In Dearborn, Michigan, 15 Years Of Annual Quds Day Events – Including Pro-Jihad, And Pro-Iran Rhetoric – Are Revealed Following Longtime Coverup, Including Of 2024 Exposure; Mayor And Other Politicians Act Surprised: Review Of Activity 2008-2024

Introduction

International Quds (Jerusalem) Day was established by the father of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1979 as the last Friday of Ramadan. This was explained on Quds Day 2020 by his daughter, Dr. Zahra Mostafavi: "The late Imam Khomeini designated the last Friday of every month of Ramadan as the International Quds Day in support of the oppressed Palestinian nation."[1]

Ostensibly a day of solidarity with Palestinians, Quds Day has been used by the Iranian Islamic regime to call on Palestinians to wage "armed resistance" against Israelis, and in doing so, to further the regime's goals – the destruction of Israel and the "export of the revolution" – that is, establishing Shi'ite-Iranian control in the region at the expense of the Sunni Arabs, in addition to spreading antisemitism and hatred of the Jews and Zionists.

Increasingly over the past few years, Quds Day is being marked in the U.S. and other Western countries, where rallies are being held calling for Israel's annihilation, "globalizing" armed struggle, and espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories, as well as calls for "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." Berlin recently banned Quds Day rallies for the third year in a row,[2] and other cities have banned them at various times, such as Toronto in 2013,[3] but many other cities in the West permit them to continue despite public concerns, appeals,[4] and condemnation by municipal authorities,[5] and even lawsuits. This year, the London Metropolitan Police published and distributed explicit guidelines to marchers.[6]

Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, these Quds Day events are becoming more extreme than ever before. For example, this year in Toronto, a protestor was photographed wearing a mock suicide bomber vest;[7] and a PFLP flag was openly carried at a Boston protest.[8]

Source: Torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-when-protesters-appear-to-wear-suicide-vests-its-a-problem, April 7, 2024.

However, this year, a Quds Day incident received unprecedented attention: At the April 5, 2024 Quds Day rally held in Dearborn, Michigan, participants chanted "Death to America." The chants were exposed by MEMRI; reactions to them came from the very top – the White House – and they were extensively covered by media in the U.S. and across the West.

Part I of this report will review Quds Day 2024, the chants of Death to America at the event, and the aftermath, including reactions from the White House on down and media coverage. Part II will review Quds Day events in Dearborn and its environs since they began in 2008, including the venues, organizers, and speakers. Many of the clips can be found in the MEMRI TV archives.

Part I: Quds Day 2024, Dearborn, Michigan, With Chants Of "Death To America" – MEMRI TV Clip Goes Viral, With Reactions From The White House On Down, And Extensive Media

This Quds Day, at a rally held April 5, 2024 in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, participants chanted "Death To America!" and speakers called the U.S. "one of the rottenest countries" on earth, and Israel "ISIS," "Nazi," and "a cancer." It should be noted that the term "cancer" or "cancerous growth" for Israel was coined by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of Iran's Islamic Revolution, in 1979 or earlier.

The event was held by the Al-Quds Committee Detroit.[9] Announcements for the event posted on its Facebook page stated: "The martyr's rule begins when his blood is spilled" and "IT IS OUR OBLIGATION TO SHOW UP TODAY FOR P*LEST*NE. To Speak Truth To Power, And To Unravel The Propaganda That For Too Long Has Kept The World Hostage To The Lies Of The Zi*Nist Entity. God Is On The Side Of The Oppressed!"

Facebook.com/profile/100076278909963/search/?q=Quds%20day%20dearborn, March 26, 2024; Facebook.com/AlQudsCommittee, April 5, 2024.

At the event, Michigan activist Tarek Bazzi, stated that not only must "Genocide Joe" Biden go but so must the entire U.S. system. Quoting Malcolm X, he said: "We live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this earth." Bazzi added that "death to Israel" has become the "most logical chant shouted across the world today." Bazzi has been actively involved in every Quds Day event in the area since 2019.

Sheikh Usama Abdulghani, another affiliate of the Hadi Institute, said that the founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini established Quds Day because of his realization that Israel was a "cancer" and an "evil settler colonialist project." He said that "people of conscience" recognize that Israel is "ISIS," "Nazis," and "fascists." Abdulghani too has been involved in Quds Day events since 2019.

Bazzi concluded the rally by encouraging a young child to lead the crowd in chanting chant "Free Palestine! From the River to the Sea Palestine will be free!"

To view the clip of this rally on MEMRI TV, click here or below

Below is the transcript of the clip:

Statements From The 2024 Quds Day Rally In Dearborn: "Gaza Has Shown The Entire World" Why Our Quds Day Protests Are "So Anti-American"; "Imam Khomeini, Who Declared The International Al-Quds Day... Would Say To Pour All Of Your Chants And All Of Your Shouts Upon The Head Of America"; "Death To America"; "We Live In One Of The Rottenest Countries That Has Ever Existed On This Earth"

Tarek Bazzi: "We have been asked in the past: 'Why are our protests on the International Al-Quds Day are so anti-America? Why don't we just focus more on Israel and not talk so much about America?' Gaza has shown the entire world why these protests are so anti-America. Because it's the United States government that provides the funds for all of the atrocities that we just heard about.

[...]

"This is why Imam Khomeini, who declared the International Al-Quds Day, this is why he would say to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America."

[...]

Man: "Death to America!"

Crowd: "Death to America!"

Man: "Death to America!"

Crowd: "Death to America!"

Man: "Death to America!"

Crowd: "Death to America!"

Bazzi: "Malcom X said, and I quote: 'We live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this Earth.'

[...]

"It's not Genocide Joe that has to go, it is the entire system that has to go. Any system that would allow such atrocities and devilry to happen and would support it – such a system does not deserve to exist on God's earth. So when these fools ask us if Israel has the right to exist... The chant 'Death to Israel' has become the most logical chant shouted across the world today."

Man: "Death to Israel!"

Crowd: "Death to Israel!"

Man: "Death to Israel!"

Crowd: "Death to Israel!"

[...]

Imam Usama Abdulghani: "Imam Khomeini recognized that Israel is an evil settler colonialist project. He realized it was a cancer, and he established this day.

[...]

"Israel before this, brothers and sisters, was a sacred cow. Nobody could criticize Israel. Everybody was terrified of being antisemitic. Everybody was afraid of them, but now the people of conscience very openly will criticize Israel. They recognize Israel for what it is. Israel is ISIS, they are Nazis, they are fascists, they are racists. The people of the world now know this."

[...]

Bazzi: "Do you want to say 'Free Palestine?'"

Child: "Free, free Palestine!"

Crowd: "Free, free Palestine!"

Child: "From the River to the Sea..."

Crowd: "From the River to the Sea..."

Child: "Palestine will be free!"

Crowd: "Palestine will be free!"

Dearborn Imams, Sheikhs, Government Officials, And Muslim Organizations Shed Crocodile Tears Following Backlash Against Viral MEMRI TV Clip Of "Death To America" Chants At Quds Day Rally

Reactions to the MEMRI exposure came from the Quds Day rally speakers themselves and other Dearborn Muslim leaders, and from local Muslim media figures.

Following MEMRI's publication of a video of the 2024 Quds Day rally in Dearborn, Michigan, on April 5, where participants chanted "Death to America," Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud wrote on X: "We reject all inflammatory and violent statements made at the gathering." He went on to insist that "the hateful rhetoric heard on Friday does not reflect the opinion of the members of this community." Hammoud further declared that "Death to America" and other statements in which speakers at the rally referred to America "one of the rottenest countries" on earth – were "unacceptable and contrary to the heart of this city."[10]

CAIR Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid: There Was "A White Male In The Audience Who Started" This Chant;  "We Have To Be Aware Of Informants That Are In Our Midst And Agents Provocateurs In The Muslim Community"

Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR Michigan, released a video on his YouTube channel on April 9 in which he stated that according to eyewitnesses, "there was this individual, a male, a white male in the audience, who started actually saying the chant, or the slogan, in Arabic." He added: "[I'm] not saying anyone who was involved in this is an informant or agent provocateur but in times like this education and knowledge is needed." He elaborated: "We have to be aware of informants that are in our midst and agents provocateurs in the Muslim community." He also stated that he does not like the slogan and that he thinks it is despicable and counterproductive.

To view the clip of Walid's statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Rally Speaker Imam Usama Abdulghani: Chant Was "A Mistake"; "Allah Teaches Us Not To Say Words That Can Be Used By The Enemy To Hurt The Cause"

In his April 10 Eid Al-Fitr sermon at the Dearborn Hadi Youth Community Center, Imam Usama Abdulghani, who had spoken at the rally, said that "we were all quite surprised" at the "Death to America" chant, and that "Allah teaches us not to say words that can be used by the enemy to hurt the cause." He added that it was "a mistake" – that although "we are all upset... with Biden's hands being up to his elbows in the blood of the  Palestinians," the "second point is more for the enemies. You see there is something more sinister at play."

At the rally, Abdulghani had said that "the people of the world now know" that "Israel is ISIS, they are Nazis, they are fascists, they are racists. The people of the world now know this."

To view the clip of Abdulghani's statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Tarek Bazzi, Rally's Main Speaker: By Criticizing The "Death To America" Chants – Which Were A "Slip" Of The Tongue By One Person – Muslim Community Leaders Are "Parroting" The Labels Of "Extreme" And "Violent" – Yet They Themselves Have Also Been Targeted By MEMRI

Tarek Bazzi, In an April 15 statement, Tarek Bazzi himself condemned the reactions to the MEMRI clip of the "Death to America" chants by Muslim community leaders in the U.S., saying that they were "parroting" the labels of "'extreme' and 'violent'" following the "slip" of a tongue by one person. He added that these Muslim leaders had "bent over backwards to prove our American-ness and patriotism" and that they are not extremists. He added that this "played right into the plot of those seeking to demonize our community."

Bazzi further stated that the video of the rally reached Fox News and other media outlets through MEMRI, whose executive director Steven Stalinsky, whom he called a "genocide-defending" "Zionist hypocrite and liar," had written a piece condemning these same community leaders. He was referring to Stalinsky's Wall Street Journal op-ed from February 3, titled "Welcome to Dearborn, America's Jihad Capital" (see above).

