“The Quds day is the day of vigilance for all Muslim people. They have to commemorate this day. If the Muslims altogether, if all the Muslim nation, demonstrated and marched on the last Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan on Quds Day, then it will be the prelude to stop the corrupted, in God’s will, and forcing them out of the Muslim states… I hope that all Muslims to glorify Quds Day; to set up demonstrations, assemblies, and congregations; to gather in mosques; and to call out with slogans on the last Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan in all the Muslim regions. Quds Day is an Islamic day; it is a day of general mobilization of Muslims”.
This is how Imam Khomeini speaks about the significance and dimensions of reviving the International Day of Quds by the Muslims across the Muslim and non-Muslim parts of the world.
There is no doubt that the International Day of Quds, which coincides with the last Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan every year, involves significant semantics and symbolic and spiritual concepts related to one of the most important issues that holds much concern by the general Islamic world, as well as those supporting and advocating for humanity, the values of truth, justice, and triumph for the oppressed and tyrannized ones.
The Palestinian cause, along with its sanctities and people sufferings for more than six decades – i.e. since it has been occupied by the Zionists in 1948, is considered a tragedy in the history of humanity. The Zionists have committed all types of crimes against the Palestinians, as well as the people of other nations, with the support and aid of the powerful countries.
The Palestinians are still subjected to various forms of aggression, injustice, and tyranny, far from any religious principles, and from any man-made law related to the rights of the individual or nations to live in peace and security.
The International Day of Al-Quds is the cry of the oppressed and tyrannized ones against all forms and manifestations of injustice, tyranny and oppression. Although it is for one day and has a specific symbol, this anniversary has a general message with multiple aspects.
Al-Quds is an international religious symbol. Its suffering reflects the reality of tyranny and oppression of which many people and communities, at different times and ages, are enduring. It reflects the reality of the ongoing conflict between the oppressors and the oppressed ones which have been narrated about in the Holy Quran.
We, as Muslims and non-Muslims, live in this reality every single day, with different aspects and approaches. We are in a constant need to understand the concepts of the conflict, its goals and objectives, its causes, and its facts; and to come up with its consequences across the history; not relying on the actual present, which might draw a false image of it.
Sayyed Ammar Al-Hakim, the Head of the Iraqi Supreme Islamic Board, noted that “The Islamic and Arab unanimous agreement rendered the cause of the Palestinian people alive in the conscience of the Muslims. This was an important and fundamental point in the continuance of the confrontation and avoiding reliance and surrender to the brute entity”.
The difference between Imam Khomeini and the other leaders and politicians is that he translated words and slogans in to actions within the framework of supporting the Palestinian cause since the first day of the triumph of the Islamic Revolution. He did not use this cause as a card for bidding and bargaining for the sake of worldly perishing profits.
In other words, when Imam Khomeini took the initiative of assigning and choosing a day for espousing Quds and the Palestinian cause, he had a deep religious and humanitarian vision, far from any nationalistic headlines, fake slogans or empty claims, and far from any personal political gains or narrow factional interests. He has appended words with actions. He has presented a true and real example of adefender of the Palestinians and adopted their cause practically. This was never done by any leader of an Arab or Islamic state.
SayyedSadru-ddeen Al-Qabanji, Imam of Friday prayer in the auspicious Najaf, said rightfully that: “Zionism threatens the Islamic World, it has extended power here and there. Iraq holds part of the responsibility in halting this Zionist spreading in the region. The International Day of Al-Quds is an interpretation of stopping the Zionist expansion, supporting Palestine and Al-Quds, and a call to terminate the brute Zionist entity”.
There is no doubt that reviving the International Day of Al-Quds should be beyond place and time. It should cross over towards its fundamental concept and many substantiations. This is due to the fact that the conflict between right and wrong, between tyranny and justice, between the oppressor and the oppressed one, is a continuous one. Its final result lies within “Yet We desired to be gracious to those that were abased in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them the inheritors” [Al-Qassas – 5].