Iran calls off Quds Day anti-Israel rallies due to the coronavirus

Anti-Israel demonstration which is usually held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan won't take place this year

Shi'ite Muslims prepare to walk over the flag of Israel in a rally marking the annual al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan. Picture credit: Press Association

Iran has called off demonstrations and rallies in the country to mark International Quds Day due to the coronavirus crisis.

The day, marked by demonstrations against Israel and expressing support for Palestinians, is held on the last Friday of Ramadan, which this year is May 22.

Al-Quds is the Arabic word for Jerusalem.

Quds Day was declared  in 1979  by Ayatollah Khomeini,  the leader of the Iranian Revolution. It is marked throughout the Middle East and in countries around the world, including the United Kingdom.

Other programs will take the place of the rallies, an Iranian official told reporters on Sunday, the semi-official Tasnim state news agency reported. The official — Gen. Ramezan Sharif, head of the Intifada and Quds Center at Iran’s Islamic Propagation Coordination Council — said religious sites throughout the country have been closed due to the pandemic.

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