Tasnim � The chairman of Iran�s Assembly of Experts highlighted the importance of the Palestinian issue and called on all Muslims around the world to participate in the anti-Israeli rallies due to be held Friday to mark the International Quds Day.

�Today, the issue of Palestine (matters to) all of us; we must defend and support all the oppressed people of Palestine with all of what we have,� Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said on Tuesday.

�The (Quds Day) rallies are the least we can do in order to say to the oppressed Palestinians that we will do whatever we can to support you�,� the cleric added.

He further emphasized that it is the duty of Muslims worldwide to participate in the upcoming demonstrations on the Quds Day.

Countrywide demonstrations marking the International Quds Day will be held in more than 900 cities of Iran on Friday with thousands of reporters scheduled to cover the event.

The International Quds Day is an annual event during which demonstrators express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and opposition to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the Zionist regime of Israel.

The day is also seen as the legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, who officially declared the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day back in 1979.

This year, Muslims world over will mark the International Quds Day on June 8.