To view the clip of Bazzi's statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Dearborn Journalist Hussein Hachem Criticizes "Death To America" Chants At Rally: We Are Americans, We Have No Right To Call For The Death Of Our Fellow Citizens; We Had Enough Empty Slogans In The Arab Countries We Fled

In a video posted on April 9, Dearborn journalist Hussein Hachem criticized the chants of "Death to America" at the rally and the organizers for having allowed it. He said: "We live in the United States. This country is our country." Although the Arab community completely disagrees with U.S. foreign policy, he added, this does not give anybody the right to call for the death of their fellow citizens and brothers, and that the "security threats" faced by Dearborn in light of the video constitute a threat to the entire Muslim community in America. No one, he added, should give others a pretext to silence Dearborn, particularly because of how influential its electorate might be in the next presidential election, and that if people don't like American policy or officials, they can vote. He concluded: "Enough with all those empty slogans. We had enough of them in our Arab countries."

To view the clip of Hachem's statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Dearborn Imam Hassan Qazwini, Who Has Called ISIS An Arm Of Zionism, Praised Houthis, And Endorsed Bernie Sanders 'Even Though He Is A Jew': I Unequivocally Condemn The 'Death To America' Chants By A 'Bogus Individual' Who Doesn't Represent Our Community; This Was A Gift To The Zionists And Fox News

In a Friday, April 12, 2024 sermon at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, Michigan Imam Hassan Qazwini said that he "unequivocally" condemned the "Death to America" chants at the Quds Day rally. He called them a "gift" for the Zionists and right-wing media, who celebrated these chants and used them to label Muslims in the U.S. as anti-American. He added that the person who chanted at the rally was a "bogus individual" who did not represent the Dearborn community. It should be noted that in the past, Qazwini has called ISIS an arm of Zionism, said that Sen. Bernie Sanders is "an honorable man, even though he is a Jew," and praised a Houthi attack on Saudi oil fields.

To view the clip of Qazwini's statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

White House Reacts To The "Death To America" Chants in Dearborn; Michigan Officials And Lawmakers Remain Silent

At an April 9 press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked whether President Biden condemned the Dearborn rally. She said "yes," and added: "Peaceful protests are something that the president has also been very clear that – it's important to give folks space to peacefully protest. But any type of violent rhetoric, we are going to denounce."

TO VIEW THIS VIDEO, CLICK HERE

A few days later, on April 12, the Biden campaign said that it does not want the votes of those who chanted "Death to America" in Dearborn. Asked whether the president was still courting those votes, campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak replied, "No." Additionally, deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates said, "The White House condemns these abhorrent and antisemitic remarks in the strongest terms."

Also notable was the silence from many Michigan officials and legislators who had denounced the WSJ op-ed in February, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters and Representatives Debbie Dingell and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Dearborn.

Gov. Whitmer and other Democrats faced criticism, including from other Michigan lawmakers, for their silence. Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan said on April 10 that condemnation should have been "stark and immediate,", adding: "It's reprehensible that on American soil, we could hear ‘death to America’ chants as these extreme radicals openly call for our Nation’s downfall. Still to this day, even after the Biden Administration finally acknowledged these vile chants, Governor Whitmer and every Democrat in elected office in Northern Michigan have failed to condemn this vile rhetoric. Our leaders must condemn this and stand behind our law enforcement instead of standing behind the rhetoric and condemning our heroes."

Whitmer finally did condemn the chants, nearly two weeks after they were exposed by MEMRI; according to a spokesperson, a statement had previously been "prepared and provided to media upon request." However, it was never published by any outlet or on Whitmer's social media accounts, and when her office was asked for comments on the chants, no reply was given. Her office said on April 14: "This hateful rhetoric is unacceptable, and does not represent Michigan or Dearborn. The Dearborn community is full of hardworking, proud Americans. Our state is diverse and we are proud of it."

The City of Dearborn condemned the chants, saying in a statement: "The inflammatory rhetoric expressed by some at the rally is neither endorsed nor supported by the City of Dearborn, its mayor, or any City elected officials," the city said in the statement.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib explicitly refused to condemn the "Death to America" chants on April 10. Asked by a Fox News reporter whether she did, she repeatedly evaded the question, escaping into an elevator. The video of this was widely discussed as well, and her refusal to condemn the chants sparked bipartisan criticism. Sen. Rick Scott called it "blatant disrespect to our nation" that is "disgusting from anyone – especially a sitting member of the United States Congress." The Democratic Majority for Israel, in the Democratic Party, called it "sadly telling," and the Republican Jewish Coalitions called it a "disgrace" and said that Rep. Tlaib "should not be representing the people of Michigan's 12^th district in Congress."

TO VIEW THIS VIDEO OF REP. TLAIB REFUSING TO ANSWER REPORTER'S QUESTION, CLICK HERE

Following MEMRI's Exposure Of "Death To America" Chants At Dearborn Rally, Members Of Congress Representing Michigan Call On U.S. Attorney General To Investigate

Following MEMRI's exposure of the chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" at the April 5, 2024 Quds Day rally in Dearborn, Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan led other Republican Members of Congress from Michigan in writing a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for investigations into such rallies across the U.S. The other signatories were Reps. Jack Bergman, Tim Walberg, John James, and Lisa McClain.

The letter stated: "These anti-American and anti-Semitic calls for inciting violence are not protected speech and pose a serious threat to public safety and the American values of freedom and democracy."[11]

The first Quds Day in Dearborn, in 2008, was held by the area's Shi'a Islamic Center, with speakers Imam Abdul Alim Musa, a Muslim-American activist formerly known as Clarence Reams, and the  controversial American anti-Israel political scientist Norman Finkelstein. Both of them openly expressed support for Hizbullah in their statements.

The 2009 event featured speaker Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hassan, deputy secretary general of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America. The 2010 event, titled "The National Day of Al-Quds," was held at Dearborn City Hall, with speakers expressing support for the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" underway that month.

The 2011 Quds Day event took the form of an "Auto Rally," with over a hundred vehicles flying Palestinian flags driving through Dearborn, Detroit, and the Wayne State University campus. A two-day event for Quds Day 2012 was organized by the Al-Quds Committee and held in Dearborn and Detroit.

The 2013 and 2014 Quds Day events were held at Dearborn City Hall; the first featured poetry recitations, speeches, and a portrait of the founder of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, on the podium. The second showcased University of Michigan-Dearborn professor David Skrbina speaking about the "Jewish lobby's" control of President Barack Obama and Congress, as well as denying the Holocaust, and other speakers.  

In 2015, 2016, and 2017 the Quds Day rallies were held outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, and featured Michigan Islamic scholar Ibrahim Yassine and CAIR Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid.

International Quds Day 2018 was held in the Detroit area, but the following year, 2019, it was back at the Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, and organized by the Al-Quds Committee. At the latter, speakers called Israel "a cancer behind all oppression in the world" and the U.S. government "satanic terrorists," and argued that Hamas, Hizbullah, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had the right to resist.

In 2020, two virtual events were held on Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, streamed live by the Light of Guidance organization in Dearborn. The first event featured guest speakers addressing an international audience in the U.S., Iran, London, Jerusalem, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, France, the U.K., and "100 organizations from many countries." Prominent speakers at the first event, held May 22, included Dr. Zahra Mostafavi, the daughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and PressTV anchor and U.S. citizen Marzieh Hashemi. The second event, the same day, also streamed by Light of Guidance, featured Rabbi Yisroel Weiss, Hujjat Al-Islam Sheikh Salim Yusufali, Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya, and other activists.

The 2021 Quds Day event, titled "The Day of Revival of Islam," was held May 7 at the Dearborn Police Department. Speakers at the event again included Tarek Bazzi and Sheikh Usama Abdulghani, as well as Abbas Hamideh, Al-Quds Committee founder and head of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Movement.

In 2022, the event was held in Dearborn by the Al-Quds Committee, and streamed live on the Dearborn.org Facebook page. Speakers included Tarek Bazzi, Michigan author Fatima Najdi Sayyed Ali Jaffari and Michigan poet Hassan Salami.

The 2023 event was held outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library and featured Tarek Bazzi, Usama Abdulghani, and others. One participant was photographed holding a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

It should be noted that Quds Day events in Dearborn since 2019 (except for 2020, which was online only) have been organized by the Al-Quds Committee.[12] The organization bills itself on its Facebook page as "an effort to peacefully raise the voice against atrocities and human rights violations of Zionism."[13]

Quds Day 2024 – Suddenly, Officials And Media Are Paying Attention

This Quds Day, at a rally held April 5, 2024 in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, participants chanted "Death To America!" and speakers called the U.S. "one of the rottenest countries" on earth, and Israel "ISIS," "Nazi," and "a cancer." As mentioned earlier, the clip went viral, with reactions from the White House on down, and extensive media coverage.

Prior to this Quds Day event, there was no criticism of any of the events by national or even local media, and nothing but praise from Dearborn officials.

See Part II of this report, below, for more on this event and its aftermath.

Speakers At Quds Day Events In Dearborn

Speakers at the Quds Day events over the years have included:

• Muslim-American activist Imam Abdul Alim Musa, formerly known as Clarence Reams, the founder of the As-Sabiqun Liberation Movement and the Islamic Institute of Counter-Zionist American Psychological Warfare.[14]

• Controversial American anti-Israel political scientist Norman Finkelstein.

• Dearborn Imam Hassan Qazwini, an Iraqi native who arrived in the U.S. in 1997, led the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn until 2015, and then opened the Islamic Institute of America and the Muslim Youth Connection in the city. He attended the State Department's annual Eid dinner during the Obama administration.[15]

• Rabbi Yisroel Weiss of the extremist anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect, who is a regular on the anti-Israel circuit.

• Abbas Hamideh, Al-Quds Committee founder and head of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Movement.[16]

• Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

• Michigan Islamic scholar Ibrahim Yassine, of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.[17]

• Tarek Bazzi, an activist who is affiliated with the Al-Quds Committee and the Hadi Institute in Dearborn. He has spoken at Quds Day events since 2019.

• Usama Abdulghani, prominent Iran-educated Shi'ite Islamic scholar in Dearborn, affiliated with the Hadi Institute. He too has spoken at every Quds Day event since 2019.

• Michigan author Fatima Najdi, who at the 2022 Quds Day event spoke about hearing the "final rasping breath of those Zionists."

• Marzieh Hashemi, PressTV anchor and U.S. citizen Marzieh Hashemi, who in 2019 was arrested by U.S. authorities when visiting the U.S.

• Dr. Zahra Mostafavi, daughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic Revolution, who heads the Iran-based Society for Defending the Palestinian Nation.

• Hassan Salami, Michigan poet.

• Fatima Mohammadi, Iranian activist and U.S. citizen who participated in the 2010 "Freedom Flotilla."

• Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hassan, deputy secretary general of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America. Born in New York, he studied at the seminary in Qom, Iran for a decade (1997-2007).[18]

• Hujjat Al-Islam Hamza Sodagar, born in the U.S., has been studying at the seminary in Qom, Iran for over 14 years, specializing in Islamic jurisprudence.[19]

• Imam Muhammad R. Mardini, head of the American Muslim Center in Dearborn. According to the center's website, he has lived in the U.S. since 1980.[20] 

• Sayyed Hashem Al-Heidari, prominent Iraqi Shi'ite cleric, was secretary general of the Hizbullah Brigades (2016-2018) and also served as Cultural Deputy of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Force. In 2021, he established the Ahd Allah Islamic Movement.[21]

• Hujjat Al-Islam Sheikh Salim Yusufali, U.S.-born, who spent 10 years studying at the seminary at Qom. Many of his talks are published by the Light of Guidance and the Hadi Institute in Dearborn Facebook accounts.[22]

• Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya, Pakistan born and a graduate of a Qom seminary. He is president and CEO of the Seattle-based Zainab organization.[23]

• Sayyed Ali Jaffari, also spelled Jafri, was born in the U.S. and moved to Qom in 2013, where he currently resides.[24]

Quds Day Events Facilitated By Local News Outlet Dearborn.org

It is notable that at every Quds Day event in Dearborn since 2021, the speaker's podium has featured an official Dearborn.org microphone, and photos and video of the proceedings have been posted on Dearborn.org., a local news outlet website billing itself as "specializ[ing] in delivering to you all the latest events and news of the cities of Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and the Detroit metro area. We strive to provide you with the most accurate news with all honesty, integrity, and professionalism both in Arabic and English."

April 30, 2022. Source: Dearborn.org YouTube channel, Youtube.com/@dearbornorg, Youtube.com/watch?v=MpTkqrUapAE&t=107s, October 13, 2023; Facebook.com/AlQudsCommittee/posts/pfbid02gbphyMu66dc3JMg9tBXX3se3RaHGSR31CXutmUywK9qfwgS9PZZtYiGRCiJcsyG3l, April 30, 2022.

April 5, 2024 (Source: Dearborn.org/preview/photos-video-international-quds-day-protest-in-dearborn-51777_; Memri.org/tv/international-quds-day-rally-dearborn-michigan-death-america-israel.

Part II: Quds Day In Dearborn, Michigan And The Surrounding Area – 2008-2023

2008 "Al-Quds Conference," Dearborn: Open Support For Iran And Hizbullah

The first Quds Day event in Dearborn, the "Al-Quds Conference," was held by the area's Shi'a Islamic Center on September 26, 2008. Featured speakers included Muslim-American activist Imam Abdul Alim Musa, formerly known as Clarence Reams (d. 2022). He was the founder of As-Sabiqun, which had several branches across the U.S. and was listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group in 2017,[25] and the Islamic Institute of Counter-Zionist American Psychological Warfare. The latter was established to "monitor Zionist and Israeli networks, circles, and clubs which deceitfully infiltrate Muslim and Black groups" and "analyze the Zionist grip on humanity established via the media and economics."[26] Neither appear to be currently operating. Another was controversial American anti-Israel political scientist Norman Finkelstein. Both of them openly expressed support for Hizbullah in their statements.

The following are excerpts from their speeches.

Imam Abdul Alim Musa: Promoting Iran And Hizbullah, Denouncing FBI For Detaining Him For Hours "Every Time I Come Back From Iran"

In his speech, Abdul Alim Musa praised the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist organization Hizbullah and said that every time he returned from a visit to Iran the FBI detained him and questioned him for hours. He also joked that then-Iranian President Ahmadinejad was the president of the world, and that Iran had no intention of harming America because that would interfere with President Bush's own destruction of the country.

Imam Abdul Alim Musa: "You have the Hizbullah, which is basically a Shi'a organization, right? But it stands up to the Zionists on behalf of their Palestinian fellows, isn't that right? [applause]. There's no gain, there's no monetary gain, there's no gain in it. There's nothing in it but the promise of death and destruction, but they did it anyway. And so, when the smoke cleared [during the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah], what happened? It was good news. The Zionists come in, what do they say? 'We're going to do this, we're going to do that' – isn't that right? And every day, when you watched the news on CNN, you would see Zionist soldiers coming back crying, full of tears [laughter].

"And it reminds us, you know the Apaches, the native Americans, have a ghost dance. And a ghost dance, they did the ghost dance, and they felt that you would become invisible to your enemy and your enemy couldn't see. That's what they were saying about Hizbullah and Lebanon, remember? 'They're going to lose,' they were saying. 'They're invisible, we can't see them. We can't find them.' Isn't that right? All we know is we sent out helicopters, and bop! They're outta there... we sent out tanks and bop! And now, something the Zionists have always hated: They gotta come in face to face [and fight] man to man. Isn't that right?"

[...]

"The people that were demonstrating last night out in front trying to spread lies and propaganda against the president of Iran [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]. If you look at the first time he came, he and Chavez took over the UN. And Chavez, he came right after Bush, he said, 'The Shaytan [Satan] has been up here' [laughter]... And then the next time, they tried to set up the president of Iran in Colombia, and what happened? It turns the whole world towards him. I'm telling you, we were in New York, they were watching TV the day before yesterday, they said in the NPR radio, they said: 'The president of Iran is going to speak at the UN today.' Ten minutes later, they came back and said, 'By the way, George Bush, the president of the United States, will speak also.'

"The only one, think about it, who do you remember spoke at the UN? [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy was there, Bush was there, who do you remember? [Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] – he is officially now the president of the world! [Laughter and applause]. That's what I told the brothers to say. I said: 'Tell the president, tell him [that] we say he's the president of the world.' If George Bush went down to South America, they'd throw rocks at him [laughter]. Ahmadinejad went to [unintelligible] a few days ago and they were throwing flowers at him.

[...]

"You know the FBI. Every time I come back from Iran, they keep me about four hours in Dulles [airport]. So I was telling them, this was the time before last. They said, 'You want to harm America?' I said, 'You're crazy.' [laughter]. I said, 'Harm America?' I said, 'Let me tell you something.' I said, 'You got a chief out there, there's a downhill run, and his name is George Bush. He's dragging America down so fast, that if we did something to America, we would get in his way!' [laughter and applause]. We would get in his way, socially, economically, any kind of way."[27]

To view this video, click here.

Norman Finkelstein: Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV Sends Me Nasrallah's Speeches, Which I Post – And I Even Fact-Check Them For Him – "I Respect Nasrallah Too Much To Want Him To Make Publicly Silly Statements"

Norman Finkelstein argued in his speech that Israel was up to 1,000 times more terrorist than Hizbullah. Additionally, he expressed his profound admiration for Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. Finkelstein said he was in touch regularly with a producer from Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV – which the U.S. Treasury Department declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity in 2006[28] – and that he received Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's speeches and posted them on his own outlets, and that he even fact-checked and corrected them for Nasrallah.

Norman Finkelstein: "We shouldn't be afraid of the facts. If you want to say: 'Hizbullah acted like a terrorist state,' ok, say it. But then you have to say, 'Israel acted like 10 times, or 100 times, or 1,000 times, the terrorist state that Hizbullah acted like. That's what the numbers show. Those are the facts [applause]."[29]

[...]

"I'll just say publicly, I'm not sure if I should, but I will anyhow. I'm occasionally, or more than occasionally, in correspondence with one of the producers of one of the programs of Al-Manar. And she very generously sends me Mr. Nasrallah's speeches, which I post [applause]. And in recent weeks, or maybe recent weeks and months – by the way, anything I'm telling you, they know – because international email is monitored [laughter]. And in recent weeks, or months, I've been much more bold in my criticisms [to Al-Manar]. And I say, 'You know, this is a very poor translation, you really should work on getting good translations of these speeches.' Cause, how many people read them in English? I guess nobody here. They're terrible. The translations of Al-Manar – they've been awful, and I tell them, you really should get the translations of these speeches improved. And in the last one, one from September 17 – it was much better.

"And then I got a little bit bolder, and I said, 'You know, I'm listening to Nasrallah's September 7 speech, and I read it, and there were factual errors there. The blue lines in the Israeli flag they do not represent the Tigris and the Euphrates. They are the blue bars on the Jewish prayer shawl. It's incorrect.' Well, I figured, they're not going to like that but I don't care. Because I respect Nasrallah too much to want him to make publicly silly statements. I want him to be exactly accurate because I know he's capable of it, and I know he wants to be [applause]. And, ok, but most people – yours truly included – don't take criticism too well, and my criticism was pretty blunt. And I was very surprised, three days later, I get an email from her, this woman whom I correspond with, and she said, 'Please send all your factual corrections as soon as you can, I will forward them to Sheikh Nasrallah.' And I was really very impressed.

"He cares about the facts, he cares about being accurate, he cares about being truthful. And we should, I think, take inspiration from that fact. I cannot say, in all honesty, since the topic has come up, and we should have an open discussion and not a censored discussion. I read President Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN. And I have to say, my heart dropped, it was terrible. It was just awful. I mean all this talk about a handful of Zionists – and everyone knows he means Jews – a handful of Zionists that is controlling the international economic system. It was just pure silliness. It was so devoid of intellectual, scholarly content, it was so devoid of truth. And it's inconceivable that Sheikh Nasrallah would deliver a speech like that. It really is. I mean just look at his speech during the Lebanon war. He said, it was quite surprising, he said, 'This is not a Zionist war.' He said, 'Zionists are just the executioners. He said, "It's an American war. It's the Americans who are behind all of this.' [applause].

"That [takes] a certain amount of courage to say. You know, when you start to say, 'The Jews control everything...' Well, people like [President George W.] Bush love that. It means the Bushes, the Rumsfelds, the Chinese – they're all off the hook. They have nothing to do with anything, it's just a handful of Jews who control everything [applause]. You know, that's a very easy route for the American ruling elites. Nasrallah doesn't do that, and I think that's what we have to do. Stick by the facts and try as best we can to avoid the easy victories from cheap rhetoric."[30]

Norman Finkelstein speaking at "Al-Quds Conference" in Michigan on September 26, 2008. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/6a5bd4736e03c5d63450, October 1, 2008.

2009 Quds Day Rally, Dearborn: We Hope To Participate In Liberating Jerusalem

The 2009 Quds Day event in the Dearborn area, held September 18, 2009, featured speaker Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hasan. Hasan stated in his speech that although Jerusalem had temporarily been taken out of Muslim hands, it would soon be returned to Muslim rule through their efforts. He then expressed hope that those present at the rally would "have the honor to be among those who participate in its liberation."

Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hasan: "Al-Quds [Jerusalem] Is Ours" And We "Hope To Have The Honor To Be Among Those Who Participate In Its Liberation"

Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hasan: "Inshallah, Al-Quds is ours. It has been temporarily taken out of our hands, but it will be returned. Our prayer, our hope, is not that it will be liberated. Our hope is that we will have the honor to be among those who participate in its liberation. And we'll be able to be there to witness when that triumph takes place."[31]

Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hasan speaking at the Quds Day rally in Michigan on September 18, 2009. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/8d68dd4dc3faa9b4b50b, September 18, 2009.

2010 Quds Day Rally, Dearborn City Hall: Featuring Iranian Activist

On Friday, September 3, 2010, "The National Day of Al-Quds" was held at Dearborn City Hall. Speakers at the rally spoke in support of that month's "Gaza Freedom Flotilla,"[32] whose organizers were affiliated with global and regional terror organizations.[33] One of the speakers was flotilla participant, Iranian activist, and U.S. citizen Fatima Mohammadi. Speakers led chants including "Israel is a terror state" and "Netanyahu you will see, from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Jerusalem will be free."[34]

Speaker leading chant "Israel is a terror state" and "Netanyahu you will see, from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Jerusalem will be free," Quds Day, Dearborn, September 3, 2009. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/4137ce827029c962b3e0, September 8, 2009.

Fatima Mohammadi speaking at the Quds Day event in Dearborn, September 3, 2009. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/bcea6064f88b2fe71a08, September 10, 2010.

The Quds Day crowd at Dearborn City Hall, September 3, 2009. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/4137ce827029c962b3e0, September 8, 2009.

2011 Quds Day Rally, Detroit/Dearborn/Wayne State University: "Auto Rally" With Police Support

On August 26, 2011, the Quds Day event took the form of an "Auto Rally," a procession of 125 vehicles flying Palestinian flags. The cars, vans, and trucks drove through downtown Detroit/Dearborn and the Wayne State University campus. The rally was attended by approximately 500 people. The 26-foot lead truck was draped with Palestinian flags and banners According to the Al-Quds Committee, which organized the events, the "Auto Rally" had verbal support from the Detroit Police Department, and an offer of help came from the Wayne State University Police Department, although no official escort was available.

Image source: Shiatv.net/plist.php?plist=2092&play=29, September 14, 2011.

2012 Quds Day Rally, Dearborn and Detroit, Michigan: "The Evil Zionist Web" Is "The Axis Of Evil"

The two-day 2012 Quds Day event was held August 16 in Dearborn and August 17 in Detroit. In Dearborn, the event was at the Al-Zahra Islamic Center and featured Hujjat Al-Islam Hamza Sodagar as the main speaker. In Detroit, the event consisted of an "Auto Rally" followed by a protest in downtown Detroit. Both programs were arranged and sponsored by the Al-Quds Committee, according to its website, Freealquds.org.[35]

Flyer announcing the Quds Day program for August 16 and 17, 2012, for the Dearborn/Detroit areas, respectively. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/870bdb384e1de45e4c8e, August 25, 2012. (Right): Footage of the Quds Day Rally in Detroit on August 17, 2012. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/ad4b3527b97c54ccc460, August 27, 2012.

Hamza Sodagar:  "The Evil Zionist Web" Is "The Axis Of Evil"; "Murderers, Massacres, Killings, Rapes, And All Of That Going On Globally, And The Zionists Are Either Pushing It, Or They're Allowing It To Happen Intentionally For Some Gain In That"

At the Quds Day 2012 event in Dearborn, Shi'ite cleric Hamza Sodagar spoke about the Zionist "web of evil," which extends far beyond Israel's borders and manipulates all global affairs for its benefit, accused Zionists of affecting global politics and economics to accumulate wealth and power, and claimed that many of the murders, massacres, killings and rapes in the world were either pushed for by the Zionists, or at the very least intentionally allowed by them in pursuit of their interests.

Hamza Sodagar: "...It is naïve to think that the Zionist regime is only a state over a very small, tiny piece of land that is referred to as 'Israel.' Zionism and the Zionist oppression goes far, far beyond that. Some of the signs of that, that we can recognize, is that the tax-payer money in this country, with all the economic problems that exist today...but this goes to pay for the advancement of the military arsenal of the Zionist regime. That's what it goes for. The taxpayers' money expands and goes beyond this country. It helps that state's government. And then if any politician in this country would like to say anything about that small, little, tiny state there called 'Israel,' they can't make that statement without the 'ok' and the green-light of that small, little, state, ok.

"That is, this very huge country, the United States of America, with a lot of wealth, with a huge military, with a lot of international power, it seems like – however, when it comes to the Zionist regime, this is what we see, apparently, and very evidently. If a comment wants to be made, it has to be approved. Otherwise you're going to have to reverse that the next day, in front of AIPAC. When statements were made, I don't know if you follow that—Obama made statements that did not sound well by those who were running that small little state called 'Israel' – and the next day, when Netanyahu was here, he [Obama] had to take [back] all that, apologize! Apologize! You have no will of [your own] yourself. This is only the tip of the iceberg. This is not 'it.'

[...]

"The evil Zionist web, which is a web of evil, they are the axis of evil, not other countries. The corruption and the oppression of this evil web is not limited to that small piece of land called, 'Israel.' For 30 years a dictator was kept in Egypt for the sake of the Zionist state. Many of what happens in that region is for the sake of the Zionist state. And you cannot do anything against it! So it's not this 'small, little, tiny' state, actually. The Zionist web of evil is something that spreads across the globe. This is why it's important for us to stand up against this."

[...]

"I was reading how some of the top-notch billionaires in this country, which – some of them, if not all, are Zionists – and the average of – I forget if they were 40 or maybe a little more, a little less, companies or individuals – that the average of their income, annual income was $200 million dollars. Average meaning some of them could have been way beyond that, but some of them are less than that, and when you average it out, so God knows how much the ones who are on the top of that list earn. And then some of those people in some of the previous years have ended up being able to use the legal system to pay zero tax. Zero. Not even one dollar of tax. They don't give that tax. But they are the ones that influence the decision-making of what happens to the tax in this country. And they bring the politicians that they want into the White House, and they make those policies. And the guy who comes to the White House, they can say whatever they want, they can talk about change or whatever, but then when they [the Zionists] come, they've got to do things the way... This is all the evil web of the Zionists. The imams of unbelief."

[...]

"There's a lot more oppression that's taking place that's related to the influence that this Zionist web has on the globe, that we don't see the connection of, with them. There's a lot of problem with that. There's a lot of problems with that. And when you start to talk about that some people start saying: 'Oh, you know. Here we go again, another conspiracy theory.'"

[...]

"In this world today there's so much of that going on. There's so many more murderers, massacres, killings, rapes, and all of that going on globally, and the Zionists are either pushing it, or they're allowing it to happen intentionally for some gain in that."

[...]

"This whole Zionist web, which is very materialistically powerful—it has a lot of wealth, a lot of politicians with it – and all of that, based on this verse [Arabic], is weaker than a spiderweb. This is what it says in the holy Qur'an. There is one thing to understand about the enemy: Don't allow it to scare you off. Don't allow them to scare you away." [36]

2013 Quds Day Rally, Dearborn City Hall: Featuring Portrait Of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

The 2013 Quds Day rally was held August 2 at Dearborn's City Hall. The rally featured several speakers, including poetry recitations by a boy and another by a man, a speech by Imam Muhammad R. Mardini, and other speeches. Speakers claimed Israel was waging a "holocaust" against the Palestinian population. The podium featured a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Anti-Israel protestors also demonstrated.

The following are excerpts:

Young boy: "The title of this poem is "The Wall of Hate," and refers to the wall that separates occupied Palestine from the non-existent state of Israel:

[...]

"Why, why am I the Zionist prey? But that ain't bothersome. It's the wall of terrorism, I don't sleep on a comfy bed, I sleep on a bed of bloodshed. All I do is throw a rock and maybe even mock. But one slingshot equals one gunshot. One prank equals one tank. One whistle equals one missile (...) It's a living hell, I say, it's a living hell. Even deaths are relief."

[...]

"The incident of Khaybar held up by Haydar will be repeated, mission completed. When I think of Hussein and cry, ponder on the question who am I... my enemies are the Yazid, I hope, I hope we're the Hussein, come Mahdi, relieve my pain."[37]

[...]

Speaker: "For they claim that their blood is more worthy. But to me that's curious because it sounds like what Hitler did to the Jews in Germany."

[...]

"They dare talk about terrorism, while they're the very definition."

[...]

"And I promise you when you witness Zionism you will see bigotry and brutality like you've never faced. That is, if they admit you through their apartheid walls and gates."

[...]

"You must free your mind and realize that Israel is the hell on earth created in the land where Palestine stood."[38]

Imam Muhammad R. Mardini: "And for the Jews and for the Israelis we will say to them the word: That the time is going to come. You've been subjected to what we called the Holocaust. Why are you subjecting the people to the same thing? You sacrificed, and you did have the aggressions, at the time when you stood against it. So why do you repeat it to the peaceful people of Palestine?"[39]

Young boy reciting poetry at Quds Day event in Dearborn on August 2, 2013, showing Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini portrait. Image source: Facebook.com/profile/100076278909963/search/?q=Quds%20day%20detroit, August 6, 2013.

Speaker reciting poetry calling Zionism the very definition of terrorism. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/6ab444dc96585d7b0ac8, August 21, 2013.

Imam Muhammad R. Mardini speaking at the event. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/81d5a081386189556eee, August 20, 2013.

Protesters with flyers on Quds Day in Dearborn. Image source: Facebook.com/profile/100076278909963/search/?q=Quds%20day%20detroit, August 6, 2013.

2014 Quds Day Rally, Dearborn City Hall: Speaker Denounces "Jewish Lobby," Denies Holocaust

The 2014 Quds Day rally was held Saturday, July 26, at Dearborn City Hall. One of the speakers was Professor David Skrbina, professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. In his speech, Professor Skrbina denounced the influence of the "Jewish Lobby" over then-U.S. president Barack Obama and Congress, and accused them of instilling fear in political leaders in general in order to further the lobby's criminal interests.

Skrbina engaged in Holocaust denial: Accusing Hollywood of attempting to scare the American public by "resurrecting tales of the Holocaust," and called the latter "a quagmire of unanswered questions" unduly publicized by American filmmakers.

