US Decision on Quds an Exercise in Futility

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday Washington's recent decision on the holy Quds is a futile attempt.  

Referring to US President Donald Trump's move to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel's capital and his plans to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the city, the Leader noted, "They will not be able to do so, and their efforts will go nowhere."

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with participants in the summit of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States known as PUIC in Tehran.

Palestine is undoubtedly an integrated country and Quds is its capital, the Leader said, adding that this fact cannot be disputed.  

He called on Muslim countries to continue their fight against the Zionist regime, expressing hope that their efforts will eventually bear fruit.

“There was a time when the Zionists were chanting ‘From Nile to the Euphrates’, but today they have been forced to build up walls to protect themselves,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei also noted, “Those governments in the region that help the Americans and cooperate with the Zionist regime in fighting [their] Muslim brothers, like what the Saudis are doing, are committing a blatant act of betrayal.”

   Regional Peace

Earlier in the day, President Hassan Rouhani said formation of a Palestinian government as well as social and economic development in Muslim countries would help bring peace and security to the region.

“The main reason behind instability and insecurity in the Middle East is the continued occupation [of Palestine] by the Zionist regime, the US government’s biased and unconditional support for it, and the fact that the oppressed Palestinian nation has been deprived of its basic right to establish an independent Palestinian government with the holy Quds as its capital,” Rouhani said during the PUIC summit.

The summit was attended by parliamentary representatives of 44 countries, including 16 parliament speakers and 14 deputy speakers.

   Hideous Decision

In his speech, Rouhani criticized Trump’s decision on Beit-ul-Moqaddas, saying, “The US president’s move is a blatant violation of the United Nations resolutions, which was severely criticized even by his strategic allies in the western world.”

He also called on Muslim countries to maintain their “decisive stance” against Trump’s “hideous decision” until it is reversed.

The recent developments along with the defeat of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group brought the issue of Palestine back into the spotlight and it is once again high on the political agenda of the Islamic community, Rouhani noted.

  Socioeconomic Growth

Commenting on the rise of extremist groups in the region, the president said regional peace can be achieved only through social and economic development.

“Combating poverty and discrimination and creating equal opportunities for citizens, regardless of gender, ethnicity, and religion within countries, is what can dry the roots of violence and extremism”.

Rouhani added that promotion of democracy in Muslim countries would benefit them.

“In order to deal with the problems and challenges ahead and find a solution for them, we have to look inwards rather than outwards. We have to remove the obstacles facing our societies through reliance on our domestic potential and capabilities instead of pinning our hopes on others to be our problem solvers,” the president stated.

This does not mean “isolationism”, he said, adding that Iran welcomes “constructive interaction” with the international community on an equal footing and based on international law.

  Closer Cooperation

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani delivered a speech at the summit, in which he said Muslim countries need to cooperate more closely on the Palestinian issue.

He also called for stronger economic cooperation between OIC member states and thanked Mali that held the presidency of the conference before Iran.

Meetings of the PUIC conference began on Saturday and come to a close on Wednesday.

A range of social, political, and economic issues facing the Muslim world are being discussed during various sessions, including human rights, women and family, the environment, and dialogue of civilizations.