Pakistan rally condemns Trump’s Jerusalem move
Controversial charity spearheads protests in Rawalpindi against US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan – Protesters have rallied in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi against US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Thousands took part in Friday’s demonstration, which was organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a charity linked to Hafiz Saeed, the main suspect in the deadly 2008 attack on India’s financial capital Mumbai.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from the protest, Saeed said the US decision on Jerusalem cannot be tolerated “at any cost”.
“We are trying to awaken all the Muslim community and to reunite them and we want to send a strong message to Trump that Muslims won’t accept it in any shape,” he said.
Among those in attendance at the rally was the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan, Walid Abu Ali.
“All Pakistani people from all walks of life have strongly rejected Trump’s decision,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Pakistan is the only country in the Muslim world that has officially condemned and rejected this decision and brought a resolution in their parliament against this irresponsible act.”
On December 6, Trump announced the US would recognise Jerusalem as Israel‘s capital and would move its embassy to the city.
The decision sparked major protests across the occupied Palestinian territories and around the world.
The UN General Assembly also resoundly condemned the decision, declaring it “null and void” in a vote on December 21.