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{{Short description|Annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan}}
{{About|the annual pro-Palestinian day of protest|the Israeli national holiday|Jerusalem Day}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Infobox holiday
{{About|the annual pro-Palestinian day of protest|the Israeli national holiday|Jerusalem Day|the march on the Israeli holiday|Jerusalem Day march}}
|image = Al-Quds 2014 Berlin 20140725 173841.jpg
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}{{Infobox holiday
|caption = Quds Day 2014 in Berlin
|day_name = Quds Day | image = File:2016 Quds International Day in Tehran.jpg
| caption = Quds Day in ], ], 2016
|official_name =
| holiday_name = Quds Day
|duration = 1 day
| official_name = {{lang|fa|روز جهانی قدس}} (''Ruz Jahâni Quds'')
|frequency = annual
| duration = 1 day
|observedby = ], and other ] and communities
| frequency = Annual
|begins = Last Friday of ]
| observedby = ], ], ]
|type = Political
| type = International
|significance = Demonstrations against ], and its control of ]; solidarity with the ]
| significance = Demonstrations against ], the ], and the ]; solidarity with the ]
|relatedto = ]
| relatedto = ]<br />]<br />]
|date2008 =
| date2021 = May 7<ref name="nati_Al-Q">{{Cite web |title=Al-Quds Day to be marked tomorrow |author= |work=The Nation |date=6 May 2021 |access-date=7 May 2021 |url= https://nation.com.pk/06-May-2021/al-quds-day-to-be-marked-tomorrow}}</ref>
|date2009 =
| date2022 = April 29<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.islamicfinder.org/ramadan-calendar/ |title=Ramadan Calendar {{CURRENTYEAR}} |website=IslamicFinder}}</ref>
|date2010 = September 3
| date2023 = April 14<ref>{{cite web |title=Ramadan Calendar 2023, Sehar (Sahur) Time and Iftar Time {{!}} IslamicFinder |url=https://www.islamicfinder.org/ramadan-calendar/ |website=IslamicFinder |access-date=14 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
|date2011 = August 26
| date = ] of ]
|date2012 = August 17
|date2013 = August 2 | startedby = ]
|date2014 = July 25 | date2024 = April 5
|date2015 = July 10
}} }}
{{Jerusalem sidebar}}


'''Quds Day''' ({{Literal translation|Jerusalem Day}}), officially known as '''International Quds Day''' ({{langx|fa|روز جهانی قدس|Ruz Jahâni Quds}}), is an annual ] event held on the ] of the ] holy month of ] to express support for ] and oppose ] and ].<ref name="bbcpersian" /> It takes its name from the ] name for ]: {{Transliteration|ar|al-Quds}}.
'''Quds Day''' ('''Jerusalem Day''', '']'' is the Arabic name for ]), officially called '''International Quds Day''' ({{lang|fa|روز جهانی قدس}}), is an annual event held on the last Friday of ] that was initiated by the ] in 1979 to express solidarity with the ] and oppose ] and ]'s existence,<ref name="bbcpersian"/> as well as Israel's control of ]. In Iran, the government sponsors and organizes the day's rallies. Quds Day is also held in several other countries, mainly in the Arab and Muslim world, with protests against Israel.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sokolski|first=Henry D.|coauthors=Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center|title=Gauging U.S.-Indian strategic cooperation|publisher=Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College|year=2007|isbn=978-1-58487-284-9|page=166|quote=Many Muslims commemorate Al Quds Day by protesting against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem where the Al Quds mosque is located}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/09/20089261632384680.html|title=Iran warns West on al-Quds day|quote=Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied in cities across the country to protest against Israel's occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem.|date=26 Sep 2008|work=Al-Jazeera}}</ref><ref name="Chicago Monitor">{{cite web|last1=Chambers|first1=Bill|title=Al-Quds Day Commemorated in Chicago|url=http://chicagomonitor.com/2015/07/al-quds-day-commemorated-in-chicago/|website=The Chicago Monitor|accessdate=3 August 2015|date=12 July 2015}}</ref>

The event was first held in 1979 in ], shortly after the ]. The day exists partly in opposition to Israel's ], which has been celebrated by ] since May 1968 and was declared a national holiday by the ] in 1998.<ref name="Ceccarini">Francesca Ceccarini, FrancoAngeli, Milan 2016 p.166</ref> Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in the ], as well as in non-Muslim communities around the world,<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A239865415/GPS?sid=wikipedia|title = International Al-Quds Day in DC|last =C. Hanley |first =Delinda |date = 2010|journal = Washington Report on Middle East Affairs}}{{subscription required|via=General OneFile|page=56}}</ref> in protest against the ].<ref>* {{cite book|last1=Sokolski|first1=Henry D. |author2=Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute |author3=]|title=Gauging U.S.-Indian strategic cooperation|publisher=Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College|year=2007|isbn=978-1-58487-284-9|page=166|quote=Many Muslims commemorate Al Quds Day by protesting against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem where the Al Quds mosque is located}}
* {{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/09/20089261632384680.html|title=Iran warns West on al-Quds day|quote=Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied in cities across the country to protest against Israel's occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem.|date=September 26, 2008|work=Al-Jazeera}}</ref><ref name="Chicago Monitor">{{cite web|last1=Chambers|first1=Bill|title=Al-Quds Day Commemorated in Chicago|url=http://chicagomonitor.com/2015/07/al-quds-day-commemorated-in-chicago/|website=The Chicago Monitor|access-date=August 3, 2015|date=July 12, 2015}}</ref>

