Palestine: A Modern History (ص 78)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 78)

المحتوى

4
164 Prelude Yo Revolution: 1930-1935 **
on this élaborate ‘revolutionary scheme”: The: first factor was the fear
‘that the anti-Italian agitation which -has been sedulously fostered in
connection with alleged atrocities in Fripolitania ntay be converted into
an anti‘-European movement’.*? The second factor was the belief of the
“Police, shared by the Officer Administrating the Government, ‘that the
murder of three Jews near Ahavd Yajour on II ‘April 1921, was
‘committed by: members of a gang acting under’the direction of a
political organisation’. > \
The Ascent of the Activists
During fhe summer of 1931 Arab agitation was directed against the
British and the Zionists. In the purely. Arab settions, particularly
Nablus, Arab discontent and hostility to‘British rule-was most apparent.
The initiative was being seized *by the younger Arab Nationalist
activists. A top Colonial Official described the position in the following
terms:
5
The relaticns of the moderdtes, who so far have controlled the Arab
Executive, with the extremists’ have long been obscure and
equivocal; but there are now’ definite signs‘ that” the moderate
element has been compelled to make some -concessions to the
extremists in order to maintain a perhaps. precarious leatlership.*°
4
These concessions included the Arab Executive’s refusal to accept
‘the Government’s development schéme-as it was based on the Mandate
and the MacDonald Letter which was unanimoully ‘fejected by the
Arabs.°° A’ Press campaign led to a strike against the: arming-of the
Jewisly Colonies by the Government.
The Palestine Administration retaliated by suspehding Arabic
tnewspapers accused of incitement, by suppressifg a Strike in Nablus
with: troops assisting the Police’and by ‘breaking’a taxi drivers’ strike in
August. A number of activists were also arrested.
*: On 18 September two conferences were held in PaleStine: The first
comprised the Arab journalists who had assembled in Jaffa t6 dendunce
thé oppressive British policy in Palestind} which was: “inspired by the
principles of imperialism and Zionism and applied sincé British occupa-
tion’#! They-wete particularly resentful of the administratiye suspension
of Arab newspapers and the various restrictions on the freedom of the
Press! "
The second conference which was held’ on the same day was of
greater significance and of more far-reaching effect. The Nablus activists
Por i
5 The General Islamic Congress
i Prelude tO\Revolution: 1930-1935 cl 165
had summoned ‘the Conference,.to protest against the arming ‘of the
| Jewish .Colonies, the supression, of their, Adgust demonstration and a
; general review of the Palestine-situation. The Conference was attended
' by young activists from various Palestiriian towns who denounced the
underlying assumptions of the policy adopted by the political notability
f arid the Arab Executive towards the’Government. It.was resolved that
the. demands of ‘the national movement should‘ concentrate on
‘independence within Arab urtity’.°* Propaganda should besdirected at
& the Arab and Muslim worlds. Moreover, the Palestinians were advised to
F encourage national industries and boycott all‘imports as the customs on
these constituted a considerable proportion of the Government’s
t income which was being spent ‘on-oppressing the Palestinians. A
Palestinian Youth Conference was called for to endorse these principles
& and work for their-implementation!
b&b ”
But the biggest Conference of all was the General Islamic Congress that
was convened at Jerusalem in December 1931.*? It was hoped that the
Islamic Congress -would focus international Muslim opinion on the
S Palestinian problem which had grisen after the Buraq incidents of 1929.
Hajj Amin, assisted by Shawkat ‘Ali, and others, was the moving spirit
® of the movement. To the Mufti’s owny,thinking the Congress would tend
} to strengthen the hands of the Palestinians vis-a-vis Zionism and the
' Mandate as well as consolidate his political overlordship in Palestine
& and his prestige in the Islamic world. A preliminary committee under
@ his chairmanship sent invitations. to.,.Muslim religious and politjcal
® leaders all, over the world. The date of the Congress was fixed to
- coincide with a significant religious event.
The prospect of a world-wide Islamic Congress -in Jerusalem
F specifically convened to- demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian
fy Arabs irritated the Zionists. The fact that Hajj. Amin would derive
@ added prestige and power from ,it -piqued his Palestinian political
fp adversaries..As the énthusiasm for the Congress gathered momentum,
f the Nashashibi-led politicians whq had organised themselves in the
# Palestine Arab Liberal Party éxerted considerable’ political effort .to
§ thwart it and convened a rival ‘Islamic Nation’:-Conference..
Against a baekground of festiye preparations, the Islamic Congress
wag solemnly inaugurated by Hajj Amin, in the presence of. leading
: political personalities in {he Arab and Muslim words. His speech stressed
; the importance of.Palestine to Islam and the Muslims.,After two weeks
| of deliberations the conferees resolved to elect,an Executive Committee

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

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