كتب الدكتور كامل العسلي ١٤ كتابا عن القدس وتاريخها. بعد ان توفي في عام ١٩٩٥ ترك مكتبه بما في ادراجه من أوراق دون تنسيق لوقت طويل. عندما زرت عمان في شهر شباط بدأتُ وجدتي وامي بترتيب تلك الأوراق ووجدنا بينها كنوزا مدفونة. قررت ان أشارككم هنا احدها.
Dr. Kamil J. Asali
November 25, 1991
Jerusalem: Short Historical Notes
On The City’s Identity, Population and Development Through The Ages
Origin of the City and its Population
Jerusalem was founded towards the beginning of the third millennium BC, as a Canaanite settlement in what was called the Land of Canaan. The Amorites, people closely related to the Canaanites, shared in the establishment of Jerusalem. The first name of the city, Urusalem, and the names of two of its early kings, are believed to be Amorite.
In the middle of the second millennium, Jerusalem was inhabited by a people of Canaanite extraction, called the Jebusites. These gave the city its second name Jebus.
About 2000 years after its establishment, Jerusalem was invaded by the David (c. 1000 B.C.).
According to the Old Testament, the Israelites did not expel the Jebusites from Jerusalem, but lived with them side by side, most probably they could no drive them out. Ever since the Israelite occupation the Canaanites continued to live in the country up to present day, i.e. now for five thousand years they constitute the majority of the Palestine peasantry.
The simple fact is that the majority of the Palestine Arabs of today were not descendants of the relatively “new comers”- the Arabs who came to the land with the conquests of the 7th century. They are a mixed population whose relation with the land rose since time immemorial (they were arabised and islamised and supplemented with ethnic arabs in the 7th century and after).
Therefore they (the Palestinians of today) are the real owners of the land.
Thus the claim that the jews were the original inhabitants of Palestine and that they preceded the Arab population of Jerusalem falls asunder.
Islamic Toleration towards the Jews
Rome and Byzantium expelled the Jews from Jerusalem and did not tolerate their presence in the city. But the Arabs and Muslims -ironically enough- allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
This happened three times:
- In the 7th Century: when the Arabs came under the banners of Islam they lifted the Byzantine Embargo and allowed the Jews to return.
- In the 12th Century (after 1187): Saladin agreed to the return of the Jews to Jerusalem after the expulsion of the crusaders
- In the 16th Century: the Ottoman esp. Sultan Sulaiman the Magnificent, opened the gates of Jerusalem and Palestine before Jewish refugees from Spain.
Prof. Amnon Cohen of the Jewish University of Jerusalem stresses the positive attitude of the Ottoman authorities towards the Jews. He observes that the entire supervisory mechanism governing the implementation of religious law was often slanted in favour of the Jews, and that autonomous Jewish life was encouraged by Muslim rulers.
About the Population
Throughout the 1300 years of Muslim rule the number of Jews in Jerusalem and their landed property was minimal in comparison with the Arabs.
- In the Mamluk period there were some hundred Jews. In 1483 their number was estimated at 400;
- According to Ottoman registers the number of Jews in the middle of the 16th Century was 1,201 out of 12,500. Some years later, in 1572, their number decreased to 500;
- In 1871 there were 3780 Jews out of a total population of 14,358;
- The number of Jews in Jerusalem increased rapidly from 1882, and especially during the British Mandate.
It is indicative, however, that in 1947 the Jews constituted still a small fraction of the population of the “Old City”: 2,400 out of 36,000, i.e. 7%. They owned less than 1% (0,6%) of the land.
Veneration of Jerusalem in Islam
Israeli historiography has often brought up the claim that “Jerusalem did not command a paramount place in the consciousness of the world of Islam…” etc.
This claim can be refuted on both religious and historical grounds:
For 13 years Jerusalem was first qibla of the Muslims. And the Prophet made his Isra’ (nocturnal Journey) to it, thus underlining its unique place. Hundreds of traditions (Hadith) of the Prophet extol Jerusalem. Consequently tens of thousands of devotees flocked to the city from all over the world including many companions of the Prophet. Hundreds of beautiful monuments were constructed in various Islamic periods, including Sufi (Mystic) establishments and mosques.
