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.[1] 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.[2] Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in the Muslim world, as well as in non-Muslim communities around the world,[3] in protest against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.[4][5]

Critics of Quds Day have argued that it is antisemitic.[6][7] In Iran, the day is marked by widespread speeches (some featuring Holocaust denial)[8] and rallies that have been frequented by chants of "Death to Israel, Death to America", with crowds trampling and burning Israeli flags.[9][10] Quds Day rallies have also featured demonstrations against other countries and causes.[11][12][13]

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,[1] and on August 7, 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.[14] Khomeini stated that the "liberation" of Jerusalem was a religious duty to all Muslims:[15]

Quds Day events

In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.[22][23] 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".[20]

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.[24][6][25]

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.[26]

Participation

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."[27] According to an April 2024 report by Iran International, many Iranians see the annual Quds Day event as irrelevant and disconnected from the country's dire social and economic realities.[28]

Controversy

In March 2026 the UK government has banned Londons international Quads day march following a request from the Metropolitan Police to prevent serious public disorder. Sarah Sackman described the support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and its proxies as "anti-British" and argued that people promoting hate and hostility should not be allowed to march on London's streets.[29] Static protests that took place were criticised as organisers praised Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's former supreme leader, killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes during the 2026 Iran war, saying Khamenei was standing on "the right side of history".[30][31] 12 arrests were made during the London demonstration and counter‑protests, including for support of proscribed organizations, and threatening behaviour.[32]

In March 2026, the government of Ontario, Canada applied to Superior Court for an emergency injunction barring a Quds Day march in Toronto. The claim was the protest had potential for violence, promoted antisemitism, hatred, intimidation and the glorification of terrorism. However, the judge ruled, there was insufficient evidence that the protest would lead to significant criminal activity or that police could not maintain the peace. In particular, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom upholds the right to assemble and speak freely, even in times of global conflict.[33][34]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Iran's 'Jerusalem Day': Behind the rallies and rhetoric". BBC Persian. August 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ Francesca Ceccarini, Al-Quds e Yerushalayim Un dialogo in due lingue. I Paesi arabi e la questione di Gerusalemme, FrancoAngeli, Milan 2016 p.166
  3. ↑ C. Hanley, Delinda (2010). "International Al-Quds Day in DC". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. – via General OneFile (subscription required)
  4. ↑
    • 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
    • "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.
  5. ↑ Chambers, Bill (July 12, 2015). "Al-Quds Day Commemorated in Chicago". The Chicago Monitor. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Sommerlad, Joe (June 8, 2018). "This is why people are burning effigies of Donald Trump in Iran today". The Independent. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  7. ↑ Küntzel, Matthias (2015). "Tehran's Efforts to Mobilize Antisemitism: The Global Impact". Deciphering the New Antisemitism. Indiana University Press. pp. 508–532. ISBN 9780253018656. JSTOR j.ctt18crxz7.22.
  8. 1 2 3 Litvak, Meir (2017), "Iranian Antisemitism and the Holocaust", in McElligott, Anthony; Herf, Jeffrey (eds.), Antisemitism Before and Since the Holocaust: Altered Contexts and Recent Perspectives, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 214, 218, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-48866-0_9, ISBN 978-3-319-48866-0, retrieved June 16, 2025
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Al Quds Day: Protesters burn flags and chant 'death to Israel' at annual rallies held across Iran". independent.co.uk. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Marjohn Sheikhi (June 8, 2018). "Today's Quds rallies in opposition of Israel, US, Saudi Arabia". Mehr News. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  14. ↑ Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 88. ISBN 9780230607828.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "Qudsday". Archived from the original on October 28, 2003.
  17. ↑ Magen, Ze'ev (2023). Reading revolutionary Iran: the worldview of the Islamic republic's religio-political elite. Studies on Modern Orient. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. p. 626. ISBN 978-3-11-101810-2.
  18. ↑ Yitzhak Reiter, Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity, Springer, 2008 p.142.
  19. ↑ Yitzhak Reiter (2008). Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 142. ISBN 9780230607828.
  20. 1 2 "Jerusalem Day". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. September 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  21. ↑ "Iranian protesters unveil clock showing 8,411 days until the end of Israel". The Independent. June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  22. ↑ Iranians rally on 'al-Quds Day', aljazeera.net, (September 18, 2009 )
  23. ↑ Iran eyewitness: protest videos, BBC, (September 18, 2009)
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ "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.
  26. ↑ Fassihi, Farnaz (May 22, 2020). "Virus Lockdown Forces Iran Into Its First Virtual Quds Day". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  27. ↑ 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.
  28. ↑ "Iranians Criticize Quds Day's Futility And Destructive Impact". www.iranintl.com. April 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  29. ↑ Mohdin, Aamna (March 11, 2026). "What is London's al-Quds Day march and why has the event been banned?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Al Quds march banned in London after police cite 'severe' risks". Sky News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Al Quds Day march banned after government approves Met request". www.bbc.com. March 11, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  32. ↑ Staff, Al Jazeera. "A dozen arrests as hundreds attend Al-Quds Day rally in London". Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  33. ↑ accessed March 17, 2026, https://web.archive.org/web/20260317222421/https://www.cija.ca/extremist_al_quds_day_rally_proceeds_after_court_denies_injunction
  34. ↑ accessed March 17, 2026, https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.cija.ca/extremist_al_quds_day_rally_proceeds_after_court_denies_injunction
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quds_Day