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Haj Amin Al Husseini: The Founder of the Palestinian National Movement

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Published in The Grand Mufti: Haj Amin Al Hussaini Founder Of The Palestinian National Movement

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Haj Amin al-Husseini was a Palestinian Arab nationalist and religious leader who served as the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1921 to 1948. He was a key figure in the Palestinian national movement and played a leading role in the 1936-1939 Arab revolt against British rule in Palestine.

The Grand Mufti: Haj Amin al-Hussaini, Founder of the Palestinian National Movement

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Al-Husseini was born in Jerusalem in 1895 to a wealthy and influential family. He studied at al-Azhar University in Cairo and became a prominent religious scholar. In 1921, he was appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, the highest religious authority in Palestine.

As Grand Mufti, al-Husseini became a leading voice for Palestinian nationalism. He opposed British rule and the Balfour Declaration, which called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. He also worked to build support for the Palestinian national movement among Arab states and the international community.

In 1936, al-Husseini played a leading role in the Arab revolt against British rule. The revolt was sparked by British restrictions on Arab immigration and land sales to Jews. Al-Husseini called for a general strike and organized armed resistance against the British. The revolt was eventually suppressed by the British, but it marked a turning point in the Palestinian national movement.

After the revolt, al-Husseini went into exile. He lived in various Arab countries and continued to advocate for the Palestinian cause. He also met with Nazi leaders and sought their support for the Palestinian national movement. In 1941, he was arrested by the British and interned in a prison camp in Rhodesia.

Al-Husseini was released from prison in 1946 and returned to Palestine. He continued to play a leading role in the Palestinian national movement and was a vocal opponent of the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. In 1948, he was forced to flee Palestine after the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war. He spent the rest of his life in exile and died in Beirut in 1974.

Haj Amin al-Husseini was a complex and controversial figure. He was a passionate advocate for the Palestinian cause, but he also made alliances with unsavory characters, such as the Nazis. His legacy is still debated today, but there is no doubt that he was a key figure in the Palestinian national movement.