close
Thursday March 28, 2024

Al-Quds Day observed in country

By Asim Hussain
June 24, 2017

LAHORE: Al-Quds days was observed throughout the country on Friday. Rallies were taken out in big and small cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Quetta and Faisalabad.

In Islamabad a big rally was taken out by different organisations including MWM, MYC and ISO. In Lahore the Shia Ulema Council (SUC) organised an Al-Quds rally after Jummatul Wida prayers to express solidarity with Palestinians, suffering from Israeli aggression.

SUC Provincial President Allama Syed Sabtain Haider Sabzwari led the Al-Quds rally, which started from the Lahore Press Club and ended in front of the PIA building. A large number of workers, including women and children of Jafaria Students Organization, Imamia Students Organization and Islamic Employees, participated in the rally.

The participants of the rally were holding posters, placards and banners inscribed with different slogans against Israel. Allama Sabtain Sabzwari stressed on the need for unity among the Muslim Ummah for the liberation of Baitul Muqaddas. 

JI General Secretary Liaqat Baloch said, “We should foil nefarious designs of enemies of Muslims who want to create anarchy by fanning sectarianism.” The rally was specially attended by JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, JUP leader Qari Zawar Bahadur, Pir Usman Noori, Allama Afzal Haidri, Hafiz Kazim Raza, Shahbaz Haider Naqvi, Malik Shaukat Awan, Jaffar Ali Shah and others.

Many religious organisations also observed the day as Al-Quds Day to highlight the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel for the last 69 years, taking out rallies and holding protests to draw media attention towards one of the oldest burning issues of the Muslim world.  During the Friday prayers, people had to offer prayers in the open areas outside the mosques because of paucity of space inside. The managements of mosques had erected tents outside the main mosque buildings to create additional space for prayers. Despite that people offered prayers on roads at many places.

Imams and Khateeb, in their sermons called upon the Muslim Ummah to purify their souls in the holy month through greater dedication to prayers, seek forgiveness of Almighty Allah and be kind to fellow beings. They urged for Muslim unity and called for making joint struggle for emancipation of Muslim world from the subjugation of colonial powers and Baitul Muqaddas from the clutches of Israel.

They stressed on maintaining harmony and asked the people to beware of the miscreants and anti-state elements who wanted to create hatred among the followers of various schools of thought of the Muslims.  They called for greater unity among the Muslims to counter the present-day challenges. They made special prayers for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan, and unity of the Muslims world.

Prayers were also offered for independence of Kashmir, Palestine and other parts of the world where Muslims are struggling for their rights of self-determination. People also prayed for solidarity, safety and prosperity of the country and the Muslim Ummah besides seeking Allah's blessings for the solution of problems.

The leaders while speaking to the participants emphasised that Muslim organisations like Hamas, Akhwanul Muslimoon and Hizbullah were not terrorist but were striving for the rights of Muslims, ensuring their independence from the Zionists and for the re-establishment of independent state of Palestine in the areas it had before 1948 and with the Al-Aqsa mosque restored at its historic status.

They warned that Palestine was the issue of entire Ummah and if it was ignored than the Muslim world would continue to face enemy occupation of its holy places. They also stressed for the need of greater unity among Muslim schools of thought to foil the enemy conspiracies. They also warned that enemies wanted to divide Muslims in order to continue to subjugate the Muslim lands and people.

Another rally was taken out by Majlis Wahdatul Muslemin from Islampura to the Faisal Chowk outside Punjab Assembly which was led by MWM leader Agha Hassan Hamdani, ISO leader Ali Kazmi, while other prominent leaders included Jawad Naqvi, Haider Moosvi, Jawad Moosvi, Muhammad Ali Johari, Allama Hussain Najfi, and others.

The leaders addressing the rally at The Mall, held that US and Israel were behind all the troubles taking place in the Muslim countries. They warned that these sabotages were aimed at plundering the Muslim wealth to continue their subjugation through the agent rulers. 

They demanded immediate liberation of Palestine, Kashmir, and other Muslim lands from the occupation of non-Muslim powers through the same formula applied on East Timor and South Sudan. They also warned against the recent realignments in the Arab world and said US and Israel were out to devastate the Muslim unity.