Palestine issue top priority of Muslim world: Iran Parliament chief

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has described Palestine as the foremost issue of the Muslim world, urging the nation to pursue the path of resistance amid increasing Western support for the occupying regime.  

Addressing the 16th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC) in Istanbul on Friday, Qalibaf said the Zionists’ invasion of the land of Palestine was a planned attempt, sponsored by arrogant powers, to conquer the entire Palestine and destroy the nation.

However, he added, the Zionists failed to achieve their ultimate goal and materialize their evil intention due to the epic resistance of the Palestinian people.

“Let us not forget that the issue of Palestine is the most important priority of the Muslim world. For more than seven decades, the world has been watching the brutal policies and measures of the Zionist regime in fundamental violation of the Palestinian people’s human rights and dignity,” he said.

“Resistance not only thwarted the project of the Zionist network, but we all see that the process of their retreat has begun and is advancing… The Palestinian people changed the destiny which had been designed for them through resistance. The continuation of the path of resistance leads to the destruction of the Zionist regime.”

Qalibaf further denounced recent normalization of relations between some Arab states and Tel Aviv.

“Although some people speak of compromise and peace with the Zionist regime out of desperation, it is on the verge of decline and they should not, willingly or unwillingly, add to the life of this regime. The condition for the final victory is the severance of the sinister line of compromise with the occupiers and the full assistance of the Palestinians in continuing resistance for the liberation of the holy al-Quds,” he emphasized.

The Iranian Parliament speaker also said the current crisis of Afghanistan, caused by twenty years of US-led foreign occupation, is one of the serious concerns of the Muslim Ummah, calling on Islamic countries to focus on providing Afghan people with humanitarian aid.

Afghanistan humanitarian crisis: Who is to blame?

20 years of invasion and war on their soil have left Afghans critical of US “cruel” policies.

“With the withdrawal of the occupiers, the security and basic rights of the Afghan people should not be endangered. One of the serious concerns that everyone should pay attention to is the rise of Daesh, which targets security as well as the national and religious unity of Afghanistan and seeks to ignite civil and religious war in Afghanistan through terrorist acts against ordinary people,” he said.

Warning against efforts by the US to fuel long-term instability in Afghanistan, Qalibaf underlined the need for “the formation of an inclusive and participatory government to ensure the rights of all people, including men and women, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.”

He stressed that the Islamic Republic has proven for decades to be a good host to more than 3.5 million Afghan refugees, but oppressive US sanctions have hampered economic capacities to meet the needs of thousands of Afghan refugees arriving in Iran.

“We continue to support the Afghan brothers and sisters in order to alleviate their suffering, but managing and resolving the crisis requires the will, action and investment of all countries, especially the Muslim states,” he said.

“Finally, I hope that this meeting can play an important role in strengthening solidarity and unity among Muslim nations for the complete liberation of the occupied Palestinian territories and the formation of an independent Palestinian government with the holy al-Quds as its capital. I also hope that the meeting would be an effective step in reducing problems and suffering of our Afghan brothers.”

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