Quds Day

Quds Day (lit. 'Jerusalem Day'), officially known as International Quds Day (Persian: روز جهانی قدس, romanized: Ruz Jahâni Quds), is an annual pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israel and Zionism. It takes its name from the Arabic name for Jerusalem: al-Quds. The event was first held in 1979 in Iran, shortly after the Iranian Revolution. The day exists partly in opposition to Israel's Jerusalem Day, which has been celebrated by Israelis since May 1968 and was declared a national holiday by the Knesset in 1998. Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in the Muslim world, as well as in non-Muslim communities around the world, in protest against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. Critics of Quds Day have argued that it is antisemitic. In Iran, the day is marked by widespread speeches (some featuring Holocaust denial) and rallies that have been frequented by chants of "Death to Israel, Death to America", with crowds trampling and burning Israeli flags. Quds Day rallies have also featured demonstrations against other countries and causes.