Millions of Iranians took part in anti-Israel and anti-US rallies across Iran on Friday (10th July), chanting “Down with America” and “Death to Israel” on Al-Quds Day, internationally observed annually on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan
The controversial holiday was proclaimed in 1979 by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as a religious duty for all Muslims to rally in solidarity against Israel and for the “liberation” of Jerusalem. Tehran says the occasion is meant to express support for Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attended the protest on Friday but did not speak at the main rally in Tehran, which coincided with seemingly deadlocked nuclear talks between Iran and world powers led by the United States.
Large demonstrations were also held in Iraq and Lebanon.
Some protesters in Tehran burned Israeli and American flags. Posters showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi King Salman and US President Barack Obama in flames.
Using the al-Quds Day hashtag, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted: “There are two sides in oppression: oppressor & the oppressed. We back the oppressed and are against oppressors.”
Read the full article at Time of Israel
CUFI Note: British flags were also burned down and chants against Britain shouted by the crowds at this protest. Five days later, the British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, slammed Israel for not supporting the Iranian nuclear deal before announcing his plans to reopen the British Embassy in Iran by the end of 2015.
