Palestine: A Modern History (ص 79)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 79)

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166 Prelude to Revolution: 1930-1935 °
and establish branches all over the Muslim world. They declared the
sanctity ofthe @l-Aqsa Mosque and its’surroundings the Burag, and
the central importartce of Palestine to:the ‘Muslim world and denounced
Zitsnism and British policies ir.Palestine. Furtheriore,'they proposed
to build. an: Islamic University — The Aqsa Mosque University — and an
Islamig Land Comparlyvto save..Arab ‘Lands fromfallidg into Zionist
hands: During tHeir dast session the conferees denounced Western
(including British) impertalism irf all Muslim lands, whereupon, British
indifference to the Congre$s gave:way to resentment. f
t+ The tuphoria created by the’ Congress was somewhat deceptive as
no great material advantage’ was reaped by the Palestinians later on.
The Executive Committee relapsed, ‘through the negligence and” self-
ishness ‘of its. members, into «art honorary inactive body. A trip by
Hay Amin to collect money for the University and:the Land Gompdny
was a failure owing, according to Darwaza, to British influence on the
rich Muslims.*° os tl ,
4 : r +
The Arab National Chatter if " :
The fslanti¢ Congress comprised ‘a:large number of the leading members
of al-Fatat and al-‘Ahd (1908-1918), the pillars of Faisal’s ‘regime’ in
Damascus, known as the -/stiglalists ‘(Indepéridents). They held Arab
Aationalist ‘rather than Islamic political views and availed themselves of .
the opportunity to discuss the! affairs of the Arab world: artd to devise a
plan fér concerted action A day or two before the Islamic Congress
dame’ to an end ardund fifty nfembers mét!at ‘Awni ‘Abdul Hadi’s
house and drew up an ‘Arab hatiorial ¢haiter’.“?
In this remarkable document,-the Arab hationalist‘leaders pointed
out the evil political effects of the division ‘and’ fragméntation of the
Arab world and resolved to’ fight imperialism and to struggle for inde-
péndence and unity, for all the Arab countries. An Exécutive
Committee, most ‘of,.whose members -were Palestinians, was elected
mainly topropagate the ‘rational charter’ and prepare the ground fora
yerteral cortference comprising delegates front. all Arak countries to
devise the means‘ and day the plans for the' implementation of the
‘national chaftér’ on a popular Pah-Arab level. wd :
The Executive Comniittee lost ro’ time ‘in conducting the necessary
contacts. In particular they were eager to obtain Faisal’s backing for
their éonferente as he was their old associate‘‘and friend, and as a
monarch-of an ‘indep#ndent’ neighbotiring Arab staté. At first Faisal
welcomed the idea of an Arab nationalist conference in Baghdad and
promised non-governmental interference. Later, ‘howeVer, Faisal
b Prelude to Revolution: 1930-1935
reneged, after the British High Commissioner had advised him.not to
involve Iraq with Arab problems.*? The idea collapsed to the ‘chagrin of
its sponsors and the Palestinians among them in particular. :
The Islamic Congress dealt a coupe de grace to the Arab Executive
as it led to public mutual recriminations and denunciations between
the Nashashibi and Husseini factions. The formation of ,the Arab
Liberal Party constituted another-step towards the disintegration of a
largely ineffective political front.
The Arab National Conference and the ‘national charter’ of
13 December 1931, boosted the Palestinian Jstigialists and a new level
of activity became.evident. The new attitude towards the British, was
demonstrated in the country-wide celebrations on the anniversary: of
Saladin’s victory over the Crusaders at Hattin and in the anti-British
speeches delivered on that occasion. Concurrently, the director, of the
Arab Executive office Subhi al-Khadra wrote a fiery article in al-Jami‘a
al-‘Arabiyya attributing the calantities of Palestine and the Arabs to
British policies. Other articles by Darwaza in the same paper exhorted
the’ Arabs to fight British policies, to,unite in the face of growing,
dangers and to renew their drive to. attain freedom’and independence.
48
The Arab Independence Party.
This anti-British agitation was prelude to the emergence of the Arab
Independence (/stiglal) Party, of which Darwaza and al-Khadra were
founding members. Béfore they announced the establishment of their
party in August 1932, the /stigialists held several talks with the Mufti
urging the necessity of opposing British policy and the Mandate head-
on. For reasons closely connected‘ with his official positions and
personal interests Hajj Amin declined to commit himself to an openly
# ariti-British political platform. The Palestinian Ystigial Party leaders
were prominent: members of the qld Jstiqlal movement of 1919-1925.
In their first manifesto the Jstiglalists attributed the lamentable
| a disarray in the ranks’ of the national movement to the egocentric -and
f self-interested political notables who,were subservient to the imperialist
43
tulers.** The party founders vowed to struggle against imperialism
@ facesto;face and fight against Jewish immigration and land sales and to
endeavour to achieve a parliamentary Arab government and work for
the attainment of complete Arab unity.“ Their attacks against the
political notability were followed -by a call to abolish the feudal
Ottoman titles of Pasha, Bey. and Effendi. Their public meetings and
conventions sought-to propagate the principles and slogans of the Party
- as ‘well as to invite wider Palestinian participation in the political
2 pee fa ate
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هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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