No less than 50 books were written on the merits of Jerusalem in Islam (Fadail Al-Quds) from the beginning of the Fifth Century onwards.
The Ayyubids and Mamluks established more than 50 religious colleges (madaris) in the city and hundreds of small mosques (zawaya).
In Mamluk times the city enjoyed an eminent place in all parts of the Islamic world: Kings of India, Morocco and Ottoman Sultans of Asia Minor sent donations to Jerusalem and embellished it with Waqf Foundations.
Even in the days of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the sultans paid great attention to the repair and maintenance of the Haram Ash-Sharif (especially the Dome of the Rock and the Aqsa Mosque) and other religious places. The efforts of Sultan Suleiman in building the city are symbolic.
Although Jerusalem was not made capital in almost all Islamic periods, it was always accorded a special attention and respect by various Islamic governments.
If Jerusalem was not one of the administrative enters in the early Islamic period, that was because these centres were to be bases for the Arab Muqatila (troops) to meet their needs in pastures and climate, and to be directly linked to the Arab peninsula. Jerusalem and its Haram were hardly suitable. Suleiman, the Umayyad Caliph, thought of making it his capital. Al-Muazzam Isa, the Ayyubid Sultan, made it his chief headquarters.
It should be noted that Jerusalem had its special governor and Qadi, on equal footing with provincial capitals.
Conclusion
The religious as well as the so-called historical arguments brought forward by the Israelis to justify the expulsion, displacement and dispersal of the people of Jerusalem and Palestine are totally unacceptable by the norms of ethics and to all unbiased students of international law.
If continued residence in a city for hundreds, nay thousands of years, does not give its people an absolute title to it, what else can give.
If the deportation and exchange of whole peoples is allowed after the lapse of centuries of permanent residence, then the change of the whole map of the globe, and the transfer of all nations must on the same grounds be excepted and justified.
I got this picture through Whatsapp. And just to give you a little background I am a Palestinian and a Jordanian who lives the Arab world so the pictured must have traveled a long way to get to me!
Regardless of the comments I saw, I personally read this picture differently: this picture is not a representation of the degradation of the U.S. simply because each one of the First Ladies is expressing herself differently. Jackie Kennedy was a classy person. But to ask “what happened America?” based on this picture seems to have a hidden racist message. It also seems to imply that the U.S. People should look for a president with a wife that is calm and looks nice in pictures (as opposed to a person who is active as Michelle Obama is in the picture) because that is how a president’s wife should be (nice, white and voiceless). The picture is not only racist it’s also sexist.
بعد البراءة، هل يكفينا شرف المحاولة؟ محاولة الوصول الى الحرية، محاولة ضمان تعليم جيد لأطفالنا الذين لم يولدوا بعد، محاولة العيش في اوطان تحترم الانسان قبل الرئيس. لم نكن نطالب بالكثير: اردنا كرامتنا وحريتنا فتفتحت بيننا زهور تنبئ بالربيع.
ربيعنا تحول في فترة قصيرة جدا الى شتاء بارد ونحن نقف اليوم في العراء وسط عاصفة ثلجية بلا ثياب تستر عوراتنا. لا اعرف لماذا اشعر بالعري! عجزنا عن استكمال الثورات بنجاح ليس السبب فالنتيجة لم تكن مضمونة يوما. قد يكون الشعور نابعا من حقيقة ان كل تلك الاحلام التي تحطمت على صخرة الواقع كانت هي ثيابنا التي تغطينا. اجل لقد لبسنا احلامنا. اليس ذلك هو الغرض من الاحلام: ان تفصلنا عن الواقع المولم البارد؟ لم نعد نملك ايا من تلك الاحلام. لم نعد قادرين على رسم صورة جميلة لغد افضل! لم نعد نملك القدرة على الحلم!
ماذا بعد؟
القدس، صورة عريضة للمدينة من احدى الجبال المطلة عليها تتوسطها قبة ذهبية. القدس، رسمة تعبيرية كتب عليها القدس لنا.
