Mufti of Jerusalem: Al-Hajj Amin Al-Husayni and the Palestinian National Movement [Paperback]

Philip Mattar (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0788155024 | ISBN-13: 978-0788155024 | Publication Date: June 1988

Muhammad Amin al-Husayni, the principal leader of Palestinian nationalism during the British mandate, was one of the modern Arab world's most controversial figures. He played a role in the 1992 Wailing Wall disturbance, took part in the Iraqi revolt of 1941, and was the target of British and Zionist assasins during World War II. Philip Mattar now offers the first full-length biography of this intriguing figure, weaving a fresh and objective revisionist account. Mattar clarifies al-Husayni's role in the politics of Palestine in the mandate era and the Palestinian national movement. He describes his rise to religious power as Mufti of Jerusalem and head of the Supreme Muslim Council. He also demarcates two major phases in al-Husayni's career. During his first, between 1917 and 1936, he was a cautious and pragmatic leader who, while opposing Zionism, cooperated with the British mandatory officials. The second phase, however, after 1936, was marked by militancy, frustration, and ultimately failure.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Philip Mattar is Director of the Institute for Palestinian Studies and Associate Editor of the Journal for Palestinian Studies. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Diane Pub Co (June 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0788155024
• ISBN-13: 978-0788155024
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,051,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading, December 2, 2011

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Desertwriter (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mufti of Jerusalem (Paperback)

Writen by Phillip Mattar, exec director of the Institute for Palestine Studies and was editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, taught at Yale and widely published in scholarly journals for many years...I lead with that least anyone be off put by the obscene obfuscations and manipulations by hasbaRats who denigrate all things Palestinian. This is an important book because of the air has been tainted for many years with lies and propaganda denigrating the Mufti of Jerusalem during the period of the Mandate and after. It is a serious and well written political biography, that offers a balanced picture of Haj Amin's dilemmas and strategies. One day may cooler heads prevail but until then we do our best to avoid the obvious propagandists in search of a clear historical depiction of a complicated time and complex man. A great read.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Badly written, unresearched and worthless work, June 14, 2011

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"If i forget thee Jerusalem...." - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mufti of Jerusalem (Paperback)

This book is not a serious work of history but an attempted whitewash of a man who more than any other was responsible for the deaths of many jews, arabs, British soldiers and civilians before the establishment of Israel.

Indeed the first casualties of the revolt the Mufti instigated in October 1933 were 26 arabs killed and 187 injured and a british civilian killed. (Christopher Sykes-Crossroads to Israel p142)

There is ample evidence of the Mufti's involvement in setting up two SS divisions that murdered thousands of jews, gypsies and partisans in Bosnia and Croatia. It was not for nothing that that Himmler much admired the mufti.

Himmler even took the Mufti to visit Auschwitz. How much more evidence of his involvement in the Holocaust do you need than pictures of the Mufti and Himmler in Auschwitz?


Well there is more evidence, the Mufti's own biography:

'The mufti himself delivered the most compelling evidence in his Damascus memoirs when he explains that Himmler told him in mid-1943 of "having liquidated about three million Jews so far."

If you want to learn about the Mufti, there is a lot of information on the internet. Or read Moshe Perlman's book about him.