Critics of Quds Day have argued that it is ].<ref>{{cite web | last=Sommerlad | first=Joe | title=This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today | website=The Independent | date=2018-06-08 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/quds-day-2018-iran-palestinians-israel-donald-trump-jerusalem-ramadan-a8389556.html | access-date=2018-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Küntzel |first=Matthias |title=Tehran's Efforts to Mobilize Antisemitism: The Global Impact |chapter=Tehran's Efforts to Mobilize Antisemitism |date=2015 |work=Deciphering the New Antisemitism |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=9780253018656 |pages=508–532 |jstor=j.ctt18crxz7.22}}</ref> In Iran, the day is marked by widespread speeches and rallies that have been frequented by chants of "], ]", with crowds trampling and burning ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Seliktar |first=Ofira |date=2023-01-02 |title=Iran's antisemitism and anti-Zionism: eliminationist or performative? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13537121.2023.2162260 |journal=Israel Affairs |language=en |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=137–154 |doi=10.1080/13537121.2023.2162260 |issn=1353-7121}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wistrich |first=Robert S. |date= 2014|title=Gaza, Hamas, and the Return of Antisemitism |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23739770.2014.11446601 |journal=Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs |language=en |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=35–48 |doi=10.1080/23739770.2014.11446601 |issn=2373-9770}}</ref> Quds Day rallies have also featured demonstrations against other countries and causes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Quds Day: Protesters burn flags and chant 'death to Israel' at annual rallies held across Iran |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/al-quds-day-2017-anti-israel-flag-burning-chants-rallies-tehran-a7804596.html |website=independent.co.uk |access-date=9 November 2023}}</ref><ref name=hindustantimes>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/chants-against-israeli-occupation-in-palestine-saudi-and-us-as-iran-marks-al-quds-day/story-Pj0mJOyS3Lf2rDVgjGD3CN.html|website=Hindustan Times|author=AFP|date=June 23, 2017|access-date=June 8, 2018|title=Chants against Israeli occupation in Palestine, Saudi and US as Iran marks Al Quds Day}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Mehr News|url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/134627/Today-s-Quds-rallies-in-opposition-of-Israel-US-Saudi-Arabia|title=Today's Quds rallies in opposition of Israel, US, Saudi Arabia|date=June 8, 2018|access-date=June 8, 2018|author=Marjohn Sheikhi}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
An annual ] day of protest was first suggested by ], the first foreign minister of the ], to ], the leader of the ]. At the time, its predominant context was related to ]. Khomeini adopted Yazdi's idea,<ref name="bbcpersian">{{cite news |date=August 1, 2013 |title=Iran's 'Jerusalem Day': Behind the rallies and rhetoric |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23448932 |publisher=BBC Persian}}</ref> and on 7 August 1979, he declared the ] of every ] as "Quds Day", in which ] worldwide would unite in solidarity against ] and in support of the ].<ref>{{cite book|title=Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity|url=https://archive.org/details/jerusalemitsrole00reit|url-access=limited|author=Yitzhak Reiter|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2008|isbn=9780230607828|page=}}</ref> Khomeini stated that the "liberation" of ] was a religious duty to all Muslims:<ref>
], Sweden; Al-Quds Day 2008]]
* {{cite book |title=Jihad for Jerusalem: Identity and Strategy in International Relations |last=Khan |first=M.A. Muqtedar |year=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing |location=Google Books |page=157 |isbn=9780275980146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SFcm8Z66kVQC&pg=PA157 |access-date=September 19, 2009}}
An annual ] day of protest was first suggested by ], the first foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the leader of the ], ]. Khomeini coopted Yazdi's idea,<ref name="bbcpersian">{{cite news |date=1 August 2013 |title=Iran's 'Jerusalem Day': Behind the rallies and rhetoric |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23448932 |newspaper=BBC Persian}}</ref> and on August 7, 1979, he declared the last Friday of the holy month of ] each year as Quds Day, in which Muslims worldwide would unite in solidarity against Israel and in support of the Palestinians.<ref>{{cite book|title=Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity|author=Yitzhak Reiter|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2008|ISBN=9780230607828|page=88}}</ref> Khomeini declared the liberation of Jerusalem a religious duty to all Muslims.<ref>{{cite book |title=Jihad for Jerusalem: identity and strategy in international relations |last=Khan |first=M.A. Muqtedar |authorlink= |year=2004 |publisher= |location=Google Books |oclc= |page=157 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=SFcm8Z66kVQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA157#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=To Rule Jerusalem |last=Friedland |first=Roger |authorlink= |author2=Richard Hecht |year=1996 |publisher= |location=Google Books |oclc= |page=370 |pages= |url=
* {{cite book |title=To Rule Jerusalem |last=Friedland |first=Roger |author2=Richard Hecht |year=1996 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Google Books |page=370 |isbn=9780520220928 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EKRlEPFc038C&pg=PA370}}</ref>
http://books.google.com/books?id=EKRlEPFc038C&=PP1&pg=PA370#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=}}</ref> That day, he stated:


{{quote|I invite ] all over the globe to consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of ] as Al-Quds Day and to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people of ]. {{quote|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 ].


For many years, I have been notifying the Muslims of the danger posed by the usurper ] 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&nbsp;— which is itself a determining period and can also be the determiner of the Palestinian people’s fate&nbsp;— 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.|]<ref></ref>}} For many years, I have been notifying the Muslims of the danger posed by the ] which today has intensified its savage attacks against the Palestinian brothers and sisters, and which, in the ] in particular, is continually bombing Palestinian homes in the hope of crushing the Palestinian struggle. I ask all the ] 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 ] for the victory of the Muslims over the ].|], 1979<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irib.ir/occasions/Quds_Day/Quds%20dayEn.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031028225026/http://www.irib.ir/occasions/Quds_Day/Quds%20dayEn.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2003-10-28|title=Qudsday}}</ref>}}


