Last Friday of Ramadan is International Quds Day

By Saybhan Samat

(September 14, Colombo, Sri lanka Guardian)The last Friday of Ramadan was declared as International Quds Day as far back as in August 1979 by the late Imam Khomeini. The object of this declaration was to make conscious in the minds of 1.4 billion Muslims of the world to liberate the land of Palestine from Israel and the other European settlers that had occupied it after driving away the original inhabitants viz Arab Muslims and Christians.

Palestine and the area surrounding the Al- Aqsa mosque is known as Bait-Ul Muqqadis they are considered to be among the greatest and most glorious centres of the prophets and representatives of God; many of whom are buried in that holy place. Bait- Ul- Muqqadis was the starting point of the ascension of the messengers of God and was the first direction to which Muslims turned in prayer. Al-Aqsa mosque is one of the most magnificent Islamic mosques in the world which is situated here.

Quds the land of revelation and with Bait-Ul-Muqqadis where the Al-Aqsa mosque is situated are now all occupied by Israel, which is an artificial state established by the US, Russia and Britain. Since their occupation with support from the US and the European powers, Israel has continued to ruthlessly plunder whole cities and towns and expanded its occupation.

The methods used by the Israeli occupiers for expelling the Palestinians from their motherland were gruesome, wicked and utterly inhuman. Sixty years have passed since the occupation of Palestine and the establishment of the Israel entity. Thousands of young innocent Palestinian children have been orphaned and made homeless. Thousands of Palestinian women made widows, thousands of young boys have been put to death, thousands have incarcerated and hundreds of its leaders martyred.

The massacres at Deir Yassin, Sabra and Shatila and in Gaza recently amply reveal the cruelty of the Israelis. At the moment Israel is implementing an apartheid policy refusing to issue identity cards to Arabs living in Israel and building an apartheid wall in the West Bank. By an extensive net-work of check- points and security offices Israel is attempting to create Bantustan like areas. Today there are about 7 million Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are refugees or internally displaced persons; a third of all refugees in the world are Palestinians. About 3million Palestinians remain in Palestine as whole. Of these 7000,000 live in Israel and about 1.2 million live in the Israel-occupied West Bank, including 200,000 in the East Jerusalem; and about 1 million live in the Gaza strip. Many of those who remain within 1948 Palestine are internally displaced. The rest of the Palestinians live in other Arab countries and around the world, although the majority of these still live within 100 km. of the boarders of the Israeli occupied territories from which they were forced to flee, and which they regard as home.

The inalienable right of refugees to return to their homes is enshrined in international law, and firmly demanded by Palestinians wherever they may be. This is utterly unacceptable to the Israelis, who continue to do everything they can to force Palestinians from the areas they rule, particularly Jerusalem and the surroundings areas. They also demand that the Palestinians surrender their claim to a right of return as part of the “peace process.” This is unacceptable to Palestinians, and is one of the main obstacles to the prospect of any negotiated peace in Palestine. Since 1948 Israel to date has ignored over 65 UN resolutions against itself.

In the background of this very brief scenario of Israel occupation of Palestine including Quds, Bait-Ul-Muqqadas and Al-Aqsa mosque what has Imam Khomeini’s declaration of International Quds Day achieved? First of all the crowds who join the demonstrations in especially European countries among non-Muslims have grown. Secondly Muslims who had forgotten of the occupation of the Al-Aqsa mosque have been awakened to their duty to liberate the 3rd holiest mosque of the Muslims, and prepare for it. Most important, thirdly, since the issue of the declaration in August 1979 by Imam Khomeini three powerful Islamic resistance movements have emerged: the first in Lebanon, Hezbollah and the others in Palestine; Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Israelis dread and fear these Islamic movements.

The Hezbollah drove the Israelis from south Lebanon in May 2000 and in July 2006 inflicted defeat on the Israel military forces, thus proving the myth of Israel invincibility. The Hamas in December 2008 resisted occupation of the Gaza despite the use of banned weapons like phosphorous bombs, DIME, (dense inserted metal explosives) and depleted uranium.

Hence the historic declaration of Imam Khomeini in August 1979 to call the Last Friday of Ramazan as International Quds Day is paying dividends as gradually the resistance is growing spearheaded by Hezbollah Islamic Jihad and Hamas and world opinion against the occupation too is growing by leaps and bounds as evidenced by the huge crowds both Muslim and non-Muslims that participate in the capitals of the world. The Western mass-media has however down played these developments.

In Sri Lanka too commemorative meetings will be held to remind people of ‘Quds Day’ and the “Friends of Palestine” are scheduled to hold a demonstration and public-meeting in Colombo.

-Sri Lanka Guardian