Naeem Kandwal
Al-Quds Day is the last Friday of the month of Ramadan on which demonstrations are held accross the world to protest against the occupation of Palestine. The founder of Iranian revolution Imam Khomeini called on Muslims to dedicate this day to demanding the rights of oppressed Muslims around the world – particularly in Palestine. “The tragedy in Palestine is not just a local one; it is a tragedy for the world, because it is an injustice that is a menace to the world’s peace “(Arnold J Toynbee, British Historian). On 14 May 1948, the State of Israel came into being. The creation of Israel was a violent process. Between 1947 and 1949, at least 900,000 Palestinians from a 1.9 million population were made refugees beyond the borders of the state. Zionist forces had taken more than 78 percent of historic Palestine, ethnically. Over the last 72 years, the Zionist regime has committed numerous crimes such as genocide and conspiracy to eliminate one nation and replace them with the Jews who were scattered around the world. The Jewish State was established on the basis of violence, assassination, demolition of houses and farms and the construction of new settlements. It has no historical background or national identity. It does not have the components of a nation. The current situation is very painful. The more than four million Palestinians living in refuge camps. In 1979, Imam Khomeini stated that one of his goals was the liberation of Palestine from its occupant government. “In the name of Allah the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful. 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 worldwide, announce their support for the legitimate rights of the Muslim people. I ask God Almighty for the victory of the Muslims over the infidels”. On al-Quds day, demonstrations are held around the world in over 80 Islamic and non-Islamic countries. Among these are Malaysia, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Turkey, United States of America, Canada, Norway, Azerbaijan, Sudan, England, Bahrain, Bosnia, Tunisia, Pakistan, Australia, Germany, Romania, Kuwait, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Venezuela, Albania, Yemen and Greece. Al-Quds Day is the name of a peaceful struggle against oppression. Imam Khomeini presented this day as a road map for the unity of the Muslim Ummah. It is a source of solidarity not only with the Palestinian Muslims but also with the oppressed Kashmiri Muslims. This unity is a great platform for the Muslim Ummah. Today, Muslims are oppressed in every corner of the globe. The lack of unity is the result of the decline of Muslims. Muslims ruled the world only because of unity. By uniting through the Al-Quds Day platform, the Muslim Ummah can regain its lost status. The Only way to save the Oppressed Kashmiris and Palestinians from oppression is the unity of the Muslim Ummah.