There have been recorded incidents of violence on Quds Day, including 28 people killed and 326 wounded by bombs in 1985 during the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/quds-day-2018-iran-palestinians-israel-donald-trump-jerusalem-ramadan-a8389556.html|title=This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today|date=June 8, 2018|website=The Independent}}</ref> Iran celebrates the event characteristically by putting on public display poster images of the city of Jerusalem, thematic speeches, art exhibitions reflecting the issue, and folkloric events. In ], ] marks the occasion by organizing a substantive military parade for the last week of each Ramadan. Since 1989, ] has observed the event by hosting academic conferences, whose venue from university to university varies each year. Arab societies generally pay the occasion ] in order to make a show of solidarity with the cause of ].<ref>Yitzhak Reiter, , Springer, 2008 p.142.</ref>
The day is also marked throughout Muslim and Arab countries. During the ] in January 1988, the Jerusalem Committee of the ] decided that Quds Day should be commemorated in public events throughout the Arab world.<ref name=Reiter>{{cite book|title=Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity|author=Yitzhak Reiter|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2008|ISBN=9780230607828|page=142}}</ref> In countries with significant ] populations, particularly ] where ] organizes Quds Day events, there is significant attendance. Events are also held in ], the Palestinian ], and ]. ], and the ] endorse Quds Day, and hold ceremonies. Outside of the Middle East and the wider Arab World, Quds Day protests have taken place in the ], ], ], ], ], the ], and some predominantly Muslim countries in east Asia.<ref name="qudsday">{{cite web |title=Jerusalem Day |url=http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/iran_e023.htm |date=16 September 2009 |work= |publisher=Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center |accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>


The day is also marked throughout Muslim and ]. In January 1988, during the ], the Jerusalem Committee of the ] decided that Quds Day should be commemorated in public events throughout the Arab world.<ref name=Reiter>{{cite book|title=Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity|url=https://archive.org/details/jerusalemitsrole00reit|url-access=limited|author=Yitzhak Reiter|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2008|isbn=9780230607828|page=}}</ref> In countries with significant ] populations, particularly Lebanon, where Hezbollah organizes Quds Day observances, there is significant attendance at the day's events. Events are also held in ], the ], and ]. Both ] and ] endorse Quds Day and hold ceremonies. Outside of the ] and the wider Arab world, Quds Day protests have taken place in the ], ], ], ], ], the ], as well as some ].<ref name="qudsday">{{cite web |title=Jerusalem Day |url=http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/iran_e023.htm |date=September 16, 2009 |publisher=Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center |access-date=September 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923004326/http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/iran_e023.htm |archive-date=September 23, 2009 }}</ref> According to the ], while the original idea behind Quds Day was to gather all Muslims in opposition to the existence of Israel, the event has not developed beyond an Iranian experience. Apart from rallies, usually funded and organized by Iran itself in various capital cities, the ritual never took root among Muslims at large.<ref name="bbcpersian" />
According to the ], while the idea behind Quds Day originally was to gather all Muslims in opposition to the existence of Israel, the event has not developed beyond an Iranian experience. Apart from rallies, usually funded and organized by Iran itself, in some other capital cities, the ritual never took root among Muslims at large.<ref name="bbcpersian"/>


==Quds Day events== ==Quds Day events==
{{Further|List of Quds Day demonstrations}}
] speaking during the 2015 Quds rally, Chicago.]]
In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.<ref name=AJ>, ''aljazeera.net'', (September 18, 2009 )</ref><ref name=BBC>, BBC, ( September 18, 2009)</ref> Events include mass marches and rallies. Senior Iranian leaders give fiery speeches condemning Israel, as well as the U.S. government. The crowds respond with chants of "Death to Israel", and "]".<ref name="qudsday"/> In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.<ref name="AJ">, aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )</ref><ref name="BBC">, BBC, (September 18, 2009)</ref> Events include mass marches and rallies. Senior Iranian leaders give fiery speeches condemning Israel, as well as the U.S. government. The crowds respond with chants of "]" and "]".<ref name="qudsday" /> According to Roger Howard, many Iranians under the age of 30 continue to participate in Quds Day events, though proportionately less than those on the streets. He adds that many Iranian students on campus say in private that the ] has "nothing to do with us."<ref name="Howard">Roger Howard, , ] (2004). {{ISBN|978-1-84277-475-5}}. p. 49.</ref>
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 ] has "nothing to do with us."<ref name=Howard>, Howard, Roger. Zed Books (2004). ISBN 978-1-84277-475-5. p. 49.</ref>


Quds Day protests have been held in parts of the Middle East and in London and Berlin and the United States. Marches in London have drawn up to 3,000 people, while Berlin saw 1,600 protestors in 2018. Rallies were held in at least 18 cities across the United States in 2017.<ref>{{cite web | last=Weinthal | first=Benjamin | title=Heavy turnout at al-Quds rally in Berlin calls for Israel's destruction | website=The Jerusalem Post &#124; JPost.com | date=2018-06-09 | url=https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Heavy-turnout-at-al-Quds-rally-in-Berlin-calls-for-Israels-destruction-559576 | access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref><ref name="Sommerlad 2018">{{cite web | last=Sommerlad | first=Joe | title=This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today | website=The Independent | date=2018-06-08 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/quds-day-2018-iran-palestinians-israel-donald-trump-jerusalem-ramadan-a8389556.html | access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref><ref name="Anti-Defamation League 2017">{{cite web | title=ADL Raises Concern About Potential For Hate Speech at Anti-Israel Protests Taking Place in 18 U.S. Cities | website=Anti-Defamation League | date=2017-06-23 | url=https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-raises-concern-about-potential-for-hate-speech-at-anti-israel-protests | access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref>
==1980s==
On Quds Day 1985, amid the "war of the cities" of the ], Iraqi bombers and long-range missiles struck 14 cities, reportedly killing at least 78 people and wounding 326. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, the sound of the exploding bombs and missiles in Tehran was drowned out by the crowds chanting "War, war until victory 3/8."<ref>{{cite news |date=14 June 1985 |title=Iraq Bombs 14 Iranian Cities, Promises Two-Week Ceasefire |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1985/Iraq-Bombs-14-Iranian-Cities-Promises-Two-Week-Ceasefire/id-e746296f14a2787a7f3144125c53c915 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>


