Quds Day: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan}} |
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{{About|the annual pro-Palestinian day of protest|the Israeli national holiday|Jerusalem Day}} |
{{About|the annual pro-Palestinian day of protest|the Israeli national holiday|Jerusalem Day|the march on the Israeli holiday|Jerusalem Day march}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}{{Infobox holiday |
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}{{Infobox holiday |
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|image = File:2016 Quds International Day in Tehran.jpg |
| image = File:2016 Quds International Day in Tehran.jpg |
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|caption = Quds Day in Tehran |
| caption = Quds Day in [[Tehran]], [[Iran]], 2016 |
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|holiday_name = Quds Day |
| holiday_name = Quds Day |
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|official_name = |
| official_name = {{lang|fa|روز جهانی قدس}} (''Ruz Jahâni Quds'') |
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|duration = 1 day |
| duration = 1 day |
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|frequency = Annual |
| frequency = Annual |
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|observedby = [[ |
| observedby = [[Arab world]], [[Muslim world]], [[anti-Zionists]] |
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| type = International |
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|type = Ideological |
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| 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> |
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| date2022 = April 29<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.islamicfinder.org/ramadan-calendar/ |title=Ramadan Calendar {{CURRENTYEAR}} |website=IslamicFinder}}</ref> |
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| 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> |
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| date = [[Friday prayer|Last Friday]] of [[Ramadan]] |
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| startedby = [[Ruhollah Khomeini]] |
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| date2024 = April 5 |
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{{Jerusalem sidebar}} |
{{Jerusalem sidebar}} |
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'''Quds Day''' ( |
'''Quds Day''' ({{Literal translation|Jerusalem Day}}), officially known as '''International Quds Day''' ({{langx|fa|روز جهانی قدس|Ruz Jahâni Quds}}), is an annual [[Palestinian nationalism|pro-Palestinian]] event held on the [[Friday prayer|last Friday]] of the [[Islam|Islamic]] holy month of [[Ramadan]] to express support for [[Palestinians]] and oppose [[Israel]] and [[Zionism]].<ref name="bbcpersian" /> It takes its name from the [[Arabic]] name for [[Jerusalem]]: {{Transliteration|ar|al-Quds}}. |
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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.<ref name="Ceccarini">Francesca Ceccarini, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ol94CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA166 ''Al-Quds e Yerushalayim Un dialogo in due lingue. I Paesi arabi e la questione di Gerusalemme,''] FrancoAngeli, Milan 2016 p.166</ref> Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in the [[Muslim world]], 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 [[Israeli occupation of the West Bank|Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem]].<ref>* {{cite book|last1=Sokolski|first1=Henry D. |author2=Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute |author3=[[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}} |
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* {{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| |
* {{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> |
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Critics of Quds Day |
Critics of Quds Day have argued that it is [[new antisemitism|antisemitic]].<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 "[[Death to Israel]], [[Death to America]]", with crowds trampling and burning [[Flag of Israel|Israeli flags]].<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> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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An annual [[ |
An annual [[Anti-Zionism|anti-Zionist]] day of protest was first suggested by [[Ebrahim Yazdi]], the first foreign minister of the [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]], to [[Ruhollah Khomeini]], the leader of the [[Iranian Revolution]]. At the time, its predominant context was related to [[Israeli–Lebanese conflict|deepening tensions between Israel and Lebanon]]. 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 [[Friday prayer|last Friday]] of every [[Ramadan]] 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|url=https://archive.org/details/jerusalemitsrole00reit|url-access=limited|author=Yitzhak Reiter|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2008|isbn=9780230607828|page=[https://archive.org/details/jerusalemitsrole00reit/page/n96 88]}}</ref> Khomeini stated that the "liberation" of [[Jerusalem]] was a religious duty to all Muslims:<ref> |
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* {{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 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SFcm8Z66kVQC |
* {{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}} |
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* {{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 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EKRlEPFc038C |
* {{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> |
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{{quote|I invite |
{{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 [[State of Palestine|Palestine]]. |
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For many years, I have been notifying the Muslims of the danger posed by the |