Lastly, Skrbina drew parallels between Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and Shylock the money lender in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. He argued that Netanyahu, via the Zionist lobby, is using wealth to thrust nations into war and to destroy innocent people by the thousands, but that ultimately "the merchants of death will suffer defeat."

Another speaker at the event was CAIR Michigan executive director Dawud Walid. During Walid's speech, a girl held up a poster stating "Blaming Hamas for firing rockets is like blaming a woman for punching her rapist."

Also featured was a young man reciting poetry who promoted Iran's state English-language Press TV propaganda channel, saying to applause, "From the River to the Sea, leave CNN and BBC, forget Fox and ABC, and start watching Press TV."

The following are excerpts from Prof. Skrbina's speech:

Professor David Skrbina: "Why does Obama supplicate himself to Jewish interests? Why does Congress willingly fund the Israeli criminals? And thereby make us all complicit in war-crimes? We know the answer: the Jewish lobby, otherwise known as the Israel lobby."

[...]

"Congress and the president live in fear of the Jewish lobby, hence they're all too happy to comply with their demands."

[...]

"Hollywood produces... an endless stream of anti-Muslim pro-Jewish films. Even today, 70 years after World War II, we see Nazi-themed movies on a regular basis. Even today, movie producers attempt to scare us by resurrecting tales of the Holocaust. The Holocaust, an event that even today, 70 years later is a quagmire of unanswered questions. And yet for Hollywood, World War II is so important that we need to be continuously reminded of it."

[...]

"As long as we allow the wealth of the Jewish lobby to circulate unchecked, there will be no peace. Only when we restrict that economic power through our own human political willpower is there a chance for peace. Only when the wealthy lobbyists are deprived of their need for control will they cease to be a menace for the world. The merchants of death will not succeed. In the end, they will suffer defeat. In the end, those who pursue true peace and true justice will triumph. In the end, the racist war-mongering apartheid state will disappear and something new, something better will take its place. It's only a question of time [cheering]."[40]

CAIR Michigan executive director Dawud Walid speaking at the even. A girl is holding up a poster stating "Blaming Hamas for firing rockets is like blaming a woman for punching her rapist." Image source: Shiatv.net/video/1156550385, August 6, 2014.

Young man reciting poetry at event and promotes Iran's Press TV. Image source: Shiatv.net/video/535888491, August 8, 2024.

2015 Quds Day Rally, Henry Ford Centennial Library, Dearborn: "Boycott Apartheid Israel," "Zionism Is Racism," And "Stop U.S. Aid To Israel"

In 2015, the Dearborn Quds Day rally was held outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library, on Friday, July 10.[41] During the rally, demonstrators held up signs, banners, and flags stating "Boycott Apartheid Israel," "Zionism is racism," and "Stop U.S. Aid to Israel."

Protestors at the Quds Day rally in Dearborn on July 10, 2015. Image source: Arabamericannews.com/2015/07/13/International-Al-Quds-Day-rally-held-in-Dearborn/, July 13, 2015.

2016 Quds Day, Dearborn: "Israel Must Be Annihilated By The Efforts Of The Believers"

The 2016 Quds Day rally was held in Dearborn on July 1 of that year. Speakers at the rally included Michigan Islamic scholar Ibrahim Yassine, who claimed that Israel "spreads corruption all over the world" and therefore "must be annihilated by the efforts of the believers."

Ibrahim Yassine: Israel "Must Be Annihilated By The Efforts Of The Believers";

The following are excerpts from Yassine's speech:

"Palestine is not a mere political and regional issue. The Palestinian cause is not about Palestine per se. It is about the existence of a plundering entity that spreads corruption in the land – not just in the Middle East, but across the world. Allah has promised that this plundering entity will be annihilated, and it must be annihilated, by the efforts of the believers."

To view his speech on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Michigan Islamic Scholar Ibrahim Yassine speaking at the Quds Day Rally held in Dearborn on July 1, 2016.

Quds Day Friday Sermon In Dearborn – Imam Hassan Qazwini: Jerusalem Was And Will Again Be A Muslim City

Also for Quds Day 2016, Imam Hassan Qazwini[42] delivered a sermon at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn. In it, he stated that just as Jerusalem had remained under Crusader occupation for 200 years but had afterwards been returned to Muslim rule, so too would Jerusalem once again be returned to the Muslims after 60 years of Zionist rule.

The following are excerpts from his sermon:

Imam Hassan Qazwini: "And finally, my dear brothers and sisters, today, the final Ramadan, the final Friday in Ramadan, the Muslims of the world [are] celebrating the International Day of Jerusalem, that was declared by [the] late Imam Khomeini in the honor of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will remain a Muslim city, my dear brothers and sisters. Let's not forget the Crusaders occupied, occupied Jerusalem for 200 years. But finally it was retaken by Muslims. So the Zionists now have been occupying Jerusalem for what, 60 years? 50 years? But one day we hope soon, inshallah, Jerusalem will go back to Muslims. And it will be liberated from the Zionists, inshallah."[43]

2017 Quds Day Rally, Henry Ford Centennial Library, Dearborn

The 2017 International Quds Day rally was held June 23 outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn. Speakers included Imam Mujahid Abdulkarim, of Watts, California), who regularly visited Iran[44] and whose arrest in 2017 was covered by Iranian IRGC-affiliated news agencies,[45] as well as CAIR Michigan Executive Director Imam Dawud Walid and Sheikh Ibrahim Yassine. The crowd was estimated at about 200 people.[46]

Sheikh Ibrahim Yassine speaks at the event. Source: Facebook.com/AlQudsCommittee/photos/pb.100076278909963.-2207520000/1371861199518186/?type=3, June 23, 2017.

Source: M.bintjbeil.org/article/127837; June 23, 2017.

2018 Quds Day Rally, Detroit, Michigan

International Quds Day 2018 was held on June 8 in the Detroit area. The Al-Quds Committee announced the Quds Day rally on May 25 with a video originally shared by Russia's state-controlled outlet "In the Now" that showed pro-Palestinian protesters interrupting a speech at the University of Houston, Texas by then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. In the video, the protesters shouted that she had blood on her hands and had signed off on genocide in her support for Israel.[47]

Photo source: Facebook.com/profile/100076278909963/search/?q=Quds%20day%20detroit, May 25, 2018.

2019 Quds Day Rally, Henry Ford Centennial Library, Dearborn: Israel Is "A Cancer Behind All Oppression In The World," U.S. Politicians Are "Satanic Terrorists"

The 2019 Quds Day Rally was held in Dearborn on May 31 in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library. At the rally, speakers called Israel "a cancer behind all oppression in the world," said the U.S. government politicians are "satanic terrorists," and argued that Hamas, Hizbullah, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had the right to resist.

Speaking at the event, Tarek Bazzi said that every U.S. president – not only the "idiot" Trump – was a criminal and a terrorist, and that it was only economic sanctions and "political arrogance" that maintained America's standing in the world. He cursed America and the world powers for "wishing for the masses to remain silent" and abandon Palestine.

He added: "Not only will we witness the liberation of Palestine, but Allah willing, we are going to play an active role in it with our own hands." He said that Palestine will only be liberated by Muslims, and not through American legislation or deals drawn up by "hypocrites" and "traitors." He also said that the "beloved leader" Imam Khamenei said that Israel will crumble in less than 25 years, and that the "cancer" of Israel can only be removed through resistance and reliance on Allah.

Referring to American politicians and the U.S. government as satanic, he said that Hamas, Hizbullah, the IRGC, and anybody else fighting against Israel have a God-given right to resist.

Also speaking at the event was Sheikh Usama Abdulghani. Calling Israel the "head of the snake" and behind all the oppression in the world and a "system of cancerous oppression," he led the audience in chanting "Away with the humiliation!"

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Following are excerpts from Bazzi's and Abdulghani's statements:

Tarek Bazzi: American Military Campaigns, Economic Sanctions, And Political Arrogance Are The Only Things That Keep America Where It Is"; America Has Not Given Us Anything That Allah Did Not Intend On Giving Us"; "There Is Only One Solution – Intifada, Revolution"

Tarek Bazzi: "Many people from across the community and across the Muslim world at large have been swept away by the tide of American patriotism. They are proud of America, its freedom, its democracy, free speech, freedom of religion... At the same time, they look down upon the Islamic countries from the high horse of American exceptionalism. How these countries are backwards, corrupt, unorganized, and you have heard more... For that I would like to call the attention of those individuals – however they might hear this – that the amenities and luxuries that they are enjoying in this country are attained at the expense of the rest of the world. American military campaigns, economic sanctions, and political arrogance are the only things that keep America where it is. It has been so since they first came to slaughter natives and enslave Africans. We don't point our fingers at the current idiot in the White House, but at all of the criminals and terrorists who held his position before him.

[...]

"And I would like to make it clear to those individuals who like to sing the national anthem and claim that America has given us so much opportunity that America has not given us anything that Allah did not intend on giving us. Just as the Pharaoh did not do Moses a favor by raising him in his corrupt palace. Because the only reason Moses was there in the first place was because of Pharaoh's slaughtering and enslaving of Moses's people. Likewise, America has not given us anything that we would not have gotten in our homelands, in the company of our own people – were our lands not invaded and colonized and were our people not slaughtered and exploited.

[...]

"As the martyr Malcolm [X said]: "It is liberty or death, it is freedom for everybody or freedom for nobody." And we see all too clearly that "freedom for everybody" begins in Palestine. And we repeat that every land is Karbala, every day is Ashura.

[...]

"The world powers now wish for the masses to remain silent. They wish that the masses would simply abandon the issue of Palestine. To them we respond as Abu Al-Fadhl Al-Abbas responded: 'May God curse you and may God curse the security that you offer us.'

[...]

"There is no doubt that not only will we witness the liberation of Palestine, but, Allah willing, we are going to play an active role in it with our own hands... No one will liberate Palestine except for us.

[...]

"Until we fight, struggle, and resist against the enemy, indifferent to materialistic calculations, and until we stop relying upon America, Britain, Saudi Arabia, and whoever else to solve this problem... until we start relying upon Allah, this problem will not be solved – this cancer will not be removed, and Palestine will not be liberated.

[...]

"Everywhere the Muslims stood up and fought back, with faith and reliance upon Allah as the basis and foundation of their resistance, they found victory in the most impossible circumstances. From the Islamic Republic [of Iran] – from the Islamic Revolution – to the resistance fighters of the believers in Lebanon [i.e., Hizbullah]. Resistance was always the answer, and victory was always the outcome. And in Palestine, too, resistance is the only answer in the face of an arrogant, oppressive regime like the Zionist occupier.

[...]