In 2020, for the first time since the initiation four decades ago, the Quds day event was held virtually in Iran amid the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fassihi |first1=Farnaz |title=Virus Lockdown Forces Iran Into Its First Virtual Quds Day |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/world/middleeast/virus-virtual-quds-day.html |access-date=23 May 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=22 May 2020}}</ref>
On Quds Day 1987, held shortly after the outbreak of the ], effigies of U.S. President ] and Israeli leaders were burned in Iran "as a sign of Moslem nations' revolutionary wrath against Zionism, imperialism and apartheid." In Tehran, President ] said the Palestinians "should resist and fight Zionism. This is the message of the whole Iranian people who chant the 'Death to Israel' slogan."<ref>{{cite news |date=25 December 1987 |title=Massive Demonstrations In Tehran In Support Of West Bank, Gaza Rioters |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/Massive-Demonstrations-In-Tehran-In-Support-Of-West-Bank-Gaza-Rioters-With-PM-Israel-Violence/id-539a3b6d47e4c3c74ce6805d83cf169e |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>


==Gallery==
On Quds Day 1989, Iranian parliament speaker ] said that Palestinians should kill Americans and other Westerners in retaliation for attacks by the Israeli military in the occupied territories: "If in retaliation for every Palestinian martyred in Palestine they will kill and execute, not inside Palestine, five Americans or Britons or Frenchmen, they (Israelis) could not continue these wrongs. It is not hard to kill Americans or Frenchman. It is a bit difficult to kill (Israelis). But there are so many (Americans and Frenchman) everywhere in the world."<ref>{{cite news |date=5 May 1989 |title=Rafsanjani Calls on Palestinians to Kill Westerners |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1989/Rafsanjani-Calls-on-Palestinians-to-Kill-Westerners/id-304878353c049ee092da81f698c886b8 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
<gallery caption="Quds Day" mode=packed heights=150>
File:Al-Quds 2014 Berlin 20140725 162233.jpg|], 2014
File:2018 London Quds day rally-2.jpg|], 2018
File:روز جهانی قدس در شهر قم- Quds Day In Iran-Qom City 34.jpg|], 2015
File:Shahab Missile in Quds Day 2017 in Tehran01.jpg|], 2017
File:راهپیمایی روز قدس در تهران - ۶-۲۸.jpg|], 2016
</gallery>


==1990s==
Fearing an Israeli military strike, Hezbollah cancelled its annual Quds Day rallies in 1992 for the first time in the group's history. 10 days earlier, a ] in Buenos Aires, Argentina destroyed the Israeli embassy there and killed 29 people injured 242 others. Hezbollah was implicated in the attack.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 March 1992 |title=Hezbollah Cancels Marches Fearing Israeli Strike |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1992/Hezbollah-Cancels-Marches-Fearing-Israeli-Strike/id-034c5fc7da808f18fbebcc048db5b941 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

In 1994, Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani told demonstrators, "Can Israel really remain? In my opinion it cannot. That artificial entity cannot survive."<ref>{{cite news |date=11 March 1994 |title=Muslims Around The World Rally For Israel's Extermination |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1994/Muslims-Around-The-World-Rally-For-Israel-s-Extermination-With-AM-Israel-Unrest-Bjt/id-1b4fd83b8646da55e2c0479cde224234 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

In 1998, former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani stated that Israel's crimes against the Palestinians exceeded those of Adolf Hitler against the Jews. He added, "The Zionist regime is a fake government and homeland which is shaped with millions of homeless Palestinians and hundreds of thousands of Muslim martyrs... I'm sure that in the future we will have Islamic Palestine. I'm sure nothing will remain as the territory of Israel."<ref>{{cite news |date=23 January 1998 |title=Iran Protests Israel's Control |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1998/Iran-Protests-Israel-s-Control/id-dd6f4839c66d6c59f0f80a1c5bedf670 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

In 1999, a reported three million people attended Quds Day rallies in Iran. In Tehran, a resolution was read aloud calling for struggle "until the aggressor Zionist regime is annihilated." Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri told worshipers at Friday prayers, "There is no country named Israel. There is Palestine, and the thieves who have occupied the houses of Palestinians should be removed from those houses." In Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah told thousands of supporters, "On Al-Quds Day, I reaffirm to you that Israel will be eliminated one day, God willing." At the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, protesters carried a banner that read "America is the enemy of God."<ref>{{cite news |date=15 January 1999 |title=Muslims Demonstrate Vs. Israel, US |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1999/Muslims-Demonstrate-Vs-Israel-US/id-f262571ab57495f128dc04cb93ef6d1a |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

==2000–2008==
Over one million people, with over 100,000 in each of Iran's eight largest cities, marched in the 2005 Quds Day protests in ] and other cities across Iran. Protests were staged throughout the Middle East and the wider Arab World, with over 30,000 Bahrainis marching in ], and 6,000 ] volunteers marching in ].<ref name=ap_2006>, AP, October 29, 2005</ref>

In 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened any country that supports Israel, and said the U.S. and its allies had "imposed a group of terrorists" on the region with their support of the Jewish state. He added that Israel no longer had any reason to exist and would soon disappear: "This regime, thanks to God, has lost the reason for its existence. Efforts to stabilize this fake (Israeli) regime, by the grace of God, have completely failed... You should believe that this regime is disappearing."<ref>{{cite news |date=20 October 2006 |title=Iranian Leader Threatens Israel's Allies |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2006/Iranian-Leader-Threatens-Israel-s-Allies/id-99392484d34e4d7cdee720b64d01e691 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

That year, Hezbollah did not organize a mass rally for Qods Day, stating it was unnecessary because it had recently held a demonstration on September 22 to celebrate what it declared to be its "victory" over Israel in that summer's ]. In the place of a mass event, the day was commemorated with an "invitation-only event in a concert hall featured an orchestra, a choir and several anti-Israel speeches."<ref>{{cite news |date=20 October 2006 |title=Lebanon's Hezbollah Marks Jerusalem Day |url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2006/Lebanon-s-Hezbollah-Marks-Jerusalem-Day/id-d43129f1b8c221b58865a2bd8c87b69b |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

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.<ref name=ap_2007>, AP, October 05, 2007</ref> Over 3,000 people marched in ] carrying Palestinian flags. ] organized marches in the city's ].<ref name=ap_2007 />

