Summons to a Intifada Against Britain
A "Fatwa " Issued by Haj Amin al-Husseini10, May, 1941*
* Translated from:-"Oriente Modemo," 1941, pp. 552-553; broadcast over
the 'Iraqi and Axis radios.
In the name of Merciful and Almighty God.
I invite all my Moslem brothers throughout the whole world to join in the Holy
War for God, for the defense of Islam and her lands against her enemy. O Faithful,
obey and respond to my call.
O Moslems!
Proud 'Iraq has placed herself in the vanguard of this Holy Struggle, and has
thrown herself against the strongest enemy of Islam certain that God will grant
her victory.
The English have tried to seize this Arab-Moslem land, but she has risen, full
of dignity and pride to defend her safety, to fight for her honor and to safeguard
her integrity. 'Iraq fights the tyranny which has always had as its aim the destruction
of Islam in every land. It is the duty of all Moslems to aid 'Iraq in her struggle
and to seek every means to fight the enemy, the traditional traitor in every age
and every situation.
Whoever knows the history of the East has everywhere seen the hand of the English
working to destroy the Ottoman Empire and to divide the Arab countries. British
politics toward the Arab people is masked under a veil of Hypocrisy. The minute
she sees her chance, England squeezes the prostrate country in her Imperialist
grasp, adding futile justifications. She creates discord and division within a
country and while feeding it in secret openly she assumes the role of advisor
and trusted hiend. The time when England could deceive the peoples of the East
is passed. The Arab Nation and the Moslem people have awakened to fight British
domination. The English have overthrown the Ottoman Empire, have destroyed Moslem
rule in India, inciting one community against another; they stifled the Egyptian
awakening, the dream of Mohammed Ali, colonizing Egypt for half a century. They
took advantage of the weakening of the Ottoman Empire to stretch out their hands
and use every sort of trick to take possession of many Arab countries as happened
to Aden, the 9 Districts, the Hadramut, Oman, Masqat and the Emirates of the Persian
Gulf and Transjordania. The vivid proof of the imperialistic designs of the British
is to be found in Moslem Palestine which, although promised by England to Sheriff
Hussein has had to submit to the outrageous infiltration of Jews, shameful politics
designed to divide Arab-Moslem countries of Asia from those of Africa. In Palestine
the English have committed unheard of barbarisms; among others, they have profaned
the el-Aqsa Mosque and have declared the most unyielding war against Islam, both
in deed and in word. The Prime Minister at that time told Parliament that the
world would never see peace as long as the Koran existed. What hatred against
Islam is stronger than that which publicly declares the Sacred Koran an enemy
of human kind? Should such sacrilege go unpunished? After the dissolution of the
Moslem Empire in India and of the Ottoman Caliphate, England, adhering to the
policy of Gladstone, pursued her work of destruction to Islam depriving many Islamic
States both in the East and in the West of their freedom and independence. The
number of Moslems who today live under the rule of England and invoke liberation
from their terrible yoke exceeds 220,000,000.
Therefore I invite you, O Brothers, to join in the War for God to preserve Islam,
your independence and your lands from English aggression. I invite you to bring
all your weight to bear in helping 'Iraq that she may throw off the shame that
torments her. O Heroic 'Iraq, God is with Thee, the Arab Nation and the Moslem
World are solidly with Thee in Thy Holy Struggle!
Source:The Arab War Effort-A Documentary Account The American Christian Palestine
Committee (New York, n.d.).
3) The Mufti's Diary on His Meeting with Hitler
At the eve of the "final solution" to the "Jewish Problem",
the Mufti (Yasser Arafat's father's brother) and Adolf Hitler confer in Berlin,
November 21, 1941
Haj Amin al Husseini, recording in his own handwriting his meeting with Hitler
in his diary, says:
The words of the Fuehrer on the 6th of Zul Qaada 1360 of the Hejira (which falls
on the 21st of November 1941) Berlin, Friday, from 4:30 P.M. till a few minutes
after 6. The objectives of my fight are clear. Primarily, I am fighting the Jews
without respite, and this fight includes the fight against the so-called Jewish
National Home in Palestine because the Jews want to establish there a central
government for their own pernicious purposes, and to undertake a devastating and
ruinous expansion at the expense of the govemments of the world and of other peoples.
It is clear that the Jews have accomplished nothing in Palestine and their claims
are lies. All the accomplishments in Palestine are due to the Arabs and not to
the Jews. I am resolved to find a solution for the Jewish problem, progressing
step by step without cessation. With regard to this I am making the necessary
and right appeal, first to all the European countries and then to countries outside
of Europe.
