Dear readers, what comes following is an article by the prominent writer, Sheikh Abdullah Makwinja, the resident Imam at Fatima Zahra (PBUH) Centre in Harare.
The Quds Day is a universal day. It is not an exclusive day for Quds itself. It is a day for the oppressed to rise and stand up against the arrogant powers. It is a resistance day for those nations who have suffered oppression at the hands of the United States and other powers” – Ayatollah Imam Khomeini
It could be recalled that the Late Ayatollah Imam Khomeini declared the last Friday of every Ramadan as the International Quds Day, in 1979.
The rationale was to awaken the world public opinion about the condemnable illegal occupation of Palestine by the Zionists and the atrocities against humanity committed by an illegitimate state called Israel. Popularly referred as the day of the oppressed, it symbolizes solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians by all justice-seeking people of the world including the non-Zionist Jews.
This year Quds Day has taken on additional significance due to the instability in the Middle East. The Late Imam Khomeini called on Muslims to use the spiritual benefits of the Ramadan to contribute to the freedom of Palestine. We see it necessary to remind the readers the point that the origin of this day can be traced in Imam Khomeini’s thoughts. From his very early youth days, the Imam used to warn the public and masses of the dangers posed by the international Zionism.
It goes without saying that by declaring the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as the “Quds Day” the Imam had his farsightedness beyond the Palestinian issue. In other words, he could foresee the American-Zionist hands of conspiracy in creating turmoil in the Middle East in the form of extremist groups who would commit crimes against humanity in the name of religions.
With deep analysis of Imam’s speeches regarding the “Quds Day”, we can easily come to this conclusion that Imam’s views on this issue are substantial and of global significance. He has highlighted the points, which are common among all oppressed people. They are important because they remind the world’s oppressed that the root cause of our suffering is Zionism.
In fact, the great influence of Imam’s thoughts can be seen among the Muslim world. In addition to accessible piousness in month of Ramadan, the Quds cause has also created a spirit of collective determination and co-ordination among the Muslims. This day provides a role model for the Muslims and gives them self-confidence that Quds can be retaken back with a combination of courage and unity.
Thus, he wanted to unite all forces and potentials of the Muslim world to form a united front against the Zionists, world-exploiting powers and their allies.
On the other hand, the Zionist regime has been making every effort to convert this issue into a racial and national conflict between the Arabs and Israel or Muslims and Jews. It is absolutely wrong. During the 1948 Nakba, 800 000 people were forced out of Palestine among them, 100 000 Christian Palestinians who had lived all through their history in co-existence with their Muslim brothers and sisters until the creation of the “State of Israel”. Intolerance and hatred does not live among Christians and Muslims in Palestine, although Israel wants us to believe so. It is one of the propaganda myths of US-backed Zionist regime. Christians suffer occupation in exactly the same way all Palestinians suffer at the hands of the Zionist regime and its policies.
Meanwhile, profiling itself as the caretaker of the “Holy Land”, “Israel” is taking undue advantage of an ugly truth which is in no way divine whatsoever. While there overwhelming evidence that the resident Christians in Israel are treated more or less like the Arabs, Israel has been welcoming Christians, particularly from the Western countries, on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Undoubtedly, the Zionist regime is merely concerned with the money that these pilgrims bring to its tourism industry rather any concern or empathy for Christians.
Yet, strangely enough, and despite being witness to open violation of human rights and increasing atrocities of the Zionist regime against defenseless Palestinians, it seems to be easier for many to maintain never ending sympathy for “Israel” out of their sympathy for the Holocaust victims, who faced whatever they faced in some other part of the world – in the heart of Europe – at the hands of people who had no connection with the people of Palestine. It appears that those who sympathies with Israel are mixing up the Zionist regime up with the “Holy Land” while ignoring the facts that Israel is committing every sin, disregarding every law – even the divine ones – and has actually been committing a 64-year long Holocaust on all Palestinians, both Christians as well as Muslims.