Quds, birthplace of divine religions (8)

Through all these years, the Zionist usurpers have not fulfilled any of their commitments stressed in the so-called (Oslo) peace talks.

In the previous program, we spoke of the status of Bayt ul-Muqaddas (al-Quds) and its holy sites especially al-Aqsa Mosque among Muslims and monotheists. The Zionists are trying, through distortion of history, to Judaize the holy Quds and legitimize the occupation of Palestine. With the support of the US president Donald Trump, they exert their utmost to declare al-Quds as the capital of the spurious Zionist regime. After the occupation of al-Quds in 1967, the Zionists sought to build numerous settlements especially in the eastern part of the city in a vain bid to Judaize the city. This act was against Oslo compromise talks which started in 1993 whose only fruit was the establishment of the Palestinian self-rule authority in the West Bank, and that with no real authority or power.

Through all these years, Zionists have not fulfilled any of their commitments stressed in the so-called peace talks. Ignoring the process of compromise, Zionists are trying to make al-Quds as their official capital. The president of Palestinian self-rule authority, Mahmoud Abbas, described the move not as a deal of the century, but the century’s slap in the face of Palestinians. The Zionists have been investing for decades to determine al-Quds as their capital. Changing the demographical fabric of the city and constructing settlements around it was the strategy of the Zionists which has persisted till this day. To materialize the plan in view of the growth of population, Zionists have created a special status for the Palestinians residing in al-Quds. Among the measures for reducing the number of Palestinians here, was the cancellation of identity cards and non-extension of residence, confiscation of Palestinian land and destruction of their homes. Banning any construction of homes by Palestinians and prohibition of building more than two-story buildings for them are among the Israeli acts for total elimination of Palestinians in al-Quds. We can also refer to giving permission to the Jews to have assets in eastern al-Quds while this is completely forbidden for Palestinians.

Reciprocally, Palestinians’ efforts in all these years have been focused on preserving Islamic-Palestinian identity. The Palestinians consider al-Quds an inseparable part of their land which the Zionist regime occupied in 1967 and, according to the UN Security Council resolution 242, the fabricated regime should have retreated from the occupied lands including al-Quds.

In 1995, over 330 scholars, thinkers and leaders of the national and cultural movements of the Islamic world signed and released a statement titled “assistance and solidarity” on the necessity of support for the resistance and struggle of the Palestinian Islamic movements against Zionism. Part of the statement read: The land, sovereignty, and sanctities of al-Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque, the site of Me'raj (ascension to the heavens) of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) can never be put to trade. Any solution that entails continuation of occupation of part of it or rejects the right of the Ummah, is legally rejected and is not acceptable to the Ummah and it does not create any responsibility or commitment." The Organization of the Islamic Conference, which later changed to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, was founded to defend Palestine against Zionist occupiers. According to the organization’s charter: "The purpose of the OIC is to coordinate efforts to protect holy sites, support the struggles of the Palestinian people and help them to regain their rights and liberate their lands.”

To materialize these objectives, centers were created inside the OIC and embarked on activity. The Quds Permanent Committee in Morocco, the Islamic Office of Military Coordination with Palestine, the Islamic Office of Sanction against Israel, the Islamic Committee Monitoring the Zionist enemy’s moves, the Palestine Sixth Committee, the Quds Fund and the Quds Administration in the Secretariat of the Organization comprise the structure of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

All elements of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in numerous meetings stressed the liberation of al-Quds from the Zionist occupation. Unfortunately, the Islamic states have not used all of their capacities to pressure the Zionist regime. In some cases, they have rather supported relationship with the regime whose ultimate goal is to annihilate Islam and Muslims. The only country that has stood firmly for four decades on defending the Palestinian people and the cause of liberation of holy Quds is the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a matter of fact, the liberation of the entire Palestine and struggling against the fake regime in Tel Aviv is the core of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic. The great leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, since the very early stages of the Islamic movement for overthrowing the despotic regime of Shah in Iran, stressed the cancerous danger of Israel for Islamic countries. Imam Khomeini was the first scholar and Marja' (Source of Emulation) who issued the fatwa to permit spending of financial alms (zakat and khoms) for support of Palestinian combatants. Prior to the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian Shah's regime was one of the close allies of the Zionist regime and the major part of the regime’s oil was provided by Iran. The agents of Iran’s spying organization SAVAK were trained by the Israeli spying and criminal apparatus Mossad and some of the training courses were held in the occupied Palestine. The founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran embarked on defending Palestine and reminding the cancerous tumor of Israel in the heart of the Islamic lands. In a speech, he said, “I am warning the Iranian nation and world Muslims according to my religious duty. The noble Qur'an and Islam are in danger. The country’s sovereignty and economy are under the control of Zionists. This corruption, which has been planted in the heart of Islamic countries with the support of big powers and its corruption keeps threatening Islamic states, should be uprooted by the efforts of Islamic countries and the great Islamic nation."

During his exile in Iraq and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him) remained resolute in fighting Zionism and warned free nations of the world about the danger of Zionism. He said, "I have been warning about the danger of global Zionism for nearly twenty years and today I don't see it less dangerous to all liberation revolutions of the world and the genuine Islamist Revolution in Iran, but today, these world-devouring leeches have acted to defeat the oppressed people of the world through different techniques. The Iranian people and the free nations of the world must stand up against these dangerous conspiracies with courage and awareness." The Imam, in all his struggles against Zionism and the domineering powers, made it clear that the issue of “Zionism” is separate from “Judaism.” From Imam Khomeini’s viewpoint, the global Zionism has always tried to cover all of its crimes, occupation and mischievous performance under the guise of Judaism. Imam Khomeini's struggle against the usurper regime of Israel was based on several axes. This pattern can be called the "anti-oppression struggle" or "anti-arrogance struggle”. Islamic Palestinian identity, unity of the Islamic Ummah, identification of the enemy and constant disclosure of the Zionist regime, and using capabilities of the Islamic world can be mentioned as the important and practical components of this pattern of struggle. Imam Khomeini believed that instead of turning to the thoughts and ideologies that have no root in the culture of the Palestinian Muslim nation, we should use the Islamic ideology and capacity. He would always emphasize that Muslims must use their own capacities and never expect any help from the hegemonic powers or the so-called international organizations and institutes since they are the offspring of the same powers to dominate and pillage the Islamic and poor countries. The announcement of the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as "Quds International Day" is an example of this conscious approach of Imam Khomeini. Ramadan is a unique opportunity in which Muslims, after one month of fasting and religious ceremonies, get prepared to assume the important responsibilities of the Ummah for liberation of al-Quds.

FK/RM/EA