It is true that our common enemies are Great Britain and the Soviets whose principles
are opposed to ours. But behind them stands hidden Jewry which drives them both.
Jewry has but one aim in both these countries. We are now in the midst of a life
and death struggle against both these nations. This fight will not only determine
the outcome of the struggle between National Socialism and Jewry, but the whole
conduct of this successful war will be of great and positive help to the Arabs
who are engaged in the same struggle.
This is not only an abstract assurance.* A mere promise would be of no value whatsoever.
But assurance which rests upon a conquering force is the only one which has real
value. In the Iraqi campaign, for instance, the sympathy of the whole German people
was for Iraq. It was our aim to help Iraq, but circumstances prevented us from
fumishing actual help. The German people saw in them (in the Iraqis-Ed.) comrades
in suffering because the German people too have suffered as they have. All the
help we gave Iraq was not sufficient to save Iraq from the British forces. For
this reason it is necessary to underscore one thing: in this struggle which will
decide the fate of the Arabs I can now speak as a man dedicated to an ideal and
as a military leader and a soldier. Everyone united in this great struggle who
helps to bring about its successful outcome, serves the common cause and thus
serves the Arab cause. Any other view means weakening the military situation and
thus offers no help to the Arab cause. Therefore it is necessary for us to decide
the steps which can help us against world Jewry, against Communist Russia and
England, and which among them can be most useful. Only if we win the war will
the hour of deliverance also be the hour of fulfillment of Arab aspirations.
The situation is as follows: We are conducting the great struggle to open the
way to the North of the Caucasus. The difficulties involved are more than transportation
because of the demolished railways and roads and because of winter weather. And
if I venture in these circumstances to issue a declaration with regard to Syria,
then the pro-de Gaulle elements in France will be strengthened and this might
cause a revolt in France. These men (the French) will be convinced then that joining
Britain is more advantageous and the detachment of Syria is a pattern to be followed
in the remainder of the French Empire. This will strengthen de Gaulle's stand
in the colonies. If the declaration is issued now, difficulties will arise in
Western Europe which will cause the diversion of some (German-Ed.) forces for
defensive purposes, thus preventing us from sending all our forces to the East.
Now I am going to tell you something I would like you to keep secret. First, I
will keep up my fight until the complete destruction of the Judeo-Bolshevik rule
has been accomplished.
Second, during the struggle (and we don't know when victory will come, but probably
not in the far future) we will reach the Southern Caucasus.
Third, then I would like to issue a declaration; for then the hour of the liberation
of the Arabs will have arrived. Germany has no ambitions in this area but cares
only to annihilate the power which produces the Jews.
Fourth, I am happy that you have escaped and that you are now with the Axis powers.
The hour will strike when you will be the lord of the supreme word and not only
the conveyer of our declarations. You will be the man to direct the Arab force
and at that moment I cannot imagine what would happen to the Western peoples.
Fifth, I think that with this Arab advance begins the dismemberment of the British
world. The road from Rostov to Iran and Iraq is shorter than the distance from
Berlin to Rostov. We hope next year to smash this barrier. It is better then and
not now that a declaration should be issued as (now) we cannot help in anything.
I understand the Arab desire for this (declaration-Ed.), but His Excellency the
Mufti must understand that only five years after I became President of the German
government and Fuehrer of the German people, was I able to get such a declaration
(the Austrian Union-Ed.), and this because military forces prevented me from issuing
such a declaration. But when the German Panzer tanks and the German air squadrons
reach the Southern Caucasus, then will be the time to issue the declaration.
He said (in reply to a request that a secret declaration or a treaty be made)
that a declaration known to a number of persons cannot remain secret but will
become public. I (Hitler) have made very few declarations in my life, unlike the
British who have made many declarations. If I issue a declaration, I will uphold
it. Once I promised the Finnish Marshal that I would help his country if the enemy
attacks again. This word of mine made a stronger impression than any written declaration.
Recapitulating, I want to state the following to you: When we shall have arrived
in the Southern Caucasus, then the time of the liberation of the Arabs will have
arrived. And you can rely on my word.
We were troubled about you. I know your life history. I followed with interest
your long and dangerous journey. I was very concerned about you. I am happy that
you are with us now and that you are now in a position to add your strength to
the common cause.
*This is a reply to the insistent request of the Multi for an Axis declaration
to the Arabs.
Source: The Arab Higher Committee .... The Documentary Record.