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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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19 June 2017
Press release – UK: Al-Quds Day rally a success despite best efforts of Zionists
The annual al-Quds day demonstration in support of Palestinians passed by peacefully on Sunday 18 June in London in the face of attempts by pro-Zionist groups to disrupt it and even have it called off.
Between two to three thousand people from all over the UK turned out to commemorate al-Quds Day, a day that has been marked globally since being inaugurated in 1979 by Ayatollah Khomeini who asked for the last Friday in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to be set aside as a day for uniting against Israel and showing support for the dispossessed and oppressed Palestinians.
Since then it has snowballed into a general show of solidarity drawing in people of all faiths and political persuasions. This year’s event again featured people of all political and religious persuasions including Jews from Israel, Christians and Muslims.
This year, as in previous ones, pro-Israeli activists tried to smear the event as anti-semitic in a bid to have it called off. Having failed to succeed they held a counter-demonstration trying to antagonise and provoke the participants. Counter protestors hurled Islamophobic and racist abuse at the Al-Quds day demonstrators.
IHRC was disappointed at the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s failure to respond to the Islamophobic nature of the Zionists’ accusations which had branded march organisers and participants supporters of terrorism.
The anti-Muslim hate preacher Maajid Nawaz had also ratcheted up toxic anti-Muslim rhetoric on his LBC radio show cranking up the environment of hate in which Muslims find themselves today.
Demonstrators made their way through the busy streets of central London to the US embassy in Grosvenor Square. The embassy was again selected as a rallying point because of Washington’s continuing support of Israel. The US continues to underwrite the Zionist regime financially, militarily and politically and block all attempts at finding a just solution to the Palestinian issue.
While much of the world’s attention has been deflected by other conflicts in the Middle East, the Zionist regime has continued its relentless policy of settlement building, confiscating and isolating Palestinian lands and restricting Palestinians’ movement and access to the necessities of daily life such as water and medical care. Resistance to the occupation has been met with bullets – scores of Palestinians have again been killed in the last year.
The Gaza Strip remains effectively blockaded by Israel on one side and the Egyptian regime on the other. The siege has crippled the economy with nearly half of all people out of work, higher than any other economy in the world. Youth unemployment is believed to be 60%. Some 80% of inhabitants are dependent on external aid to survive.
For media enquiries or further details please email media@ihrc.org or call +4420 8904 4222, +44 7426 728074 or +447958 522196
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IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom
Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
Twitter @ihrc
