Sunday, June 18, 2017

What is the Universal Day of Quds?

Al Quds Day 2017 7ad20
Once more the month of Ramadhan is rapidly coming to a close, and before long, the blessed nights of Qadr will be upon us, and then as the month comes to a close, the final Friday of this blessed month, is always a particularly special day. Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the last Friday of every month of Ramadhan has been designated as the Universal Day of Quds.  Quds is an Arabic term for Jerusalem, but literally meaning “The Sacred”.
Every year, millions of people across the world, gather in demonstrations, conferences and meetings, that call out the oppressors and provide support to the oppressed.
Most of the time, these events, are focused on and provide solidarity with one of the most heinous injustices that exist on our planet today, the tragedy of the Palestinians.  Where the people of Palestine are having their entire existence stolen, all with the blessing of the world powers and indeed the blessing of the United Nations Organisation.
When we look at the inception of the Universal Day of Quds by the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini and examine some of the quotes and statements he made regarding the Universal Day of Quds, we can see that this event is far more than an event about a single issue, rather it encompasses an overriding and indeed timeless issue, that of the oppressed against the oppressor, and making a righteous resistance against the oppressor:
“Quds Day is a universal day; it does not merely centre on Quds; rather, it is the opposition day of the oppressed against arrogant powers.”
Since the inception of the Universal Day of Quds, the plight of the Palestinians and the terrorism and genocidal nature of the Zionists - the fulcrum of the true Axis of Evil - Tel Aviv, Washington and London; has been - rightly so - a central theme.  The Quds Day demonstrations, conferences and events are focused on the plight of the Palestinians.
In this day and age, we can see that the influence of the Zionists and their allies has moved beyond Palestine and it has now infected at the very least the Middle East region if not the entire planet.Since the inception of the Universal Day of Quds, the plight of the Palestinians and the terrorism and genocidal nature of the Zionists - the fulcrum of the true Axis of Evil - Tel Aviv, Washington and London; has been - rightly so - a central theme.  The Quds Day demonstrations, conferences and events are focused on the plight of the Palestinians.
Nowadays, we see the same carnage that was unleashed upon our brethren in Palestine being unleashed in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Eastern Occupied Arabia, Kashmir, the Rohingya people of Myanmar, and let's not forget Yemen.  Yemen, that like Palestine before her, was forgotten until it was revived and brought into the public consciousness by the words of the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khamenei, a few days after the Saudi Regime began its barbaric onslaught on Yemen, where he said:
“Today, what the government of Saudi Arabia is doing in Yemen is exactly the same thing that the Zionists are doing in Gaza. This issue has two aspects: one is that it is a genocidal crime. It is a crime that can be pursued by international authorities. They kill children and destroy houses, infrastructure and national sources of wealth. Well, this is a big crime. This is one aspect of the issue.”
Indeed, for nearly a century, this onslaught has been in play, the issue of Palestine came to the fore, simply because it was the most visible and most barbaric, as well as being the centre point of the struggle against injustice.
Indeed the plight of the Palestinians has been horrific (to put it mildly), but they have not been alone in being victims of hegemonic intentions, in being the victims of Satanic powers with no concern for basic humanity.  Not at all, Palestine was merely at the top of the list, and its plight is amongst the most heartbreaking. 
It was not, however, the only victim. 
As Imam Khomeini had stated:
“Muslims around the world should consider the Universal Day of Quds, not only as a day of their own but as the Day of the Oppressed.”
Indeed, now instead of only Palestine being overtly oppressed, we have countless more countries - primarily Muslim, I hasten to add - that are under threat of annihilation.  Be it via the terrorist mercenaries known as DAESH (aka ISIL or ISIS), or by more formal variants of DAESH that wear regular clothes, such as the Saudi Family, the Khalifa Family (of Bahrain) and their ilk.
We must also understand and keep in mind, and more importantly, learn from what Imam Khomeini had taught us previously regarding how the enemy operates.  Initially with respect to the Palestinian issue, but this is a formula that is used by the enemy in all of its various theatres:
