Bahrainis Commemorate Al-Quds Day

Local Editor

Bahrain's revolutionaries have selected ‘Quds, Qiblat-ul-Ahrar'" [Quds, the Qibla of the noble-minded] as the motto of this year's rallies marking the International Quds Day.

All the revolutionary groups in the tiny Persian Gulf country issued a joint message in which they underlined participation in the Quds Day rallies.

They included the February 14 Youths Coalition, Ahrar Movement, Haq [truth] Movement, Islamic Amal Movement, and Khalas [liberation] Movement.

The opposition groups stressed that the rallies will be held despite the oppressive measures of the al-Khalifa regime.

The event's overarching theme is support for the Palestinians and fierce denunciation of the Zionist regime.

It is seen as an opportunity for freedom-seeking people across the world, regardless of faith, to voice their support for the cause of Palestine and vent their anger against the Apartheid regime of Israel, which has occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.

The day is also seen as the legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, who officially declared the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day back in 1979.

Bahrain has been the scene of almost daily protests against the al-Khalifa dynasty since early 2011 when a pro-democracy uprising began in the kingdom.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the al-Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

Bahrain has been severely criticized by human rights groups for its harsh crackdown on anti-government protesters, which has claimed the lives of scores of people so far.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team