Speaking on the sidelines of ‘Al-Quds, Shared Heritage among Faiths’ international gathering about the lofty standing of Al-Quds for Muslims, the gravity of the Palestine issue, and the vital role Islamic holy shrines can play in this respect, representative of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, Nasser Abu Sharif, asserted: “Al-Quds is not merely a crisis confined to a certain geography; rather, it is a sacred land bestowed upon the mankind by God. Al-Quds has been an anti-Western political battleground and project, and a new project in Islamic civilization against Zionism. Therefore, it is incumbent upon Islamic centers, scholars, and holy shrines to raise awareness in Muslim communities about friends and foes”.

The Palestinian representative further talked about the central position of Imam Reza shrine, saying: “This is an important and big shrine housing the famous Gowharshad Mosque, which attracts millions of pilgrims yearly. It plays a pivotal role in stirring up the Islamic Ummah. Regardless of these capacities, based on our religious anecdotes, black flags from Khorasan will be raised towards Al-Quds.”

“Also, as emphasized by Imam Khomeini, Al-Quds is not a geographical issue to be simply dealt with; rather, it is an issue for the Islamic world, and a face-off between the oppressed people and the global arrogance”, concluded Abu Sharif.