"As the brothers and sisters have chanted before, it is true: There is only one solution – Intifada, revolution. Nothing else will bring about the liberation of Palestine. Nothing else will stop the oppression in Yemen. Nothing else will return all of Syria back to Syria.

[...]

"The same people bombing, exploiting, terrorizing, and colonizing our lands overseas are the same people oppressing, corrupting, brainwashing the people over here. Our quarrel is not with the people of America, but with the Satanic government and the Satanic politicians.

[...]

"Resistance is justified when people are occupied."

Crowd: "Resistance is justified when people are occupied."

[...]

Sheikh Abdulghani: " The Head Of The Snake Is Israel"; "This Is Believers, Muslims, People Of Conscience All Around The World... Standing Against A System Of Cancerous Oppression"

Sheikh Usama Abdulghani: "We haven't forgotten any of those struggles all around the world. Brothers and sisters, I tell you this: None of those obvious forms of oppression make us neglect the head of the snake. The head of the snake is Israel. They don't get out of it.

[...]

"This is believers, Muslims, people of conscience all around the world, standing for divine values, and standing against a system of cancerous oppression."

[...]

Tarek Bazzi: "We are here this year, and we will be here next year, Allah willing, and every year after that, despite the fact that each successive year sees another resistance group on the terror list, another group that we are supposedly not allowed to talk about. We are going to be here to say that Hamas has the right to resist, and the Revolutionary Guards of Iran have the right to resist – and whoever is sensitive about it or not – Hizbullah has the right to resist. And everybody who fights against Israel has the right to resist. And this right is from God's fist and it's from God only, and we don't need it from anybody else, so we will express it, every year."

Man in Crowd: "Away with the humiliation!"

Crowd: "Away with the humiliation!"[48]

2020 Quds Day Rally – Two Livestreams Over Zoom

Virtual Rally #1 – Featuring Dr. Zahra Mostafavi, Daughter Of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iranian TV Anchor And U.S. Citizen Marzeh Hashemi

The 2020 International Quds Day was held on May 22 over Zoom, due to the Covid-19 restrictions at the time. Streamed live by the Dearborn-based Islamic organization "Light of Guidance,"[49] it featured several guest speakers who spoke to an international audience watching from not only the U.S. but also from Iran, London, Jerusalem, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, France, the U.K., and, the organization claimed, over "100 organizations from many countries."

Dr. Zahra Mostafavi, the daughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, sent a message that was delivered by a speaker. Other speakers were Professor Ramon Grosfoguel of the Department of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley,[50] who asserted that Israel aligned itself with fascist groups and promoted extreme right positions worldwide.

Also speaking was PressTV anchor and U.S. citizen Marzieh Hashemi, who in 2019 was arrested by U.S. authorities when visiting the U.S.[51]; she said that "the Zionists" are supporting terrorism in the region and highlighted the role played by IRGC Qods Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed in January of that year in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, in advocating for Palestinian liberation.

Another speaker was Seyyed Hashem Al-Heidari, who underlined the honor paid to Soleimani by Hizbullah and Hamas and the importance of preparing for the elimination of Israel, as well as for the future defeat of the arrogant powers in the West – an event, he added, for which the Covid-19 crisis was serving as a catalyst.

Others who sent video messages that were screened were Anglican priest in Manchester Rev. Daniel Burton, London Neturei Karta Rabbi Elhanan Beck in London, and others.

The following are excerpts from Grosfoguel's, Hashemi's, and  Al-Heidari's statements:

Dr. Zahra Mostafavi: My Father "Designated The Last Friday Of Every Month Of Ramadan As The International Quds Day In Support Of The Oppressed Palestinian Nation"

Speaker delivering the message of Dr. Zahra Mostafavi: "The world is every day witnessing an increase in oppression, discrimination, and racism, and the oppressed Palestinian nation is more than ever subject to oppression and atrocities. The Palestinian nation have stood against all occupiers for several years and have proved that it is only through their resistance and support of all freedom-seeking people of the world that they can achieve victory, just as the victory against the Daesh (the so-called ISIS [parentheses in original]) was achieved through resistance and support of the nations and commandership of martyr Qassem Soleimani.

"The late Imam Khomeini designated the last Friday of every month of Ramadan as the International Quds Day in support of the oppressed Palestinian nation. The people across the world used to hold rallies in every corner of the globe on this day ever year, but this year, due to coronavirus pandemic, assembly of the people is not possible. Therefore, it is pertinent that the freedom-seeking people of the world mark the International Quds Day through any means at their disposal.

"Today, that [i.e. when] the media draw people's attention more than ever, everybody can function as a media. Everyone, through publishing photos, clips, and virtual sessions, can inform the free-spirited youth of the world of the crimes committed by the Zionists, which is the most important step for the Palestinian people to achieve their goals. The International Quds Day coincides with the Nakba Day (Catastrophe Day [parentheses in original]) this year. We should remember what an injustice was done to the Palestinian people 70 years ago. The Zionists have made the Palestinian territories insecure through terror, assassination, and bombing. The Zionists, through a great plot and mass killing, have hijacked the territory that is sacred to the followers of all the divine religions.

"The support can be lent to the Palestinians through recalling the memories of the atrocities committed by the Zionists against the Palestinian nation. We support the Palestinian people and hope that we will soon celebrate the liberation of Palestine and the holy Quds under the sagacious leadership of [Iranian Supreme Leader] Ayatollah [Ali] Khamenei in the Resistance Front, God willing."

Zahra Mostafavi and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, from Quds Day virtual rally, May 22, 2020.

Prof. Gosfoguel: Israel Is "A Danger" And "A Threat To The World At Large"; The Palestinians Have A "Very High" Possibility of Success

Prof. Ramon Grosfoguel: "This is where the Israeli state, I say, is a danger – not only to what they're doing in Palestine, and to Palestinians, and not only to the surrounding countries that they constantly bomb, attack, and kill people – they're also a threat to the world at large, because there are siding with extreme right groups, with fascist groups in every country they can – especially in Western plutocracies.

[...]

"And you could see what side of history is this Zionist state – it is on the side of fascism; is on the side of the most reactionary forces in the world.

[...]

"And so they are in a sense promoting this kind of extreme right positions all over the place. So this Zionist 'mask' as some kind of 'democratic progressive movement,' is already on the ground, the masks have gone down. It's a fascist [state].

[...]

Speaker: "So what would your message be to the Zionists, and what would your message be to the Palestinians, very quickly?"

Prof. Ramon Grosfoguel: "Well, to the Palestinians: You have in front of you the possibilities of success, very high. Especially when you have a state, that even though in appearance looks to be very powerful, in fact they're very weak. Because when they have to do this kind of extreme right measures all over the world to sustain themselves, that shows their weakness. And to the Zionists: You have the days counted. You have the days counted. You will be like any other apartheid regime in the world, like South Africa, and many others. You might fall down sooner than later." [...]

PressTV Anchor Marzieh Hashemi: "We Have Seen The Role That The Zionists Played In Terrorism In This Region"

Marzieh Hashemi: "We have seen the role that the Zionists played in terrorism in this region – supporting, for example, Al-Nusra front in Syria, we have seen the role of them assassinating people at will throughout the region.

[...]

"And while we're just remembering everyone who stands up for truth, a lot of them, let us not forget [Iranian officer in the IRGC] Major General Qassem Soleimani, in standing up for the truth he gave his life, he gave his life, for the liberation of others, and one of his main goals was the liberation of Palestine, and let's make that happen." [...]

Left: Prof. Grosfoguel; right, Marzieh Hashemi

Al-Heidari: "God Willing, The Abolition Of Israel Is A Very Close Goal Which Will Be Attained If God Wills"

Seyyed Hashem Al-Heidari [translation from video]: "Al-Quds Day was founded by Imam Khomeini after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. And in this year, important events took place that fall upon us and befell us, and its repercussions remain. Al-Quds Day comes within these events. Among the most important events that took place is the martyrdom of General Leader Qassem Soleimani. This leader, who was named by his Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as the 'leader of the martyrs of the resistance front.' Also, the official of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas named him as 'the martyr of Quds.'

"General Qassem's goal was to liberate Al-Quds and Palestine, and he established this operation years ago. Every resistance front, branch, formation and movement move within this goal. This martyrdom and cowardly assassination carried out by America against General Qassem Soleimani, which was announced by his eminence, the guardian jurist of the Muslims, the great Ayatollah Imam Khamenei on the matter of harsh revenge, which is removing the American forces from all our region, West Asia, and therefore, God willing, the abolition of Israel is a very close goal which will be attained if God wills.

[...]

"We in the Islamic world, and in the Arab world, and all the free people must prepare, especially the youth, so we all collectively prepare within these events, within the changes in facing these challenges—especially that the corona [pandemic] crisis exposed the fragility and the weakness of the capitalistic, materialistic, and arrogant system in the West, in Europe, and in America—and thus the opportunity to get rid of the arrogant domination in the Islamic world and the Arab world. The free people in the world have a great opportunity now. Al-Quds must be the focal point, the focal point for the mobilization of the youth, the believing youth, Muslim youth, and the free youth globally. Day after day, the fragility of the American and Western system represented in America, Britain, France, and these countries. We have to trust our faith, our Islam, our sacred principles, and we must return to Al-Quds. Al-Quds awaits every free person, Muslim and every resistor.

[...]

"Thus, the chances of the abolition of Israel and the events also reveal that. Just as praise be to God, in the Arab and Islamic world, especially the resistance front is not the same as before. The resistance front is, at its best, the branches of the resistance, the movements, the Islamic Republic – each of them, and the scholars of the resistance. Today, the opportunity to liberate Palestine and Al-Quds is very great. We renew our pledge for Palestine and the Al-Quds, God willing, as all the resistors and resistance fighters, focal point, it is the central issue that was announced by Imam Khomeini, that will remain present, God willing, and if God wills this generation, the generation of our time will witness the liberation of Palestine and Al-Quds and we will pray in Al-Quds under the banner of Islam and Wilayah [province].[52]

To view this video, click here or below:

Virtual Rally #2: Featuring  Hujjat Al-Islam Sheikh Salim Yusufali, Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya, And Others

That same day, Light of Guidance streamed live another Quds Day event called "Muslim Congress." Featured guests included Rabbi Yisroel Weiss of the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect, who is a regular on the anti-Israel circuit;  Hujjat Al-Islam Sheikh Salim Yusufali, Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya, and other activists from various cities. At the event, Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya referenced the assertion by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that Israel would disappear within 20 years.[53]

Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya: According To Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, "There Will Be No Zionist Regime After 20 Years"

The following is an excerpt from the statements by HujjatAl-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya:

"The Islamic leader [Khamenei] has already said.... When he says that there will be no Zionism, there will be no Zionist regime after 20 years, then that's true. The Qur'an gives us the hope. And when we have the promises of Qur'an in front of us, we are all supposed to do our focus on farida, and we are guaranteed that Palestine will definitely be free, and it will be liberated, and justice will be enforced for the people of Palestine."[54]

Hujjat Al-Islam Sayyed Abbas Ayleya speaking at the International Quds Day event held online. Image source: Youtube.com/watch?v=TWzLlmtOuzM, May 22, 2020.

