Muslims, Christians and Jews Alike: All United In Face Of ‘Israeli’ Apartheid

By Nour Rida

Tehran - When South Africa was suffering from apartheid, a man rose from the masses and was the voice of the oppressed. Nelson Mandela, who led the people to believe in their cause even when unjustly behind the bars said "Between the anvil of united mass action and the hammer of the armed struggle we shall crush apartheid and white minority racist rule."

Mandela had no specific belief except that their cause was just, was very strong and it was winning more and more support.

In 1994, and during the elections of South Africa, after it was liberated from apartheid, Mandela said "Years of imprisonment could not stamp out our determination to be free. Years of intimidation and violence could not stop us. And we will not be stopped now."

That apartheid was a political and social system in South Africa during the era of “White minority” rule. Blacks had no right to vote and were relegated to inferior jobs, education and services. The election of South Africa's first black president in 1994, the late Nelson Mandela, who led the struggle against apartheid, was a time of soaring hope that the bruised country would reconcile after decades of discrimination and inequality.

Today, another apartheid system still exists; the ‘Israeli’ apartheid.

‘Israel’ is a regime of apartheid and settler-colonialism because of racial domination, colonization of occupied Palestinian land, and the legalization of the systematic oppression of the Palestinian people by ‘Israeli’ laws.

The United Nations [UN] International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid [1973], to which more than 100 states are a party defines the Crime of Apartheid as: “inhumane acts...committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.”

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and its victory which was led by its founder Imam Sayyed Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran has reiterated the need to abolish the ‘Israeli’ apartheid regime; something that keeps being misinterpreted in mainstream media a call to abolish the Jewish people. The abolishment of ‘Israel’ does not mean the abolishment of the Jewish people.

In a speech on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei made it crystal clear that it is the apartheid regime that is not accepted and will never be so. He pointed out that “the abolition of the apartheid entity of ‘Israel’ means the abolition of the false Zionist regime and the establishment of a government elected by the original owners of the land of Palestine, including Muslims, Christians and Jews.”

During the International Conference on Islamic Unity, Imam Khamenei stressed that “Today, the greatest tragedy in the Muslim world is the Palestinian issue, where a nation has been forcibly made homeless.”

He noted that late Imam Khomeini’s clear standpoint, from the start of the Islamic movement, was announcing the danger of infiltration, intervention and oppression by Zionism, and stated that the position of the Islamic Republic on the case of Palestine is definitive.

“From the start of the Islamic Revolution and up until today, we have maintained our position without making any other considerations, and have helped Palestine and the Palestinians. And, we will continue to do so. We believe this to be the responsibility of the whole Muslim world,” he added.

Imam Khamenei pointed out the enemies’ efforts at distorting the meaning of Imam Khomeini’s and the Islamic government officials’ repeated insistence on the abolishment of ‘Israel’.

“We support Palestine and its independence and liberation. The abolishment of ‘Israel’ does not mean the abolishment of the Jewish people. We have nothing to do with them. Furthermore, there is a Jewish population living in our country in safety,” he said.

In a nation that has called for ‘Israel’ to be wiped off the face of the Earth, the Iranian government allows thousands of Jews to worship in peace and continue their association with the country founded more than 2,500 years ago. In fact, Iran is home to the Middle East’s largest Jewish population outside ‘Israel’.

Imam Khamenei said that the abolishment of ‘Israel’ means the destruction of the imposed, Zionist regime and insisted, “The people of Palestine, including the Muslims, Christians and Jews who are the original owners of that land, should be able to choose their government themselves. They should oust the foreigners and ruffians, like Netanyahu, in order to govern their country themselves. And, this will surely happen.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution went on to point out that the hostility of the United States, the Zionist regime and the enemies of Islamic unity have targeted all the Islamic countries. He added, “The essence of Islam is the rejection of oppression, arrogance and domination. Therefore, they oppose Islam and all Islamic countries. The assumption that they are only opposed to the Islamic Republic is not true.”

Mercy and common living is at the core of Islamic teachings. Islam stipulates that people are either your brother and sister in faith, or they are your counterpart in humanity. And the Prophet of Islam says “None of you truly believes until he wishes for others what he wishes for himself.”

Imam Khamenei’s call is not at odds with the true spirit of Islam; he calls for the support of the oppressed Palestinian Muslims, Christians and Jews alike in face of ‘Israeli’ apartheid.