==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 ]. Estimates put the opposition protest in the tens of thousands, with participants shouting slogans in support of ], the candidate who received the most votes in the presidential elections.<ref>, Sep. 19, 2009</ref><ref name="NY Times"/> Rejecting the government's support of Palestinian militancy, opposition protesters chanted, "No to ] and ], I will give my life for Iran.”<ref name="NY Times"/><ref name="csmonitor">{{cite web|url=http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/09/18/iran%E2%80%99s-opposition-protesters-reroute-jerusalem-day-march/|title= New protests surge in Iran as Ahmadinejad denies Holocaust again |last=Chick|first=Kristen |date=2009-09-19|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|accessdate=2009-09-21}}</ref> There were reports of similar protests in Isfahan, Tabriz, Yazd and Shiraz.<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/world/middleeast/19iran.html?bl|title=Despite Warning, Thousands Rally in Iran|last=WORTH|first=ROBERT F.|date=2009-09-19|pages=A1|accessdate=2009-09-19 | work=The New York Times}}</ref>

Iranian state TV played down the unrest,<ref name="Arab Times"/> and state-funded ] reported that millions of Iranians marched for the Palestinian cause in Iran and different countries throughout the Middle East and the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=106510&sectionid=351020101 |title=Millions march in Al-Quds day 2009 |accessdate=Sep 18, 2009}}</ref> Independent sources estimated "tens of thousands" to over 100,000 in Tehran,<ref name="csmonitor"/><ref name="Arab Times" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115637.html|title=Reformist leaders attacked as thousands march in fresh Iran protests |date=2009-09-19 |work=The Associated Press and Reuters |publisher=Haaretz|accessdate=2009-09-21}}</ref> many of them bused in by the regime.<ref name="NY Times"/> 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 ] militiamen attacked protesters.<ref name="Arab Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=37287&ccid=11|title=Protests in Iran|accessdate=Sep 18, 2009}}</ref>

As he has done on previous such occasions, ] provoked 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."<ref name="denial">{{cite web |title=Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a lie, Israel has no future |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE58H17S20090918?rpc=64&sp=true |date=18 September 2009 |work= |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=22 September 2009}}</ref> His statements drew immediate condemnation from the governments of the United States, Russia, and the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ahmadinejad's isolationism |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/21/ahmadinejad-quds-day-protests |date=21 September 2009 |work= |publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=22 September 2009 | location=London | first=Massoumeh | last=Torfeh}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EU condemns Ahmadinejad's comments on Holocaust |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/EU-condemns-Ahmadinejad-s-comments-on-Holocaust/H1-Article1-456277.aspx |date=21 September 2009 |work= |publisher=] |accessdate=22 September 2009}}</ref>

==2010 Quds Day==
] demonstration against Al Quds Day 2010 in ].]]
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 Israel!"<ref>{{cite news |title=Ahmadinejad says Mideast peace talks 'doomed' |author=Jay Deshmukh |agency=AFP |date=3 September 2010 |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ikLXEypFtGedwQsYzWSIRyW8uY_w |accessdate=3 September 2010}}</ref> The day before the rallies, Ayatollah Khamenei ], "Israel Is A Hideous Entity In the Middle East Which Will Undoubtedly Be Annihilated."<ref>{{cite news |title=What a twit |author=Andrew Swift |newspaper=Foreign Policy |date=2 September 2010 |url=http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/09/02/what_a_twit |accessdate=3 September 2010}}</ref>
].]]
In ], a ] holding a Quds Day rally . The ] 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 ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan suicide bombing kills 59, injures 160, police say |author= |newspaper=CNN |date=3 September 2010 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/09/03/pakistan.violence/?hpt=Sbin#fbid=UmPw3wDi82F&wom=false |accessdate=3 September 2010}}</ref>

==2012 Quds Day==
]
On 17 August 2012, millions of Iranians commemorated al-Quds Day, where they waved Palestinian flags, chanted "Death to Israel and America," and burned Israeli and American flags. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called to destroy Israel, which he termed an "insult to all humanity" and called to remove the "Zionist black stain." Ahmadinejad said that “the Zionist regime is a tool to dominate the Middle East," as well as that world powers are “thirsty for Iranian blood.” Ahmadinejad stated that "The Zionist regime and the Zionists are a cancerous tumour. Even if one cell of them is left in one inch of (Palestinian) land, in the future this story (of Israel’s existence) will repeat.” He further stated that "The nations of the region will soon finish off the usurper Zionists in the Palestinian land.... A new Middle East will definitely be formed. With the grace of God and help of the nations, in the new Middle East there will be no trace of the Americans and Zionist."<ref name="Quds Day 2012">{{cite web | url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/iranians-commemorate-al-quds-day/ | title=Ahmadinejad anticipates a ‘new Middle East’ with no Americans or Zionists | publisher=The Times of Israel | date=August 17, 2012 | accessdate=August 17, 2012 | author=Zeiger, Asher}}</ref><ref>, '']'', August 17, 2012.</ref><ref>, Reuters (reprinted by the '']'' on August 17, 2012).</ref>

In Lebanon, ] Leader ] stated in a televised speech that only a few rockets fired by the group’s militia could cause massive casualties, given its well-planned target list, explaining that:

{{cquote|“Rockets are ready and directed at these targets. We will not hesitate to use them, if we have to, at any point in time in the course of aggression against our country to protect our people...Hezbollah cannot destroy Israel but we can transform the lives of millions of Zionists in occupied Palestine into a real hell. We can change the face of Israel.”<ref> by Zeina Karam, Associated Press (reprinted by the ''National Post''), August 17, 2012.</ref>}}

Hundreds of people turned out in Gaza to protest the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem. A spokesman for the ] said "We are committed to the right of return and to liberation of prisoners and resistance against the occupation as long as it is on our land".<ref> AFP. 17 August 2012</ref>

In Bahrain, dozens took part in the protests which were dispersed by security forces' tear gas.<ref name="AJE 18.8.2012">. Al Jazeera English. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.</ref>