2021 Quds Day Rally, Dearborn Police Department: Israel Is A "Satanic," "Cancerous," "Terrorist" Regime

The 2021 International Day of Al-Quds, alternatively called "The Day of Revival of Islam," was held on May 7 at the Dearborn Police Department. Speakers at the event again included Tarek Bazzi, and Sheikh Usama Abdulghani, as well as Al-Quds Committee founder and head of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Movement, [55] and author Fatima Najdi, who recited a poem. The event was streamed live on Facebook by Dearborn.org.

Flyer published by the Al-Quds Committee on Facebook announcing the event. Source: Facebook.com/AlQudsCommittee/photos/pb.100076278909963.-2207520000/3915035695200711/?type=3, May 4, 2021.

Speakers at the event referred to Israel as a "Satanic," "cancerous," and "terrorist" regime that had brought nothing but evil to the world. They emphasized there was no distinction between Al-Quds (Jerusalem), Haifa, Jaffa, Ramallah, and Gaza – but that all of it was Palestine and belonged to the Muslims. Hence, they argued, Israel must be combatted and eradicated by Muslims, and in this regard they exalted the efforts of Hizbullah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah in pursuing that goal.[56]

The following are excerpts from statements at the event by Tarek Bazzi and Fatima Najdi:

Tarek Bazzi: "A Day Like This Is A Day Of Resistance Against The Arrogant Oppressors All Across The World, And Especially The Evil, Satanic Zionist Regime"

Tarek Bazzi: "A day like this is a day of resistance against the arrogant oppressors all across the world, and especially the evil, Satanic Zionist regime. Palestine is the heart of the Islamic world, and Al-Quds is the heart of Palestine. And a cancer has been implanted in the heart of the Muslim ummah that has brought nothing but evil to the world since its inception. More than 100 years have passed since the racist, colonial British empire signed away a land that did not belong to them to the greedy Zionist movement. And since then the heart of the ummah has known no peace."

[...]

"And so combatting this cancer is not a choice, but rather it's a divine duty upon every single one of us. This is a global resistance. There are those who are doing their part militarily. And the responsibility is on the rest of us wherever we are in the world, politically, economically, and culturally. There is no Muslim without a duty to Palestine."

[...]

"Those who believe, fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the taghut. So fight against the forces of the Shaytan, for indeed the plots of the Shaytan are weak." [...]

Fatima Najdi's Poem:  "The Zionist Regime Will Be The First To Fall"; "The Racist System Of America Has Cracked With George Floyd's Dying Breath"

Fatima Najdi: "The Zionist regime will be the first to fall down. There is no room for fear here – let it go. There is no room for peace-making, let it go. There is no time when the masses cannot breathe and the knee of arrogance rests on our throats. Don't bend to the occupier. Resist them. Don't beg for mercy. Don't beg for mercy. Demand it. This is our fight against humiliation, because while Palestine is occupied today, tomorrow they will go after your country, your home, your family. Nothing satisfies the arrogant, lustful, racist, deplorable, lowly. So be loud in your roar, they're already in fear drowning. The bullies of the world will succumb to our numbers. They have no right nor logic to back-up their vile actions. This is it! This is our land! Free it will be as God intended it.

[...]

"This era of deception and greed will end. These people of arrogance will not last. They are not safe from God's wrath. They're not safe from our vengeance. Not a pebble of Palestine's land will remain occupied!

[...]

"We haven't forgotten any corner of the earth. Afghanistan, Iraq, Bahrain, Kashmir, Lebanon! They will enjoy the mercy God has to offer, and this disgusting, honorless oppressors will receive God's justice through our hands.

[...]

"The racist system of America has cracked with George Floyd's dying breath. This hijab is for us, and no one can take it. Yes! Not even your shameless government, this is it! Our honor rests in these lands and we will fight for it or die on it. We cannot accept anything less than our honor. So rest assured, this is it. We will defeat every arrogant power. This is it! The end is near. Their end is near. This is it.

[...]

Left: Tarek Bazzi at Quds Day 2021. Right: Fatima Najdi reciting her poem. Image source: Fb.watch/qUsCGYSS0P/, May 7, 2021.

Tarek Bazzi: "When Believers Like Yourselves Gather All Across The World, It's A Reminder That The Masses Of The World Do Not Accept The Existence Of This Illegitimate Zionist Regime"; The Supporters Of Palestine "Are The Largest Army In The World!...  We're On Every Corner Of The Earth"

Tarek Bazzi: "In this treacherous era of normalization with the Zionist entity, a day like this, Al-Quds Day, is a thorn in the eye of every single oppressor. When believers like yourselves gather all across the world, it's a reminder that the masses of the world do not accept the existence of this illegitimate Zionist regime. Those same hypocritical Western nations, that proclaim themselves the champions of democracy and free speech and human rights, shamelessly support this genocidal apartheid regime. They criminalize speaking out against Israel. They criminalize exposing its crimes. 'It's a crime to join and support the BDS movement.' They blacklist anybody who fights against them.

[...]

"They wish to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will not consent, except to perfect his light, though the disbelievers hate it. They're doing whatever they can to silence the Palestinian cause into non-existence. But this cause is God's cause. And a gathering like this is a manifestation of God's will. And so we will not be silenced. We reject Zionism, we reject occupation, we reject any deceitful two-state solution. We're for Palestine, all of Palestine, for the Palestinians. And we support any effort to reclaim Palestine. As Malcom [X] would say it, 'by any means necessary.'

[...]

"And we're not intimidated by labels of terrorism, because our people know what they fight for. And between the occupier and the resistance fighter, it's very clear who the terrorist is." [...]

Abbas Hamideh, Al-Quds Committee founder And Head Of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right Of Return Movement: The "Honorable" Hizbullah Leader "Said That The Liberation Of Al-Quds Is Near"

Abbas Hamideh: "As countless other speakers have said, Palestine is ours 'from the River to the Sea.' We don't distinguish from al-Quds, Haifa, Yaffa, Ramallah, Gaza, all of it is Palestine.

[...]

"We cannot sit with Mahmoud Abbas, or sit with the UAE [United Arab Emirates], or any of these bogus governments who just want to sit down and talk for the sake of talk. Palestine is not just about talk. It is about doing, it is about resisting, it is about fighting, like the brother said, 'by any means necessary.'

[...]

"So the Al-Quds Day rally is essential. All of you know the history of Al-Quds Day. It comes from Iran, let's make no mistake about it. Okay? It is a dedication to the Palestinian people, to fight until liberation. It is the main reason why Iran is targeted. It is the main reason why some of the countries in our region are targeted. Because we are about resistance, we're about no-normalization with the illegal Zionist entity that is currently occupying Palestine for the past 73 years. So Al-Quds Day rally is essential to that message and to keep fighting.

[...]

"Palestine is not alone. We have the largest army in the world! The pro-Palestinian supporters – keep this in mind – are the largest army in the world! The media hides it, CNN, Fox News, all the mainstream narratives hide it. But we are actually the most powerful army fighting to liberate Palestine. We're on every corner of the earth, so make no mistake about that.

[...]

"It is not only Trump; we must not just scapegoat Donald Trump. It is also the current president Biden, who says he's a proud Zionist! Who says that he doesn't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist! Let us not forget that! So he is also turning a blind eye, and the vice president Kamala Harris is also turning a blind eye! When it comes to Palestine, there is no Republican or Democrat – there is one system against the Palestinian people to oppress them and continue the annexation of Palestine. Both mainstream parties in the United States are anti-Palestinian, they're anti-Arab, they're destroying our region in Palestine. Whether it's in Iraq, whether it's in Pakistan, whether it's in Palestine, whether it's in Syria, this is all-deliberate, all-calculated, "divide and conquer."  

[...]

"So we must not, ever, be deceived by either party. We must not ever trust either party, especially when it comes to Palestine. Especially when they're funding the occupation of Palestine. So we must continue to hold these rallies, we must continue to uplift our voices.

[...]

"And to my fellow Palestinians I say: stand with the nations that support you, not the ones that are deceiving you. Stand with the powerful resistance leaders. One of them, who's honorable, in South Lebanon [Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hizbullah] – we all know who he is – who said, that the liberation of Al-Quds is near. He said this recent[ly]. These are the fearless resistance leaders that we should trust! These are the countries that we should stand with! And have hope for. It is not the politicians here; it is not the Congress people here. Because so far they have not proved anything for Palestine.

[...]

"We're not here to play politics, we're not here to mince and mingle with words. There is an occupier and there is the occupied. That's exactly what's happening in Palestine. As far as that goes, it's black and white. There's a victim and there's an oppressor. There's nothing in between. There's not 'two sides have been fighting for centuries' all these lies. There's not an 'antisemitic movement' because we are Semites! OK? The Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Syrians, are all semitic people, ok? So we cannot be antisemitic, it is absurd! It is absurd. So when people accuse you of that, take it with a grain of salt, because they're losing the battle. When you talk to them they resort to things like, 'God gave us this land.'

[...]

"Because Zionism, as you all know here, is racism, it's terrorism, deceit, theft! That's what Zionism is! So we need to dismantle any racist ideology, whether it's white supremacism, whether it's religious supremacism trying to occupy another nation – which is Zionism. All this must be dismantled. So when they talk to us about peace, when they talk to us, as a brother said earlier – the one state, the two-state [solution]—these are all lies, these are all lies to prolong the occupation, to steal more land, to set up more housing establishments, to encircle and engulf Palestinian homes throughout Palestine."

[...]

Crowd: "From the river to the sea... End the occupation now. Resistance is justified when people are occupied." [...]

Usama Abdulghani: "Over 70 Years Ago, The Worst Of Mankind Snatched Land On The Flimsiest Of Excuses... The World Governments, The Global Powers At That Time, They Were The Enablers"

Usama Abdulghani: "Over 70 years ago, the worst of mankind snatched land on the flimsiest of excuses. The claim was, the excuse was, that the Nazis have oppressed the Jews. Because the Nazis oppressed the Jews, they gave somebody else's land, somebody else's home, and they said that 'you're welcome to take this.' But this shameful act, brothers and sisters, was not just those occupiers. The world governments, the global powers at that time, they were the enablers, and they allowed this to happen. Since then, brothers and sisters, for 70 years every imaginable crime and genocide has taken place.

