Beyond protest and criticism
Introduction
The Imam has written a seven-part series on the history of Palestine in the early 20th century. It covers: the history of occupation; importance of Palestine; supporting Palestine; solutions for the issue of Palestine; peace and negotiation; fighting and resistance; and the fate of Palestine. In it he couples Palestine and Lebanon. He states that the Palestinian youth ‘raised the flag of Lebanon over the dome of Masjid al-Aqsa.’
There is a need to supplement his writing.
Masjid al-Aqsa – from a decolonial Islamic perspective
Fighting Roman colonialism
The Holy Quran provides the primary source of the early history of Muslims fighting Roman colonialism.
Chapter Al-Isra (The Night Journey) 17:1 reads, ‘Limitless in His glory is He who transported His servant (Prophet Muhammad) by night from the Inviolable House of Worship (at Makkah) to the Remote House of Worship (at Al-Quds) – the environs of which We had blessed’.
The blessed environs of Al-Quds (Jerusalem)
The blessed environs of Al-Quds are constituted of: an area of 126 km2; four walls of 4km in length and 12 meters in height; seven gates; Masjid al-Aqsa; Dome of the Rock; Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian residential areas; and businesses, school, and museum – as a self-contained ancient city.
Centrality of Al-Aqsa
Masjid al-Aqsa is central to Al-Quds, which is central to Palestine, which is central to Bilad as-Shams, which is central to West Asia, which is central to the worldwide struggle against imperialism/Zionism – from Latin America to Africa to Asia.
The land of Bilad as-Shams
In Islamic geography Bilad as-Shams extends from Palestine and the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, Syria, Golan Heights, Jordan, Lebanon (partly), and Iraq (partly).
Prophet Muhammad (’s) referred to Masjid al-Aqsa as Bayt al-Muqaddas, which means the House of Purification. Bilad as-Shams means the Land of the Sun and is the birthplace and burial ground of many prophets and spiritual nobles. The Sun symbolizes purification.
The struggle for Al-Quds as the capital of Palestine is central to decolonizing history.
UN and Al-Quds
The UN on November 29, 1947 adopted the proposal that Al-Quds (Jerusalem) be placed under international control in the custody of Jordan. UNSC Resolution No.478 declared the 1980 ‘Jerusalem Law’ of Jerusalem being the capital of Israel null and void. Therefore, no country is supposed to have an embassy in Jerusalem.
Threats to Al-Quds
The threats to Al-Quds include military invasion; 1969 arson attack; the 2014 invasion of Masjid al-Aqsa by 10,926 Zionists; ‘Jerusalem Law’; underground digging of tunnels and excavations directly under the foundations of Masjid al-Aqsa; Jerusalem Municipal budget of $1.93-billion; Zionisation budget of $150-million.
Youth involvement
The youth realized that the basis of the struggle lies in the internal contradictions and that only Palestinians can liberate themselves with external international solidarity as a factor for change.
The threats are the tangible and material themes of the outward resistance.
Steadfastness or sumud
There is an intangible and spiritual theme of an inward struggle that drives Muslims in the outward struggle. It is called steadfastness or sumud, which has reference in the Qur’an. Sumud drives them to purify their souls through inward and outward struggles in a dynamic union.
Chapter as-Shams (The Sun): 91:9 reads, ‘Truly he succeeds that purifies it (the soul).’ ‘Success’ is defined as the purification of the soul. The definition is spiritualistic and not materialistic. The Prophet therefore referred to Masjid al-Aqsa as Bayt al-Muqaddas, which means the House of Purification.
The four imperialist insular treaties
In modern history the new ‘Romans’ or imperialists had created four secret instruments of ‘international law’ to divide Bilad as-Shams or the Land of Purification amongst themselves:
- Sykes-Picot Agreement (May 9, 1916). During the distractions of WWI and the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire the division was between Britain and France with Russian assent. France stole Lebanon and Syria; Britain stole Palestine; Russia stole Armenian provinces. The Arabs though they had helped Britain to steal Palestine from the Ottoman Empire heard of this secret agreement only after it was published.
- San Remo Conference in Italy (April 19-26, 1920). The imperialist powers agreed on a final framework of a humiliating ‘peace treaty’ with Turkey. France secured 25% share of Iraqi oil and the right to the territorial passage for oil.
- Treaty of Sevres in Italy (August 10, 1920). The final abolishment of the Ottoman Empire was settled. Turkey renounced all rights over Arab Asia but the new Turkish nationalists rejected the Treaty.
- Treaty of Lausanne in Switzerland (July 24, 1923) The imperialist powers and Turkey signed the final treaty to conclude WWI. The powers conceded a few demands of the defeated Ottoman Empire. Turkey lost control of Palestine, Syria, and the Hejaz (in ‘Saudi Arabia’).
Underlying motive of imperialism
The underlying motive of the imperialist powers was: control the production and distribution of oil and gas by the seven major western oil companies; control territories for pipelines from the eastern territories to Western Europe; and create regional wars as a means for the accumulation of private capital through the arms trade and manufactured news.
Economic crux of Zionist/Apartheid settler-colonialism
The economic crux of Zionist colonialism was the two-way trade between ‘Israel’ and West Bank/Gaza favored the Zionist ‘state’ by $2.7-billion in 2014; wealth accumulation favored the Zionist ‘state’ by $280-billion in 2013; Zionists controlled 77% of the land while the Palestinians controlled only 23%. This is the definitive economic pattern of colonial relationship throughout the world, in which the European/USA center of power controls the powerless Third World periphery.
Third Intifada
The Third Intifada began on September 28, 2015 – centered on Masjid al-Aqsa. About 200 Palestinians encamped nightly to prevent the capture of Masjid al-Aqsa and the Zionisation of Al-Quds. Since then the whole of Al-Quds is under military occupation. The Third Intifada spread from the 1967 to the 1948 territories. The youth broke the 13-day siege of Al-Aqsa, primarily, with internal Palestinian strength and external international solidarity.
Resistance versus Zionist reaction
With every renewed Palestinian resistance Zionist reaction became increasingly vicious. The viciousness inside Masjid al-Aqsa with about 152 injured and about 450 arrests during a solemn morning prayer is desecration of sacred space because the Palestinian resistance has reached the 1948 territory on the ground with armed attacks. The previous attacks had reached the 1948 territory through unmanned aerial bombardment. Now under ground and aerial attacks the right-wing ‘Israeli’ government has collapsed yet again and induced in Zionists physical, psychological, political, economic, food, and military insecurity.
Tentative conclusion
The very first condition of the Islamabad MOU of 17 June 2026 refers to ‘ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon’. The MOU is silent on Palestine. The Palestinian resistance forces have expressed the hope that their situation would receive similar attention.
(Part Two deals with the need for a real solution rooted in Palestinian history)
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The purpose of the series of articles on Imam Khamenei is to explain the development of his character as being immersed in the development of the history of Iran. The aim is simple truth from complex facts. It is the intersection of literary biography and scientific history.
By Haroon Aziz, South Africa
