Al-Quds Day is the last Friday of the month of Ramadan on which demonstrations are held across the world to protest against the occupation of Palestine. Soon after the Islamic revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini called on Muslims to dedicate this day to demanding the rights of oppressed Muslims around the world - particularly in Palestine. On this day, rallies are organized before Friday Prayer to protest against the occupation of Palestine and the oppression of its people.

Since the end of the month of Ramadan can vary from country to country, if the last day of Ramadan is a Friday or Saturday in Iran, al-Quds day will be held the week before. In some countries, due to lack of police authorization on Friday, the rally is made on another day or there is only permission for holding conferences on that day.

History

Since the occupation of Palestine began in 1948, most religious scholars have been demanding justice for the Palestinian people.

From the beginning of Iran›s Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA) stated that one of his goals was the liberation of Palestine from its occupant government. After the revolution, all official ties to Israel were broken and Israel›s embassy in Iran was granted to the Palestinians. When a new Israeli raid began on the south of Lebanon on Ramadan 13, 1399/August 7, 1979, Imam Khomeini gave a speech in which he announced the last Friday of the month of Ramadan to be known as ‹al-Quds Day›:

In the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful

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

A Day beyond Islamic Countries

On al-Quds day, demonstrations are held around the world in over 80 Islamic and non-Islamic countries. Among these are Malaysia, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Turkey, the United States of America, Canada, Norway, Azerbaijan, Sudan, England, Bahrain, Bosnia, Tunisia, Pakistan, Australia, Germany, Romania, Kuwait, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Venezuela, Albania, Yemen, and Greece.