For many years, I have been notifying the Muslims of the danger posed by the [[Legitimacy of the State of Israel|usurper Israel]] which today has intensified its savage attacks against the Palestinian brothers and sisters, and which, in the [[Southern Lebanon|south of Lebanon]] in particular, is continually bombing Palestinian homes in the hope of crushing the Palestinian struggle. I ask all the [[Muslim world|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 in Islam|God Almighty]] for the victory of the Muslims over the [[Kafir|infidels]].|[[Ruhollah Khomeini]], 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>}} |
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There have been recorded incidents of violence on Quds Day, including 28 people killed and 326 wounded by bombs in 1985 during the [[ |
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]].<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 [[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 [[wikt:lip service|lip service]] in order to make a show of solidarity with the cause of [[Palestinian nationalism|Palestinian aspirations for nationhood]].<ref>Yitzhak Reiter, [https://books.google.com/books?id=bZbFAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA142, ''Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity''], Springer, 2008 p.142.</ref> |
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The day is also marked throughout Muslim and [[Arab world|Arab countries]]. In January 1988, during the [[First Intifada]], the Jerusalem Committee of the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Organization of the Islamic Conference]] 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=[https://archive.org/details/jerusalemitsrole00reit/page/n150 142]}}</ref> In countries with significant [[Shia Islam|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 [[Gaza Strip|Palestinian Gaza Strip]], and [[Syria]]. Both [[Hamas]] and [[Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine|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 [[Islam in Southeast Asia|Muslim countries in Southeast 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=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 [[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.<ref name="bbcpersian" /> |
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According to the [[BBC]], 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 various capital cities, the ritual never took root among Muslims at large.<ref name="bbcpersian" /> |
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==Quds Day events== |
==Quds Day events== |
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{{Further|List of Quds Day demonstrations}} |
{{Further|List of Quds Day demonstrations}} |
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In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.<ref name="AJ">[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/09/200991875246806121.html Iranians rally on 'al-Quds Day'], aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )</ref><ref name="BBC">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8263467.stm Iran eyewitness: protest videos], 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" |
In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.<ref name="AJ">[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/09/200991875246806121.html Iranians rally on 'al-Quds Day'], aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )</ref><ref name="BBC">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8263467.stm Iran eyewitness: protest videos], 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 "[[Calls for the destruction of Israel|Death to Israel]]" and "[[Death to America]]".<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 [[Arab–Israeli conflict]] has "nothing to do with us."<ref name="Howard">Roger Howard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0QUlwOZbUL0C&pg=PA49 ''Iran in Crisis?: The Future of the Revolutionary Regime and the US Response''], [[Zed Books]] (2004). {{ISBN|978-1-84277-475-5}}. p. 49.</ref> |
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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 |
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 | 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> |
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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 in Iran|COVID-19 pandemic]].<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> |
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==Gallery== |
==Gallery== |
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File:Al-Quds 2014 Berlin 20140725 162233.jpg|[[Berlin]], 2014 |
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File: |
File:2018 London Quds day rally-2.jpg|[[London]], 2018 |
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File: |
File:روز جهانی قدس در شهر قم- Quds Day In Iran-Qom City 34.jpg|[[Qom]], 2015 |
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File: |
File:Shahab Missile in Quds Day 2017 in Tehran01.jpg|[[Tehran]], 2017 |
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File: |
File:راهپیمایی روز قدس در تهران - ۶-۲۸.jpg|[[Tehran]], 2016 |
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File:راهپیمایی روز قدس در تهران - ۶-۲۸.jpg|Tehran, 2016 |
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</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Jerusalem Day]], in Israel |
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* [[Iran–Israel relations]] |
* [[Iran–Israel relations]] |
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* [[Jumu'ah-tul-Wida]], also on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan |
* [[Jumu'ah-tul-Wida]], also on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Anti-Israeli sentiment]] |
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[[Category:1979 establishments in Iran]] |
[[Category:1979 establishments in Iran]] |
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[[Category:Recurring events established in 1979]] |
[[Category:Recurring events established in 1979]] |
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[[Category:Anti-Zionism]] |
[[Category:Anti-Zionism in Iran]] |
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[[Category:Foreign relations of Iran]] |
