On November 12th the Iranian regime is holding its international propaganda day "Al-Quds Day" with antisemitic hate rallies all around the world shamefully instrumentalizing the israeli-Palestinian conflict for securing its own islamist rule. The Iranian student movement reacted to this propaganda with the slogan "Leave Palestine be - think about us". Antiracist and Iranian activists from Berlin issued this international call.
Together against anti-Semitism and radical Islamism
Call against the international “Al-Quds Day” on November 12, 2004*
In 1979, the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramadan as an international day of struggle for the “liberation” of Jerusalem (Arabic: Al-Quds) and against Israel. Henceforth, on “Al-Quds Day”, Muslims all over the world were to demonstrate against the existence of the state of Israel. Annually, the Iranian regime organizes a central demonstration in Teheran, the Hizbullah holds a military parade in Beirut and all over the world, from Manila to Jakarta, from Berlin to London or Toronto, demonstrators demand the destruction of Israel.
We – the undersigned – do not agree on all issues related to the Middle East conflict. But we do join in protest against the anti-Semitic hatred expressed on international “Al-Quds Day,” on which the Iranian dictatorship instrumentalizes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to stabilize its own power. By practically and ideologically supporting Islamist terror groups, such as Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the Iranian government also systematically destroys any prospect of peace within the scope of a political solution.
But the international „Al-Quds Day“ is far more than a day of anti-Semitic propaganda. It is a day when the doctrine of Ayatollah Khomeini is propagated and the Islamist dictatorship in Iran is hailed – a dictatorship that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands members of the opposition or of ethnic or religious minorities in Iran. In Iran, gender apartheid is the rule; homosexuals and female „adulterers“ are threatened with stoning. Even in exile, members of the Iranian opposition are murdered by regime agents or threatened by “Death Fatwas” – the famous writer Salman Rushdie is only one prominent example. Therefore, we empathically show our solidarity with these victims of the Iranian dictatorship and support all emancipatory forces in Iran that strive to overturn this regime –today rather than tomorrow.
With our protest, we also criticize a widespread approach to Islamism in the Western societies, where racist and culturalist views of Islam prevail. On the one hand, migrants with Muslim background suffer discrimination as potential terrorists and are subjected to expeditious deportation. On the other hand, many people perceive Islamism as merely one of many cultural expressions of Muslims. Accordingly, there is a great willingness to consider Islamism as an influential movement in so-called Islamic countries and to enter into a “dialogue of civilizations” (a project of Iran’s president Kathami).
We explicitly object to any form of racist stigmatization of Muslims in Western societies and advocate a liberal migration policy. At the same time, we demand a confrontation with Islamist ideology and all its representatives. In particular, the endeavors of some Muslims to fight against Islamism – a political and partly militant attack on universal human rights – should be supported.
Thus, the political tenets of Ayatollah Khomeini and other representatives of Islamism are of concern to all of us – no matter where we come from, or whether we are religious or not. It is against this backdrop that, last year for the first time, a broad coalition of German and non-German activists publicly protested against the Al-Quds demonstration in Berlin, Germany.
We call for international protests against this year’s Al-Quds. The full list of supporters can be found here. If you would like to support our call, please send an e-mail to
basisvernetzung@yahoo.de.
This call is available in English, Persian and German language.
* In Europe, the „Al-Quds Day“ demonstrations take place mostly on Saturdays. In London, this will be 11/6, in Berlin 11/13, 2004.
Call against the international “Al-Quds Day” on November 12, 2004*
In 1979, the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramadan as an international day of struggle for the “liberation” of Jerusalem (Arabic: Al-Quds) and against Israel. Henceforth, on “Al-Quds Day”, Muslims all over the world were to demonstrate against the existence of the state of Israel. Annually, the Iranian regime organizes a central demonstration in Teheran, the Hizbullah holds a military parade in Beirut and all over the world, from Manila to Jakarta, from Berlin to London or Toronto, demonstrators demand the destruction of Israel.
We – the undersigned – do not agree on all issues related to the Middle East conflict. But we do join in protest against the anti-Semitic hatred expressed on international “Al-Quds Day,” on which the Iranian dictatorship instrumentalizes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to stabilize its own power. By practically and ideologically supporting Islamist terror groups, such as Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the Iranian government also systematically destroys any prospect of peace within the scope of a political solution.