[...]

"Brothers and sisters, when you're facing a tyrant, and a coward, like the Israelis, you have to impose your will on that tyrant, and that's what they're going to do, inshallah.

[...]

"Brothers and sisters, we believe in the Mahdi, and we believe that his time is soon. Brothers and sisters, the Israelis are weak, and they're getting weaker and weaker. You and I, we've seen the 33-day war, the courageous resistance of Hizbullah, we saw what they did to them. Then after that we saw the Israelis get so weak it was a 22-day war, then after that it was an 8-day war! They're weaker than you and I would believe, but the resistance has to continue. We hope that, inshallah, by our efforts we can pave the way for the return of our imam and our savior [the Mahdi]. We hope that we will witness that day when Issa, Jesus, will descend from heaven and he will pray behind the Mahdi.

[...]

Tarek Bazzi: "With Every Single Quds Day That Passes By, With The Jihad Of The Brave And The Self-Sacrificing Palestinians, With The Efforts Of The Muslims Worldwide To Expose And Bring An End To This Wretched Occupation, The Liberation Of Palestine Is Closer And We, Inshallah, Are Closer To Al-Quds"

Tarek Bazzi: "We end on a more positive note, that a day like this we said is a day of solidarity, it's a day of resistance. At the same time, it's a day of hope. As Sheikh mentioned before me, the Zionist occupying force is very much a sinking ship. Its military cannot remember what a victory feels like. Its political structure is falling apart. Many of us have seen – even the Israelis themselves are protesting against the Israeli government and its corruption. The social fabric of that wretched, occupying, terrorist organization is falling apart at the seams. So with every single Quds Day that passes by, with the jihad of the brave and the self-sacrificing Palestinians, with the efforts of the Muslims worldwide to expose and bring an end to this wretched occupation, the liberation of Palestine is closer and we, inshallah, are closer to Al-Quds.

"As brother Abbas mentioned, there's a noble gentleman from south Lebanon [Nasrallah] who mentioned that he himself has hope that he will pray in Palestine, in al-Quds. Before we know it, inshallah, we'll be booking flights when we go for Hajj and our other trips, we'll be booking flights to stop in Palestine and pray in al-Quds, and inshallah before we know it, as sheikh mentioned, the little children are here, we will be speaking to our children and our grandchildren. And when we talk about this wretched state, inshallah, we'll be speaking in the past tense.

"Thank you to the police department for their cooperation, and thank you to the Imam Ali association for their support. Thank you to brother Abbas, to sheikh [Abdulghani], to the sister who recited poetry.

Abbas Hamideh, left, and Usama Abdulghani, right, speaking at Quds Day 2021. (Image source: Fb.watch/qUsCGYSS0P/, May 7, 2021.

2022 Quds Day Rally, In Dearborn, Michigan: "Do You Hear What I Am Hearing? Do You See What I Am Seeing? The Quivering Fear Of That Cancerous Entity, The Final Rasping Breaths Of Those Zionists, And The Breaking Up Of Their Allies?"

The 2022 Quds Day rally, held April 29 in Dearborn by the Al-Quds Committee, was streamed live on the Dearborn.org Facebook page. In his statements at the event, Tarek Bazzi called for a "noble, honorable, [and] brave armed resistance" in Palestine and for Palestine's "complete liberation." He rejected the two-state solution and said that there is no distinction between Gaza, the West Bank, and the rest of Palestine. Also at the event, Michigan author Fatima Najdi recited a poem about the "quivering fear" of the "cancerous entity" that is Israel and the "final rasping breath of those Zionists." She also said that when Tel Aviv is razed to the ground, people will shout "Never to Humiliation!" Other speakers included Seyyed Ali Jaffari and Hassan Salami.

To view excerpts of the statements at the rally on MEMRI TV, click here or below.[57]

Below is the full transcript of the event.[58]

Tarek Bazzi: "The International day of Al-Quds is a day for insight, and is a day when we can come together and connect the dots. To recognize that the injustices and the oppressions and the sufferings all across the world are one intertwined web that ensnares us all. So whether we're talking about the military occupation of Palestine, or the U.S.-backed Saudi genocide of the people of Yemen. Whether we're talking about the U.S. military-industrial complex and its 1,000 military bases all across the world, and its nearly $1 trillion dollar annual budget. Whether we're talking about the militarized police force in this country, and the for-profit prison system that systematically targets the weakest and the most vulnerable amongst us, destroying lives and families and generations. Whether we're talking about the people right here in America, who are struggling, who lack proper education, who lack healthcare, who lack basic human rights, that have come to describe the modern world, all of this oppression is connected. And if you were to look deeper and if you were to follow the money trail, you would see that same Zionist hand, that same hand of American imperialism. Those same economic and political elites, who seek to play God with our lives. These modern-day pharaohs, who seek to tell us what Pharaoh told Moses: [Arabic]. 'The International Day of Quds is a day for us to come together, to unite under the banner of "There is no God but Allah," and to cast aside these shackles.'"

Fatima Najdi: "Do you hear what I am hearing? Do you see what I am seeing? The quivering fear of that cancerous entity, the final rasping breaths of those Zionists, and the breaking up of their allies?"

[...]

"When Tel Aviv is razed to that ground, 'never to humiliation!' we will shout."

Fatima Najdi, Quds Day, Dearborn, 2022 

Tarek Bazzi: "Just a sincere shout out and thank you to all of the parents who brought their young children. These are the seeds of resistance that are being planted, that keep these terrorist enemies of ours up every single night. And we said that the injustices and the sufferings across the world are all one interconnected web. And if we would look a little bit deeper we would see that it's not just about economic and political and military exploitation and oppression. But actually it's about ideological and spiritual oppression. And the tyrants of the world understand this. They see very clearly—that if they can create populations of people who are individualistic, materialistic, worldly, consumeristic—they understand that they will have then created the most easily enslaved, and the most easily controlled and manipulated population.

"And this is why, at the same time that they drop bombs and they ravage countries all across the world, they also exert every single effort to misguide us with all of these different "isms" and false beliefs and practices and lifestyles that they promote—be it materialism or consumerism or liberalism; be it the objectification of our sisters, or the promotion of this filthy hypersexual society. The immoral Hollywood and music industry. All of this is meant to make sure that all of us remain groveling in our lowest desires. Because they understand that if we were to wake up, and connect with Allah, then we would be a force of spiritual soldiers too formidable. Because we would see that life and death and our sustenance and everything that we are and everything that we have is in Allah's hands. In that case we could never be bought, we could never be bribed, we could never be intimidated, we could never be pressured or threatened.

"Allah says, [Arabic] "Let those who sell the life of this world for the life of the hereafter fight in the way of Allah. And whoever fights in the way of Allah and is killed or is victorious, then soon we will give him a great reward." And so it is from this that we understand that if we can get ourselves to live lives of piety, obedience [to] Allah, and remembrance of the hereafter, we will be waging one of – if not the most great – jihad against our own selves and against our enemies as well."

[...]

Seyyed Ali Jaffari: "Brothers and sisters, we're not the first ones facing this enemy. We've seen this movie before, okay? We've seen this movie before, with Prophet Moses and the pharaoh. We've seen this movie before with Jesus, son of Mary. And we've seen this movie before, with the Prophet Muhammad. And when it comes to the Prophet Muhammad, one example of this movie was the battle of Khaybar. We've seen this movie before, we know how it ends. And that's how we know how to gain victory. And that's how we know that what starts here, changes the world.

[...]

"What you're going to see, brothers and sisters, in the coming months, in the coming years, is you will continue to see the Zionist entity lash out, in their belligerence, in their violence. When you see that, I want you to remember this: Remember the idea and the vision, or just picture a drowning man. When somebody is drowning, they're kicking, they're screaming, they're trying to grab anything. Doing all kinds of crazy stuff. That's not out of strength, brothers and sisters, that's out of their weakness. When you see the Zionist entity lashing out, understand it's out of their weakness because they're drowning as each and every one of us, as each and every Muslim takes our bucket of water and pours it on the Zionist entity and drowns them out of existence.

[...]

Hassan Salami: "My dear brothers and sisters, respected Ulema, and I will also repeat a line, Salamu Alaykum to our friends—and I don't know if we can say 'Salamu Alaykum' but [Arabic] to our enemies. May the curse of God be upon you.

[...]

"And this hyper paranoia that if I speak one word, the FBI is going to come through a helicopter into my bedroom, it's gotta stop! And even if they did! We fear God and we fear no one else!"

[...]

Tarek Bazzi: "We are for the complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea, and we make no distinction between Gaza or the West Bank or the lands of '48.

[...]

"The Zionists can admit that there is no two-state solution. Why can't some of us? What's left? Peaceful protests? Again, we have some people who want to remain acceptable in the mainstream. They want to look like moderates. They are afraid of being labeled as extremists, so they dissociate themselves from the noble, the honorable, the brave armed Palestinian resistance.

[...]

Tarek Bazzi, Quds Day, Dearborn, 2022 

"The only solution for our brothers and sisters in Palestine is armed resistance — and we support that, and we are with that, in our hearts and in our entire beings."[59]

2023 Quds Day Rally, Henry Ford Centennial Library, Dearborn: "Our Stones Strike Further Than Your Tanks"

In 2023, the Quds Day rally was held April 14 outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library. Announcements for the event posted by the Al-Quds Committee on Facebook stated "Our stones strike further than your tanks" and "Bravery belongs to the one who has God on their side, not a gun." 

Image sources: Facebook.com/photo/?fbid=245532111332751&set=pb.100076278909963.-2207520000, April 10, 2023; Facebook.com/photo/?fbid=238529342033028&set=pb.100076278909963.-2207520000, March 28, 2023.

While no video was available, photos of the event on the Al-Quds Committee Facebook page[60] showed speakers Tarek Bazzi, Usama Abdulghani, Fatima Najdi, and others, along with a participant holding a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Facebook.com/AlQudsCommittee/posts/pfbid02gbphyMu66dc3JMg9tBXX3se3RaHGSR31CXutmUywK9qfwgS9PZZtYiGRCiJcsyG3l, April 30, 2022

* Steven Stalinsky is Executive Director of MEMRI; *Emmanuel Cadieux is a Research Fellow at MEMRI.

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