“By means of military might, the spreading of propaganda among the Palestinians; the Zionist regime gave the impression that any change in the current state of affairs was impossible.”
It is important for us to keep this in mind.  It is important for us to learn from it.  After all Imam Ali had said:
“Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat the mistakes therein.”
Now here’s an interesting thought.
The fact that we have a single day in the month of Ramadhan, the last Friday, designated as the Universal Day of Quds, does this mean that in the 365 days that constitute a year, does this mean that we only remember or work for the oppressed and alleviating their difficulties for only this day?
Not at all, in fact, like the countless lessons that Muslims learn from the Month of Ramadhan, these are all designed to refocus and reinvigorate the spirit and give us renewed energy to continue the movement through the entire year.
In the same way that our fasting and prayers during these special days and nights of the month of Ramadhan revitalise our hearts and reinvigorate our connection with God, so too do the various events through the month of Ramadhan put fresh and cool water on the scorched mirrors of our hearts, hearts that have burned away through connection with the difficulties, trials and tribulations of this world.
The same way that the nights of Qadr (power or destiny) are designed to refocus us towards God, towards our duties as human beings and our responsibility as servants of God upon the Earth; in the same vein, the Universal Day of Quds is designed to do the same.
“Oh God, preserve for us what we have gained in this month and for what we have missed in this month, treat with your clemency our deprivation, our deficiency, as a weakness and recompense for us, what we have missed.”
We too must understand and pray ardently to God that he preserve all that we have gained in this blessed month.  These supplications are designed to inspire us, to embed themselves in our hearts and improve us, to constantly educate us, above all to help us become better people and better servants of God.  Therefore, while every day of every year is a lesson, the month of Ramadhan is more so, consider it a “crash course”.
On that basis, when in the month of Ramadhan, we see the passing away of the mother of the believers, Lady Khadija, the wife of Prophet Muhammad
We see the first battle fought in Islam, the Battle of Badr, wherein the Muslims were victorious, on account of their adherence to the instructions given by the Prophet. 
We see the attack on, and martyrdom of the brother of the Prophet Muhammad, the one known as “The Voice of Human Justice”, the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib.
In the midst of all of these - especially in the midst of the most momentous nights of Qadr - we see that Imam Khomeini has placed and reminded the people of the World about the plight of the oppressed, and announced the Universal Day of Quds.
This is important, and its significance and placement on the last Friday of the Month of Ramadhan must not be thought of as random. 
Rather, as explained, this is the day of the oppressed - all the oppressed - in the month of God, in the midst of the days of Destiny, that are amongst the most important in the Muslim calendar.
There are countless lessons within this, that tie into lessons we can - and should - obtain from the month of Ramadhan; key amongst them being that we shouldn’t just remember the oppressed from time to time, rather they should always be at the forefront of our minds. 
Imam Khamenei in his speech on the 26th Anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini had said:
“Wherever oppression exists, there are two sides: the oppressor and the oppressed. We advocate for the oppressed, and we are opposed to the oppressor. This was the position that Imam (Khomeini) adopted in an outspoken way, and this was one of his main guidelines.”
We, as free people across the world, have a responsibility - a duty- to support the oppressed, to do our utmost to alleviate their suffering and to stand firm against the oppressors, regardless of the cost of such resistance.
After all, if we examine the life and stance and lessons from the stance of Imam Husayn who has the title of “Abal Ahrar” which means “The Father of the Free”.  It is well known that the stance of Imam Husayn against the despotic tyrant Yazid ibn Muawiyah was a stance against an oppressor.  As those who are free, followers of the “Father of the Free.”
In order to benefit from the praying and fasting, the supplications and recitation of the Quran during the month of Ramadhan, we must also apply the lessons of the Quran and the various supplications in our daily lives - we must stand firm against the oppressors - be they the Zionists or the Arab Zionists, be they the forces of Global Arrogance or those of Global Takfirism, and we must also make that resistance against the oppression that we do to ourselves when we shirk our responsibilities towards the oppressed.