==2013 Quds Day==
On 2 August 2013, Quds rally was held in "the United Kingdom, Australia, Iran, the United States, and across the Muslim world".<ref name=international>{{cite news|title=Muslims prepare to mark Quds Day in 80 countries|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/muslims-prepare-to-mark-quds-day-in-80-countries/|accessdate=3 August 2014|agency=The Times of Israel|date=2 August 2013}}</ref> While Iranians were commemorating al-Quds Day, ] reported that newly elected President ] said "the Zionist regime is a wound that has sat on the body of the Muslim world for years and needs to be removed," although ISNA later retracted. Israeli Prime Minister ] responded by saying "Rouhani's true face has been exposed earlier than expected," and warned that despite the election of the so-called moderate, "the objective of the regime - to acquire nuclear weapons to threaten Israel, the Middle East and peace and security throughout the world - has not changed."<ref name=JP_2013 />

Outgoing Iranian President Ahmadinejad addressed Al-Quds day crowds, warning of an impending regional storm that would uproot Israel. He also said that Israel "has no place in the region."<ref name=JP_2013> Jerusalem Post. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.</ref>

===Canada===
In ], ], a crowd of approximately 400 attended an Al-Quds Day rally. One of the speakers, Elias Hazineh, a Christian,<ref>Elias Hazineh is the former president of Palestine House in Toronto.</ref> reportedly elicited cheers from the crowd when he declared an ultimatum to Israelis: “You have to leave Jerusalem. You have to leave Palestine. When somebody tries to rob a bank the police get in, they don't negotiate and we have been negotiating with them for 65 years. We say get out or you are dead! We give them two minutes and then we start shooting. And that’s the only way that they will understand." Hazineh then concluded his speech by quoting from the Koran: "And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and steeds of war - that's the only thing that they'll understand!" A video of the event, including Hazineh's speech, was later posted online.<ref> by '']'' (reprinted in the '']''), August 5, 2013.</ref><ref name=policeprobe> by Asher Zeiger and JTA, '']'', August 6, 2013.</ref><ref name="sun"> by ], ], August 6, 2013.</ref><ref> by Sam Sokol, '']'' (reprinted in the ]), August 6, 2013.</ref><ref> by ], '']'', August 7, 2013.</ref> Those remarks drew swift condemnation.<ref> by San Grewal, '']'', August 8, 2013.</ref><ref>, '']'', (JTA) (reprinted in '']''), February 3, 2014.</ref>

==2014 Quds Day==
{{see also|Reactions to the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict#2014 Quds Day}}
On 25 July 2014, Iran's ] claimed that millions of people from around the world rallied in a show of support for Palestinians.This year's rallies were held with a higher turnout as Israel and Hamas began renewed ] on July 8 in Gaza.<ref> , '']'', July 25, 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/muslim-world-rallies-palestinian-cause-n164991 |title=Muslim World Rallies for the Palestinian Cause |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=2014-07-26}}</ref>

===Britain===
Thousands of British demonstrators joined the rally on international Quds day demanding justice for "killers of Gaza children" in central London. The march ended with a rally outside the US embassy.<ref>{{cite web|title=London: Thousands march to Free Gaza on Al Quds Day|url=http://www.citizenside.com/en/photos/world-news/2014-07-25/97942/london-thousands-march-to-free-gaza-on-al-quds-day.html#f=0/996974|accessdate=28 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Protestors march through streets on annual Al-Quds demonstration in London|url=http://wilayah.info/en/protestors-march-through-streets-on-annual-al-quds-demonstration-in-london/|publisher=Wilayah News|accessdate=30 July 2014}}</ref>

===Germany===
More than 1000 people gathered at Adenauerplatz in Berlin for demonstration against "zionists" calling for a free Palestine while thousands of police were on alert to avoid the possible conflicts between protesters and pro-Israeli groups on Quds Day.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ingrid Betancourt |url=http://euronews.com/2014/07/25/al-quds-day-sparks-huge-rallies-in-support-of-palestinians/ |title=Al-Quds day sparks huge rallies in support of Palestinians &#124; euronews, world news |publisher=Euronews.com |accessdate=2014-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Markus Schreiber|url=https://news.yahoo.com/photos/protestors-attend-pro-palestinian-rally-al-quds-day-photo-154735819.html |title=Protestors attend a pro-Palestinian rally on al-Quds Day in Berlin, Friday, July 25, 2014. Al-Quds Day is the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan declared by the Iranian late spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as an international day of struggle against Israel and for the liberation of Jerusalem. |publisher=Yahoo News |date=2011-04-20 |accessdate=2014-07-26}}</ref> Approximately 700 pro-Israel marchers also held a rally according to the German police.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Muslim-world-denounces-Israel-in-annual-al-Quds-Day-rallies-368961 |title=Protesters across Muslim world denounce Israel in al-Quds Day rallies|date=26 July 2014}}</ref> Jurgen Grassmann, the chief organizer of Berlin’s Al-Quds Day March asked the demonstrators not to shout "Allahu Akbar". He reminded them the fact that they had gathered against Zionism and not Judaism, advising the protestors to “Keep Allah in your heart, but don’t say so out loud." <ref>{{cite web|last1=Weinberg|first1=Micki|title=In Berlin, Al Quds Day marchers steer clear of anti-Semitism|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-berlin-al-quds-day-marchers-steer-clear-of-anti-semitism/|website=The Times of Israel|accessdate=28 July 2014}}</ref>

===Iran===
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians in the capital Tehran and more than 770 other towns and cities throughout the country on international Quds day took part in massive rallies to express their support for the Palestinian resistance against Israel.The event took on added significance this year given the ongoing Israel and Hamas conflict in Gaza.<ref> by Michael Pizzi, '']'', July 25, 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Horovitz |first=David |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/huge-iran-al-quds-day-rallies-call-for-death-to-israel/#ixzz38Y3atqUe |title=Huge Iran al-Quds Day rallies call for 'Death to Israel' |publisher=The Times of Israel |date=2014-02-11 |accessdate=2014-07-26}}</ref>

