On 7 October, supporters of the Iranian regime are organising an “Al Quds Day” demonstration in London (assembling 12:30 at Marble Arch).
This year, the march is backed not only by the Muslim Association of Britain, George Galloway, Yvonne Ridley, Hizb-ut Tahrir, etc., but also by Respect and the 1990 Trust (in which Ken Livingstone's adviser Lee Jasper is prominent).
Below is an (abridged) text from the committee which has organised counter-demonstrations against similar marches in Berlin.
In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini called for an annual event on the last Friday of the Islamic fast month of Ramadan to demonstrate for the “liberation” of Jerusalem and the destruction of Israel. Since then, the so-called Al Quds-Day, a state-organized propaganda demonstration, has been held annually in Tehran, a Hezbollah military parade has been held in Beirut and demonstrations have been held worldwide...
We the undersigned have different opinions on the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. But we join in rejecting all attacks on the rights of Israel to exist and we stand up for a peaceful, two-state solution acceptable to both sides. The Iranian regime is doing everything it can to prevent such a solution. It not only verbally calls for the destruction of Israel but supports and finances suicide attacks against Israelis and arms Hezbollah with rockets. The Iranian regime shamelessly instrumentalises the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the backs of the Palestinian people, in order to stabilise its own dictatorship and build an international basis of power.
We stand with those Iranians who long for democracy and human rights and who want to live in peace with the world community.
We also oppose all discrimination against people of Muslim belief or immigrant background...
March: www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=2890
Berlin: www.gegen-al-quds-tag.de/.
