ISTANBUL: A mass outpouring of condemntaion over the fate of Jerusalem marked the opening of Al-Quds International Forum in Istanbul Thursday where a plethora of organizations gathered to discuss the fate of the city. Organized by Al-Quds International Instituion, around 2,000 delegates from community-based organizations the world over gathered to attend the forum, organized at this time to directly precede the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov. 29 as well as the upcoming 40th anniversary of the complete occupation of Jerusalem. The aim of the forum is to formulate a declaration, entitled the Declaration of Istanbul, which will confirm the historical rights of the Palestinians to Jerusalem. Additionally, the declaration will condemn the eradication of the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of the city. During the opening session, former Egyptian Prime Minister Aziz Sidqi illicted wide applause and chants of "Allahu Akbar (God is Great) when he proclaimed "What is taken by force can only be returned by force. Sidqi, who was Prime Minister during the reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser, continued saying "There have only been two Arab victories, in Lebanon [in 2006] when its people and fighters successfully repelled occupation and after the defeat of 1967 when Abdel Nasser rebuilt the army and the victory of 1973. "So the only instances when we have returned our stolen lands have been through military victory, he added, suggesting the formation of an Arab Peoples League comprised of the Arab people and not their governments. Also speaking was the ever controversial British member of parliament George Galloway, who gave an impassioned speech defending the rights of Palestinians. He said that the Palestinians were severly weakend by their current split, and could not hope to retain any part of Jerusalem unless they united. He also called on the Arabs to unite if they wanted to strenghten their claim for Jerusalem. Galloway poured scorn on recent Western diplomatic efforts to seek a peace agreement between Palestine and Israel stating that the West, starting with US President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wanted the Arabs and Palestinians divided. "There is a victory for all of us, so be clear, Galloway said, "for Jerusalem can be free, if Palestine can be free, it will open the door for all the Arabs to be free, and all the Muslims to be free, and all the people of the earth to be free. Despite the overriding Islamic theme to the conference, there was a Christian contingent led by Father Attalah Hanna Attalah, Head Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. In his speech, Attalah was one of the few speakers to enunciate clearly what their wishes were by demanding the right of return for exiled Palestinian refugees, saying "There cannot be freedom without Jerusalem, and without the right of return of our people to Jerusalem and Palestine as a whole. The forum also cast doubt over recent diplomatic efforts to reach a peace agreement beginning with a conference in Annapolis, Maryland with the secretary general of the Conference, Sayed Ali Akbar Mohtashami labeling the entire process as a "new Middle East plan [borne] out of the agony and despair of both the Palestinian and Lebanese people. "What the US administration is pursuing at this sensitive period is to take the greatest advantage of the recent divisions existing amongst the Palestinians, he added, "[the US] seeks to misuse the internal differences amongst Palestinians on one hand, and on the other between Arab and Muslim states in order to intensify the the causes of discord among them. The forum will continue until the 17th, when the Declaration will be issued.