===South Africa===
Almost 5000 pro-Palestinian rallied in the streets of ], while the weather was wet and cold, to express their support for the people of Palestine. The rally commenced from Keizergracht Street in District Six towards the Parliament. The protestors delivered a memorandum calling the government to take solid measures against the ] to the Parliament. According to the ], it called for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador and also urged the protesters to boycott local stores which stock products manufactured in the occupied territories of Palestine.<ref>{{cite news|last1=NEWSROOM|title=Quds Day rally draws 5000|url=http://www.vocfm.co.za/quds-day-rally-draws-5000/|accessdate=12 October 2014|publisher=The Voice of the Cape|date=25 July 2014}}</ref>

===Pakistan===
Thousand of people in many cities across Pakistan marched in support of Palestine. The ] political party organized rallies in several cities. Popular Shia cleric Syed Jawad Naqvi orchestrated a separate rally in the city of Lahore.{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}}

===Syria===
International al-Quds rally took place in Damascus, starting from he entrance of al-Hamidiyeh market towards the Umayyad Mosque. Popular figures and representatives of Palestinian and Syrian forces accompanied the rally. The demonstrators claimed to support the resistance until Palestinian freedom is achieved.<ref>{{cite web|author=B. Mousa, M. Ismael|url=http://www.sana.sy/en/?p=8018 |title=Massive rally in Damascus marking al-Quds Day and expressing support for Gaza &#124; Syrian Arab News Agency |publisher=Sana.sy |accessdate=2014-07-26}}</ref>

===Nigeria===

In Nigeria, the 2014 Quds day procession took place in 24 major cities, mostly in the north of the country. The processions were organized by Nigerian ]. The processions were all conducted peacefully except in ], the abode of the leader of the movement, ]; where the ] reportedly opened fire on the participants and killed 35 people, including three (3) biological sons of the head of the movement<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tne Nation Newspaper|title=How Soldiers Killed My Three Sons, 32 Followers Elzakzaky|url=http://thenationonlineng.net/new/how-soldiers-killed-my-three-sons-32-followers-by-el-zakzaky/|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>

==2015 Quds day==
]
===Austria===
According to Samuel Laster, the editor-in-chief of the online news outlet Die Jüdische (The Jewish), 700 people participated an anti-Israeli rally in ], while 150 pro-Israel counterprotesters hold a similar event to support Israel.<ref name="2015 berlin">{{cite news|last=Weinthal|first=Benjamin|title=Ambassador to Germany slams al-Quds day protest in Berlin|url=http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Ambassador-to-Germany-slams-al-Quds-day-protest-in-Berlin-408660|date=11 July 2015}}</ref>

===Britain===
In London, a protest was organized by the ], which accused the ] of "bias in their reporting of the situation in Palestine" while sharply criticizing the United States for its "heinous support of Israel."<ref>, ], July 10, 2015.</ref>

===Germany===
Almost 700 people participated the 2015 Quds Day rally in Berlin, Germany. The participants chanted "Child murderer Israel," according to German media outlets, while some observers claimed that the slogan "Child murderer Israel" was not screamed by the participants. A population of 250 pro-Israeli people participated a rally in Berlin’s bustling downtown shopping district.<ref name="2015 berlin"/>

===Iran===
Millions of people hold rallies in different cities of Iran chanting “Down with America” and “Death to Israel” on Al-Quds Day.<ref>{{cite news|last=TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF, AP AND AFP|title=Chanting ‘Death to America, Israel,’ millions march in Iran on al-Quds Day|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/chanting-death-to-israel-iran-al-quds-day-marches-draw-millions/|date=10 July 2015}}</ref>

===US===
Almost 250 people participated a rally hold in ], commemorating Quds Day. Besides focusing on the "continuing siege of Gaza", the speakers "called for the U.S. to end military aid to Israel." <ref name="Chicago Monitor"/>
==See also== ==See also==
* ], in Israel
*]
*] * ]
* ], also on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan
*] (Israeli national holiday)
* ]
*], also on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan
* ]


==Notes== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Quds Day}} {{Commons category|Quds Day}}
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Latest revision as of 17:35, 10 December 2024

Annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan

This article is about the annual pro-Palestinian day of protest. For the Israeli national holiday, see Jerusalem Day. For the march on the Israeli holiday, see Jerusalem Day march.
Quds Day
Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, 2016
Official nameروز جهانی قدس (Ruz Jahâni Quds)
Observed byArab world, Muslim world, anti-Zionists
TypeInternational
SignificanceDemonstrations against Zionism, the State of Israel, and the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem; solidarity with the Palestinian people
DateLast Friday of Ramadan
2024 dateApril 5
FrequencyAnnual
Started byRuhollah Khomeini
Related toIranian Revolution
Palestinian nationalism
Anti-Zionism
Part of a series on
Jerusalem
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Second Temple Period 538 BCE–70 CE
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Late Medieval 1187–1517
Ottoman 1517–1917
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Modern period
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    Political status
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    Quds Day (lit. 'Jerusalem Day'), officially known as International Quds Day (Persian: روز جهانی قدس, romanized: Ruz Jahâni Quds), is an annual pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israel and Zionism. It takes its name from the Arabic name for Jerusalem: al-Quds.

    The event was first held in 1979 in Iran, shortly after the Iranian Revolution. The day exists partly in opposition to Israel's Jerusalem Day, which has been celebrated by Israelis since May 1968 and was declared a national holiday by the Knesset in 1998. Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in the Muslim world, as well as in non-Muslim communities around the world, in protest against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.

    Critics of Quds Day have argued that it is antisemitic. In Iran, the day is marked by widespread speeches and rallies that have been frequented by chants of "Death to Israel, Death to America", with crowds trampling and burning Israeli flags. Quds Day rallies have also featured demonstrations against other countries and causes.

    History

    An annual anti-Zionist day of protest was first suggested by Ebrahim Yazdi, the first foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Revolution. At the time, its predominant context was related to deepening tensions between Israel and Lebanon. Khomeini adopted Yazdi's idea, and on 7 August 1979, he declared the last Friday of every Ramadan as "Quds Day", in which Muslims worldwide would unite in solidarity against Israel and in support of the Palestinians. Khomeini stated that the "liberation" of Jerusalem was a religious duty to all Muslims:

    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 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.

