Goals and Features of "Quds Day" in Imam Khomeini's Political Thought

Imam Khomeini issued a message on August 7, 1979, inviting all Muslims and the oppressed of the world, named the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Quds Day. A conscious initiative that, more than forty years after its issuance, continues to be pursued by Muslim nations and the free people of the world to liberate Palestine from Zionist occupation. The aim of this study is to analyze the content of Quds Day in Imam Khomeini's thought in order to answer the basic question: What are the goals of Imam Khomeini in naming Quds Day and what are its characteristics from his point of view?

This research has been done qualitatively and with the method of theme analysis. Its statistical population includes the total of unclassified statements of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran from August 7, 1979 to June 1989 on issues related to the present study. The method of data collection is a library study with note-taking tools and reference to first-hand documents, for which the MAXQDA software has been used. The research findings have been analyzed and presented using a network of themes.

The most important goals of Imam Khomeini in naming Quds Day can be considered in the liberation of Palestine from the occupation of the Zionists, the liberation of Muslims in Islamic countries and the oppressed of the world from the domination of arrogant countries. To achieve these goals, the characteristics of Quds Day are: creating solidarity among all Muslims and the oppressed, confrontin=g the Zionist occupation and cutting off the hands of the arrogant from the Islamic countries, turning the issue of Palestine from an Arab to an Islamic issue, promoting the spirit of resistance, and keeping the issue of Palestinian alive and on the priority.