It should, however, be noted - and this is an important point - the plight of the Palestinians is still central to the struggle.  All of these other oppressive entities pale in comparison to the ones opposing the Palestinians, and indeed the carnage being unleashed upon the Palestinians by the Zionist Entity. 
Also, the reader should be under no illusion, the raison d'etre for the existence of the periphery mercenaries - such as DAESH, al-Qaeda, and indeed even the Children of Saud and Khalifa and their ilk across the world is not because they came into being out of thin air.  Rather their existence has been nurtured by the powers and agents of Global Zionism and Global Arrogance.
Much has been written about the origins of the Wahhabi Cult, and about the role of Global Arrogance and more specifically the American Empire in nurturing this Cult; and no doubt much more will be written, and I invite the respected reader to study and understand this phenomenon. 
But this should not be to allow for Wahhabism to become a focal point, at the expense of Zionism. 
Zionism and Wahhabism are two sides of the same coin.  Both have usurped divine ideologies - Zionism has usurped and corrupted Judaism and Christianity; with Wahhabism doing the same to Islam.  These two - Zionism and Wahhabism - should both be seen for what they are.  Cancers upon humanity.
As long as the powers that be, put us in a situation where we can only see one enemy or the other, be under no illusion, the end result will be the same, the victory of the oppressor on the oppressed. 
The reason for this is simple; the enemy desires to divide us by dividing themselves into factions.  They under one guise target a specific group, and in another guise go against a different group.  This is nothing but an illusion.
After all – have you seen DAESH or al-Qaeda go against the Zionist Entity or its interests?  Off course not. 
Have you seen the Saudi Entity and its allies go against the Zionists?  Even during the carnage unleashed on Gaza, there wasn’t even a beep of condemnation from the Saudi’s and their allies – not a solitary cry of condemnation. 
Conversely, have you seen the Zionists go against the Saudi-led carnage being wrought on Yemen, or Bahrain, or upon the people of Eastern Occupied Arabia?
Does anyone remember the Saudi’s or the Zionists condemning the carnage that is engulfing Syria, Libya or Iraq?  Not at all, rather they both in unison render the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent.
Both are for all intents and purposes the same, as I had said, two sides of the same coin, nurtured at the teat of the British and American Empires; and who serve their interests.
Both present the same clear and present danger to the future existence of the entire human race.
Two shards of glass targeting the eyes of humanity, attempting to blind humanity from the Truth.  But let us never forget, the Truth has an uncanny resilience, and will always shine through, no matter how dark the night, those who ally themselves with the Truth, know that the Dawn is indeed very near.
I will end with a couple of stanzas from the Supplication of the Opening, but before I do, it should always be noted that a supplication is designed to remind the supplicator.  To merely supplicate to God, but to not make a change within yourself and to stand for the oppressed and against the oppressor is not enough. 
We must all stand and be counted against the corruption and destructive nature of the oppressive entities.
All praise be unto God,
Who secures and believes in the frightened ones,
Who comes to the aid of the steadfast,
Who promotes the cause of the oppressed and weak,
Who annihilates the oppressors,
Who destroys the (unjust) rulers and replaces them with others

All praise be unto God,
The Destroyer of tyrants,
The Abolisher of the unjust,
The Capturer of the fugitives,
The Punisher of the unjust,
The Aide of the seekers of aid,
The Settler of the needs of those who beseech, and
The firm support of the faithful believers,

Oh God, we ardently desire and beg you for a righteous government,
Through which you honour Islam and its followers,
And humiliate hypocrisy and expose their plots and schemes ...

And from God alone is all ability and He is the ultimate recourse in all matters.
SHABBIR HASSANALLY
Shabbir Hassanally is a software engineer, and an Islamic Scholar, having studied in the Islamic Seminary of Qum.  He contributes to various outlets as a political analyst.  Mr Hassanally, advises various companies and organisations on their strategies in the MENA and EA regions. Mr Hassanally lectures at various Islamic Centres from time to time and is currently working on a book on the commonalities between Zionism and Wahhabism – from a political and hegemonic perspective, as well as examining historical parallels between these two cancers infecting humanity.

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