But the international „Al-Quds Day“ is far more than a day of anti-Semitic propaganda. It is a day when the doctrine of Ayatollah Khomeini is propagated and the Islamist dictatorship in Iran is hailed – a dictatorship that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands members of the opposition or of ethnic or religious minorities in Iran. In Iran, gender apartheid is the rule; homosexuals and female „adulterers“ are threatened with stoning. Even in exile, members of the Iranian opposition are murdered by regime agents or threatened by “Death Fatwas” – the famous writer Salman Rushdie is only one prominent example. Therefore, we empathically show our solidarity with these victims of the Iranian dictatorship and support all emancipatory forces in Iran that strive to overturn this regime –today rather than tomorrow.
With our protest, we also criticize a widespread approach to Islamism in the Western societies, where racist and culturalist views of Islam prevail. On the one hand, migrants with Muslim background suffer discrimination as potential terrorists and are subjected to expeditious deportation. On the other hand, many people perceive Islamism as merely one of many cultural expressions of Muslims. Accordingly, there is a great willingness to consider Islamism as an influential movement in so-called Islamic countries and to enter into a “dialogue of civilizations” (a project of Iran’s president Kathami).
We explicitly object to any form of racist stigmatization of Muslims in Western societies and advocate a liberal migration policy. At the same time, we demand a confrontation with Islamist ideology and all its representatives. In particular, the endeavors of some Muslims to fight against Islamism – a political and partly militant attack on universal human rights – should be supported.
Thus, the political tenets of Ayatollah Khomeini and other representatives of Islamism are of concern to all of us – no matter where we come from, or whether we are religious or not. It is against this backdrop that, last year for the first time, a broad coalition of German and non-German activists publicly protested against the Al-Quds demonstration in Berlin, Germany.
We call for international protests against this year’s Al-Quds. The full list of supporters can be found here. If you would like to support our call, please send an e-mail to
basisvernetzung@yahoo.de. This call is available in English, Persian and German language.
* In Europe, the „Al-Quds Day“ demonstrations take place mostly on Saturdays. In London, this will be 11/6, in Berlin 11/13, 2004.
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Hide the following 3 comments
interesting
06.11.2004 22:39
Do some research yourselves if you dont believe me!
annon
interesting but not surprising
07.11.2004 21:10
So what to do?
communist
leaflet of the iranian counter demonstrators
08.11.2004 10:13
The Islamic Republic of Iran is exploiting the Palestine issue as a propaganda tool by holding an AL-Qods day rally in the streets of London.
In its 25 years of existence, the Islamic Republic of Iran has executed thousands of Iranian dissidents, jailed hundreds of political activists, closed down all the newspapers for the slightest of criticisms of its outdated ideology, and assassinated scores of its opponents outside Iran, including in Europe and Britain.
A medieval regime which claims to represent God on earth is no friend of its own people and has little regard for the lives and well beings of its own citizens, let alone the Palestinians and others in the Middle East. Islamic Republic of Iran, is an evil regime which thrives on exporting Islamic fundamentalism, meddling in other countries, and sponsoring international terrorism.
A regime which treats her own people in such brutal manner, is no friend of any other nation including the Palestinians. Her only objective by holding this Al-Qods rally is nothing but inflaming further a sensitive situation in the region.
Islamic Republic of Iran is the same regime which purchased arms from Israel in the Iran-gate affair and yet refused the humanitarian aid by Israeli NGOs during the devastating Bam earthquake. Such are the priorities of the Islamic regime in Iran.
The Iranian people in the last twenty-five years have experienced with their flesh and bones, the injustices of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian people have experienced the false promises of its founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, when he promised them free electricity, water, buses etc. upon his return from exile, but his religious dictatorship has brought nothing to Iranians except poverty, corruption, and terrorism.
We ask you to defy their Al-Qods day of propaganda by all means you can. The solution to the problems of Middle East is not Islamic fundamentalism but a secular democratic regime in Iran which can bring about peace and prosperity to the people of the Middle East and security for the world.
As the protesting workers and teachers shouted in the streets of Iran, ‘Leave Palestine be, think of your own people’
Supporters of the Pro-Democracy Movement in Iran
Alliance of Iranian Students
ahmed batebi