[[Category:Foreign relations of Iran]] |
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[[Category:Iran–Israel relations]] |
[[Category:Iran–Israel relations]] |
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[[Category:Palestinian politics]] |
[[Category:Palestinian politics]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Late modern history of Jerusalem]] |
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[[Category:International observances]] |
[[Category:International observances]] |
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[[Category:Observances set by the Islamic calendar]] |
[[Category:Observances set by the Islamic calendar]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:29, 21 October 2024
| Quds Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | روز جهانی قدس (Ruz Jahâni Quds) |
| Observed by | Arab world, Muslim world, anti-Zionists |
| Type | International |
| Significance | Demonstrations against Zionism, the State of Israel, and the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem; solidarity with the Palestinian people |
| Date | Last Friday of Ramadan |
| 2023 date | April 14[1] |
| 2024 date | April 5 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Started by | Ruhollah Khomeini |
| Related to | Iranian Revolution Palestinian nationalism Anti-Zionism |
| Part of a series on |
| Jerusalem |
|---|
 |
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.[4] 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.[5] Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in the Muslim world, as well as in non-Muslim communities around the world,[6] in protest against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.[7][8]
Critics of Quds Day have argued that it is antisemitic.[9][10] 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.[11][12] Quds Day rallies have also featured demonstrations against other countries and causes.[13][14][15]
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,[4] 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.[16] Khomeini stated that the "liberation" of Jerusalem was a religious duty to all Muslims:[17]
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[18]
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.[19] 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.[20]
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.[21] 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.[22] 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.[4]
Quds Day events
In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.[23][24] 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".[22] 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."[25]
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.[26][27][28]
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.[29]
Gallery
See also
- Jerusalem Day, in Israel
- Iran–Israel relations
- Jumu'ah-tul-Wida, also on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan
- Quds in Persian literature
- Death to America
References
- ^ "Ramadan Calendar 2023, Sehar (Sahur) Time and Iftar Time | IslamicFinder". IslamicFinder. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ "Al-Quds Day to be marked tomorrow". The Nation. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- ^ "Ramadan Calendar 2024". IslamicFinder.
- ^ a b c "Iran's 'Jerusalem Day': Behind the rallies and rhetoric". BBC Persian. August 1, 2013.
- ^ Francesca Ceccarini, Al-Quds e Yerushalayim Un dialogo in due lingue. I Paesi arabi e la questione di Gerusalemme, FrancoAngeli, Milan 2016 p.166
- ^ C. Hanley, Delinda (2010). "International Al-Quds Day in DC". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. – via General OneFile (subscription required)
- ^ * 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.
- "Iran warns West on al-Quds day". Al-Jazeera. September 26, 2008.
- ^ Chambers, Bill (July 12, 2015). "Al-Quds Day Commemorated in Chicago". The Chicago Monitor. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ Sommerlad, Joe (June 8, 2018). "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ 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) - ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Al Quds Day: Protesters burn flags and chant 'death to Israel' at annual rallies held across Iran". independent.co.uk. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Marjohn Sheikhi (June 8, 2018). "Today's Quds rallies in opposition of Israel, US, Saudi Arabia". Mehr News. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 88. ISBN 9780230607828.
- ^
- Khan, M.A. Muqtedar (2004). Jihad for Jerusalem: Identity and Strategy in International Relations. Google Books: Greenwood Publishing. p. 157. ISBN 9780275980146. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- Friedland, Roger; Richard Hecht (1996). To Rule Jerusalem. Google Books: University of California Press. p. 370. ISBN 9780520220928.
- ^ "Qudsday". Archived from the original on October 28, 2003.
- ^ "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. June 8, 2018.
- ^ Yitzhak Reiter, Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity, Springer, 2008 p.142.
- ^ Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 142. ISBN 9780230607828.
- ^ a b "Jerusalem Day". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. September 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ Iranians rally on 'al-Quds Day', aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )
- ^ Iran eyewitness: protest videos, BBC, (September 18, 2009)
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Sommerlad, Joe (June 8, 2018). "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (May 22, 2020). "Virus Lockdown Forces Iran Into Its First Virtual Quds Day". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quds Day.
- International Quds Day in Hamasna official website
- 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
Categories:
- Anti-Israeli sentiment
- 1979 establishments in Iran
- Recurring events established in 1979
- Anti-Zionism in Iran
- Foreign relations of Iran
- Iran–Israel relations
- Palestinian politics
- Late modern history of Jerusalem
- International observances
- Observances set by the Islamic calendar
- Islamic terminology
- August observances