TEHRAN Millions of fasting Muslims around the world yesterday voiced support for Palestinians and the Intifada (uprising) at the end of their rallies on the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramazan, observed as International Qods Day.

In Tehran, a seven-point resolution issued at the end of the rallies said that in line with the guidelines of the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian nation considered support for Intifada for holy Qods as their religious, human, national and revolutionary duty.

The resolution said that the Iranian nation, along with the government, the Parliament, the Judiciary and all organs of the Islamic system would continue their comprehensive and unmitigated support for the Palestinian nation as a strategic aspiration of the Islamic Revolution.

It also stated that as the Father of the Islamic Revolution and Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, the standard-bearer of anti-Zionist campaign, emphasized that the issue of Palestine would not be resolved unless the cancerous tumor, Israel, is erased from the region.

According to the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, no Zionist government, under any circumstances, would survive in Palestine; and any effort [to secure peace in the region]

in disregard of that fact would be doomed to fail.

The resolution added that the so-called peace talks had also proved that compromise with the Zionists and their American supporters is useless. On that account the Middle East peace talks are condemnable. It said that liberation of holy Qods is possible through Muslim unity.

The third point of the resolution said that in pursuit of the order of the Leader, the demonstrators considered necessary the evacuation of occupied lands, return of all Palestinian refugees, including Muslims, Jews and Christians, to their homeland, holding referendums and free elections on the future of Palestine.

The fourth point lauded the struggles of brave Palestinians and their Intifada, calling on all jihad groups to maintain unity and contribute to the total jihad until the Zionist enemy has been thoroughly defeated and the holy Qods liberated. It further called on Palestinians to choose honorable martyrdom over an abject life.

The fifth point cautioned against threats of the Zionist regime against national security and the interests of the regional states and the Islamic ummah. It called on all Muslim governments to voice their strong support for the oppressed Palestinian nation.

The sixth point said that silence and indifference of human communities and world organizations against the massacre of the Palestinian people were tantamount to support for the occupying regime of Qods. It called for the trial of Israeli war criminals by a competent court and punishment of agents who were behind massacres of Palestinians.

The seventh point singled out the United States as the main supporter of the Zionist regime. It condemned "sinister" bonds between the U.S. and Israel.

The Iranian nation and the Islamic ummah consider continued U.S. support of Zionist brutality as a sign of hostility and enmity of the Great Satan toward the Islamic ummah.

As long as the United States continues its support for the usurpers of Qods, Muslims and freedom-lovers throughout the world would undoubtedly consider the occupiers of the White House as their number one enemy, concluded the resolution.

There were massive demonstrations to observe Qods Day in Iranian cities.

Muslims in India also held rallies to express their support for oppressed Palestinians, condemning the atrocities of the Zionist regime.

Indian Muslims, who call the last Friday of Ramazan Jom'at al-Veda, poured into New Delhi streets voicing support for Palestinians. Muslim leaders of India addressed the demonstrators in mosques.

Also, for the first time, Muslims in the border regions of Lebanon marked International Qods Day.

The demonstrators chanted anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans and were calling for further Intifada against Zionists. They also burnt American and Israeli flags.

Iranians residing in the United Arab Emirates also took part in Qods Day rallies, condemning Zionist atrocities with U.S. support. The demonstrators then held Friday prayers with Hojjatoleslam Ali Shahcheraghi as the Friday prayer leader.

Shahcheraghi warned Muslims of Zionist brutalities and called on all Muslims to support the Intifada.

Muslims in the U.S. marked the day on Friday by holding a demonstration in front of the White House.

On Thursday, Islamic organizations in the U.S. called on Muslims residing in the country to massively observe the day. Muslims in the U.S. were called to participate in Qods Day rallies and appear in mosques for greater support for the Intifada.

Muslims in Syria, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Jordan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and China also massively participated in Qods Day rallies. However, the Western media heavily censored the event.

Iranian officials and ministries in separate statements called on Iranian and all Muslims to pour into streets to support the Palestinian Intifada.

On the occasion of Qods Day, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said in a message: "This year we are approaching International Qods Day as great developments have taken place in the struggle between justice and injustice in the Palestinian territories.

Muslims have learned great lessons from it that will leave behind a definite impact on this process. In the past several months, the Zionist regime has embarked on a new wave of suppression, violence, bloodshed and genocide throughout Palestine, in which numerous elderly, youths, women and children have been massacred and those injured have been transferred to hospitals in Islamic states. Almost every day in the holy month of Ramazan, the Zionist regime has committed crimes against the Muslim people, but the new generation in Palestine has withstood every tragedy to reach a bright future and victory."

The Leader said that the Intifada of Al-Aqsa Mosque (beginning September 28, 2000) and the continued genocide of Palestinian youths and children proved that armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. This is a subject that Muslim nations are raising in their Friday prayer to voice support for Intifada and pool assistance for the Palestinians.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon and Intifada of Al-Aqsa Mosque are indications of the enemy's collapse. The Zionists have maintained their power by humiliating the Palestinians, but the Palestinians have stood against the humiliating treaties designed by the United States, paving the way for the defeat of those who compromise.

They (the Palestinians) have opted for the path of dignity and honor and have pushed the Zionist regime into a crisis in the occupied land, the Leader said.

The Leader pointed to the significance the holy Qods has in Islam and condemned Israeli attempts to destroy Islamic monuments in holy Qods by digging tunnels to undermine Islamic buildings. He added that holy Qods is the capital of Palestine. Holy Qods belongs to all Muslims, and Muslims will not allow the Zionists to carry out their ominous plans for the holy city.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its support for the oppressed people of Palestine and expects other Islamic states to support Palestine and consider imposing an economic embargo or taking punitive action against the occupying regime of Israel, thus helping Palestinians rebuild their homeland," the Leader said.

Meanwhile, President Mohammad Khatami called on the Iranian nation and other Muslim nations of the world to massively participate in Qods Day rallies on Friday to voice support for the Palestinian people and defend the rights of that oppressed nation.

He termed the current developments in Palestine as a human tragedy, saying that struggle against usurpation and aggression across the globe should be given due attention as a universal humanitarian principle.

The president reiterated that massacre of innocent people, rendering Muslim Palestinians homeless and usurpation of Al-Aqsa Mosque are an insult to all Muslims. He stressed that the fate of Palestine should be determined by Palestinians.

Also, the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology called on people to massively mark the day.

Iranian President Khatami and Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi joined oceans of anti-Israel demonstrators on International Qods Day here on Friday to voice solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian nation.

Ambassadors of Islamic states, statesmen and 19 Palestinians injured were among the demonstrators who chanted slogans such as "Death to Israel" and "Death to America". This is in spite of the fact that President Khatami has said on numerous occasions, "We have had enough of death; it is time for life."