Norway marks International Quds Day

Hundreds of Christians and Muslims marched towards Norway’s parliamentary buildings to commemorate International Quds Day in the country’s capital.

The annual rally which takes place on the last Friday of Ramadan, saw demonstrators shouting slogans demanding an end to the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and a boycott of Israel.

Several leading Palestinian figures as well as representatives from Muslim communities in Norway also gave speeches at the rally.

The rally was held a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas held the first round of talks in Washington on Thursday.

The thorniest issues between the negotiating sides are Israel’s refusal to halt its illegal settlement activity in the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The settlements and their unrecognized counterparts known as outposts have been characterized by the United Nations Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the European Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as built in violation of international law.

The late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini, in August 1979 declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as the Quds Day, calling for international rallies in support of Palestinians.