AMIN AL-HUSSEINI Grossmufti von Palästina – “Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Palestine” – A Publication Issued in Berlin at the Height of World War II in Support of the Mufti of Jerusalem, the Nazi Ally. By Kurt Fischer-Weth. Published by WALTER TITZ VERLAG, BERLIN-FRIEDENAU. Berlin, 1943 – First Edition.
The book focuses on various aspects of the life of Haj Amin al-Husseini [1895–1974], the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, detailing his political, religious, and social activities and reviewing his influence on Palestinian and Arab history. The author describes the Mufti’s struggles against British initiatives in favor of the Zionist enterprise (the Balfour Declaration), the conflicts between Jews and Arabs over control of the Western Wall, his role in the outbreak of the 1936 Arab Revolt, which he orchestrated from his sanctuary in Al-Aqsa Mosque, his escape to Syria, and more. Among other topics, the book discusses the issues debated in the congresses of the Supreme Muslim Council, which were held in Nablus in the 1920s, and additional historical events. The book is written in a critical tone toward both Zionism and Britain, which the author describes as “the greatest obstacle to Arab and Islamic revival”—a perspective expected from a German writer in Nazi Germany, which was then an ally of Husseini.
Al-Husseini was a central figure in the Palestinian national movement during the British Mandate period. He was appointed Mufti of Jerusalem in 1921 by the British Mandate authorities and, throughout his tenure, was vehemently opposed to the Zionist movement and Jewish immigration to Palestine. During World War II, he collaborated with the Axis Powers, including Nazi Germany, to advance the Palestinian struggle against the British and Zionists. As early as May 28, 1930, the Mufti contacted the German Foreign Ministry, expressing his protest against British policies in Palestine and accusing them of protecting only their own and Zionist interests. On March 31, 1933, just two months after Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, the Mufti visited the newly appointed German consul, Dr. Heinrich Wolff, in his Jerusalem office, becoming the first to welcome him upon his arrival. During World War II, al-Husseini conducted propaganda efforts in Iraq on behalf of the Axis Powers, portraying Germany as “the protector of the Muslim world” and Hitler as “the defender of Islam, whose goal was to establish a free Arab federation liberated from British rule.” After the war, he continued his political activities in exile until his death.
The book is accompanied by photographs of Palestinian Arabs during the British Mandate, the Mufti in his office, the Temple Mount, and more.
95 pages + [5] photographic plates. Condition: Good – Very Good.
