September 1, the Pakistani Taliban had targeted a Shia procession in Lahore, killing 35 in a series of three suicide bombings.

See also

• Anti-Zionism
• Iran-Israel relations
• Jumu'ah-tul-Wida, also on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan

Notes

1. Rafsanjani invited Iranian people to attend the Quds day, BBC Persian
2. Sokolski, Henry D. (2007). Gauging U.S.-Indian strategic cooperation. Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. p. 166. ISBN 9781584872849. {{cite book}}: Text "Many Muslims commemorate Al Quds Day by protesting against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem where the Al Quds mosque is located" ignored (help)
3. "Iran warns West on al-Quds day". Al-Jazeera. 26 Sep 2008. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied in cities across the country to protest against Israel's occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem.
4. Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 154. ISBN 0230607829, 9780230607828. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
5. ^ Iranians rally on 'al-Quds Day', aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )
6. ^ Iran eyewitness: protest videos, BBC, ( September 18, 2009)
7. ^ Iran in crisis?: nuclear ambitions and the American response, Howard, Roger. Zed Books (2004). ISBN 978-1-84277-475-5. p. 49.
8. Imam Khomeini’s message announcing Quds Day, dated 7 August 1979 (16 Murdad 1358 AHS). Sahifa-y Nur, Vol. 8, p. 229.
9. Khan, M.A. Muqtedar (2004). Jihad for Jerusalem: identity and strategy in international relations. Google Books. p. 157. Retrieved 19 September 2009. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
10. Friedland, Roger (1996). To Rule Jerusalem. Google Books. p. 370. Retrieved 19 September 2009. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
11. ^ "Jerusalem Day". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
12. ^ Iranians Rally Against Israel, U.S., AP, October 29, 2005
13. ^ Millions of Iranians Attend Anti-Israel Rallies Called 'Al-Quds Day', AP, October 05, 2007
14. Tens of thousands march in opposition protests, Sep. 19, 2009
15. ^ WORTH, ROBERT F. (2009-09-19). "Despite Warning, Thousands Rally in Iran". The New York Times. pp. A1. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
16. ^ Chick, Kristen (2009.09.19). "New protests surge in Iran as Ahmadinejad denies Holocaust again". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2009-09-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. ^ "Protests in Iran". Retrieved Sept 18, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
18. "Millions march in Al-Quds day 2009". Retrieved Sept 18, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
19. "Reformist leaders attacked as thousands march in fresh Iran protests". The Associated Press and Reuters. Haaretz. 19/09/2009. Retrieved 2009-09-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
20. "Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a lie, Israel has no future". Reuters. 18 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
21. Torfeh, Massoumeh (21 September 2009). "Ahmadinejad's isolationism". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
22. "EU condemns Ahmadinejad's comments on Holocaust". Hindustan Times. 21 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
23. Jay Deshmukh (3 September 2010). "Ahmadinejad says Mideast peace talks 'doomed'". AFP. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
24. Andrew Swift (2 September 2010). "What a twit". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
25. "Pakistan suicide bombing kills 59, injures 160, police say". CNN. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.

External links

• Official International Quds Day in Hamasna web site
• Ayotollah Khomeini's pronouncements on al-Quds
• Jihad and jingoism on Iran's streets Guardian Unlimited on Quds Day demonstrations
• Iranian protesters in the 2009 Quds day, shouting slogans against the Iranian government

• Moveable holidays (2014 date missing)
• Anti-Zionism
• Foreign relations of Iran
• Iran–Israel relations
• Palestinian politics
• Jerusalem