    — Ruhollah Khomeini, 1979

    There have been recorded incidents of violence on Quds Day, including 28 people killed and 326 wounded by bombs in 1985 during the Iran–Iraq War. Iran celebrates the event characteristically by putting on public display poster images of the city of Jerusalem, thematic speeches, art exhibitions reflecting the issue, and folkloric events. In Lebanon, Hezbollah marks the occasion by organizing a substantive military parade for the last week of each Ramadan. Since 1989, Jordan has observed the event by hosting academic conferences, whose venue from university to university varies each year. Arab societies generally pay the occasion lip service in order to make a show of solidarity with the cause of Palestinian aspirations for nationhood.

    The day is also marked throughout Muslim and Arab countries. In January 1988, during the First Intifada, the Jerusalem Committee of the Organization of the Islamic Conference decided that Quds Day should be commemorated in public events throughout the Arab world. In countries with significant Shia Muslim populations, particularly Lebanon, where Hezbollah organizes Quds Day observances, there is significant attendance at the day's events. Events are also held in Iraq, the Palestinian Gaza Strip, and Syria. Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad 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, as well as some Muslim countries in Southeast Asia. According to the BBC, while the original idea behind Quds Day was to gather all Muslims in opposition to the existence of Israel, the event has not developed beyond an Iranian experience. Apart from rallies, usually funded and organized by Iran itself in various capital cities, the ritual never took root among Muslims at large.

    Quds Day events

    Further information: List of Quds Day demonstrations

    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, as well as the U.S. government. The crowds respond with chants of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America". According to Roger Howard, many Iranians under the age of 30 continue to participate in Quds Day events, though proportionately less than those on the streets. He adds that many Iranian students on campus say in private that the Arab–Israeli conflict has "nothing to do with us."

    Quds Day protests have been held in parts of the Middle East and in London and Berlin and the United States. Marches in London have drawn up to 3,000 people, while Berlin saw 1,600 protestors in 2018. Rallies were held in at least 18 cities across the United States in 2017.

    In 2020, for the first time since the initiation four decades ago, the Quds day event was held virtually in Iran amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Gallery

    See also

    References

    1. "Al-Quds Day to be marked tomorrow". The Nation. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
    2. "Ramadan Calendar 2025". IslamicFinder.
    3. "Ramadan Calendar 2023, Sehar (Sahur) Time and Iftar Time | IslamicFinder". IslamicFinder. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
    4. ^ "Iran's 'Jerusalem Day': Behind the rallies and rhetoric". BBC Persian. August 1, 2013.
    5. Francesca Ceccarini, Al-Quds e Yerushalayim Un dialogo in due lingue. I Paesi arabi e la questione di Gerusalemme, FrancoAngeli, Milan 2016 p.166
    6. C. Hanley, Delinda (2010). "International Al-Quds Day in DC". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. – via General OneFile (subscription required)
    7. * Sokolski, Henry D.; Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute; Nonproliferation Policy Education Center (2007). Gauging U.S.-Indian strategic cooperation. Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-58487-284-9. Many Muslims commemorate Al Quds Day by protesting against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem where the Al Quds mosque is located {{cite book}}: |author3= has generic name (help)
      • "Iran warns West on al-Quds day". Al-Jazeera. September 26, 2008. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied in cities across the country to protest against Israel's occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem.
    8. Chambers, Bill (July 12, 2015). "Al-Quds Day Commemorated in Chicago". The Chicago Monitor. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
    9. Sommerlad, Joe (June 8, 2018). "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
    10. Küntzel, Matthias (2015). "Tehran's Efforts to Mobilize Antisemitism". Tehran's Efforts to Mobilize Antisemitism: The Global Impact. Indiana University Press. pp. 508–532. ISBN 9780253018656. JSTOR j.ctt18crxz7.22. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
    11. Seliktar, Ofira (January 2, 2023). "Iran's antisemitism and anti-Zionism: eliminationist or performative?". Israel Affairs. 29 (1): 137–154. doi:10.1080/13537121.2023.2162260. ISSN 1353-7121.
    12. Wistrich, Robert S. (2014). "Gaza, Hamas, and the Return of Antisemitism". Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs. 8 (3): 35–48. doi:10.1080/23739770.2014.11446601. ISSN 2373-9770.
    13. "Al Quds Day: Protesters burn flags and chant 'death to Israel' at annual rallies held across Iran". independent.co.uk. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
    14. AFP (June 23, 2017). "Chants against Israeli occupation in Palestine, Saudi and US as Iran marks Al Quds Day". Hindustan Times. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
    15. Marjohn Sheikhi (June 8, 2018). "Today's Quds rallies in opposition of Israel, US, Saudi Arabia". Mehr News. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
    16. Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 88. ISBN 9780230607828.
    18. "Qudsday". Archived from the original on October 28, 2003.
    19. "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. June 8, 2018.
    20. Yitzhak Reiter, Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity, Springer, 2008 p.142.
    21. Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 142. ISBN 9780230607828.
    22. ^ "Jerusalem Day". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. September 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
    23. Iranians rally on 'al-Quds Day', aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )
    24. Iran eyewitness: protest videos, BBC, (September 18, 2009)
    25. Roger Howard, Iran in Crisis?: The Future of the Revolutionary Regime and the US Response, Zed Books (2004). ISBN 978-1-84277-475-5. p. 49.
    26. Weinthal, Benjamin (June 9, 2018). "Heavy turnout at al-Quds rally in Berlin calls for Israel's destruction". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
    27. Sommerlad, Joe (June 8, 2018). "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
    28. "ADL Raises Concern About Potential For Hate Speech at Anti-Israel Protests Taking Place in 18 U.S. Cities". Anti-Defamation League. June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
    29. Fassihi, Farnaz (May 22, 2020). "Virus Lockdown Forces Iran Into Its First Virtual Quds Day". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2020.

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