ولد بها والداي وجدي الف عن تاريخها اربعة عشر كتابا. قرأت عنها الكثير لكنني كواحد من مشردي المدينة لا اعرفها.
انا ابنها.
الغاز المسيل:
1-معظم المواد المستخدمه هي فقط لتخفيف الأثر والحفاظ على الوعي وتجنب الإغماء
2-حاول/ي الإبتعاد عن مصدر الغاز والحصول على اكبر قدر من الهواء النقي
3-إستعمل/ي كوفيه أو قطعة قماش مبلله بالخل أو بعطر قوي للتقليل من أثر الغاز وغطي بها أنفك
4-استعمل/ي المسحات الطبية(Alcohol Pad)ويمكن شرائها من الصيدليات افتحها واستنشقها لتحافظ على وعيك بسبب قوة رائحتها
5- لا تلمسي عينيك مهما حصل الدموع ستغسل العينين لمس العينين سيؤدي لتركيز الغاز بعينيك (في حال عدم الرؤية استعمل محرمه صغيره وأغلق/ي رموشك عليها حتى تمتص الغاز والدموع وستستطيع/ين الرؤية في ثواني)
6- لا تغسل/ي وجهك بالماء لانه سيزيد تفاعل الغاز مع الجلد
تذكر/ي ان تلاحظ/ي اتجاه الرياح ستساعدك في تجنب الغاز بشكل عام، تأثير الغاز القوي يستمر لمدة دقائق وبعدها تعود/ين للتنفس بشكل طبيعي.
مهم جدا ان لا تبقى/ي وحدك عندما تتعرض للغاز وان تكون/ي بجوار اشخاص آخرين وذلك في حال تم الاغماء عليك ليتمكنوا من مساعدتك.
اذا اردت ارجاع…
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أبوعمر #شهيد_عطش في #مخيم_اليرموك
مستغربين؟ ليش؟ أو يمكن كلنا راح نمرق عادي ع الخبر, لانو شخص يستشهد باليرموك صار شي عادي جداً
ذنب أبوعمر انو المي مقطوعة عندو, متلو متل باقية الـ20 ألف شخص المحاصرين باليرموك, راح ليعبي من البير الوحيد, مياه جوفية وهي مش صالحة للشرب أساساً, نزلت قذيفة وراحت عينو وايدو, وبعد 10 ساعات استشهد
مخيم اليرموك صارلو مقطوعة عنو المي من حوالي الشهرين
(منقول عن صفحة الصديق رشاد الهندي)
*****
Abu Omar, martyr of thirst from Yarmouk Camp
His only guilt is that he lives at Yarmouk camp in Syria, under full siege since July 2012, and without water since two months.
He went to fill water from the only water well in the camp, which is not even drinkable, he was hit with a rocket, lost his eye and arm, and died ten hours later.
The Balfour Declaration – 2nd November 1917
On Wednesday 29 October the occupation decided to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayer. That is an important infringement on Palestinian rights, but it is not grave and has to be put into perspective. It is the bigger picture that is being lost on us. What we no longer see or hear about in any media outlet or school textbook is the degeneration of the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
We are constantly pushed towards the smaller fights in our conflict with Zionism. Roadblocks, prayer rights, and the struggle for the freedom of the detained all fade in comparison to the right of return of the Palestinian people.
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine, the Nakba that displaced over 800,000 Palestinians, the constant land theft* are the true gifts granted to us (at least in part) by the generosity of “Sir” Arthur Balfour 97 years today on 2nd of November 1917. When he granted Palestine to the zionist movement he was acting in the name of the government of his Majesty the King of Great Britain.
The importance of the Declaration to the zionist entity cannot be underestimated. It is frequently used as a proof of legitimacy by the occupation. In his book The Invention of the Land of Israel Shlomo Sand writes:
“..second only to the Bible, the Balfour Declaration is regarded as the most decisive source of moral and political legitimacy of the Jews’ right to the ‘Land of Israel’.”
It is that fabrication of legitimacy that we are constantly battered into forgetting by the Zionist entity and its cohort of supporters. By directing media focus on a multitude of increasingly smaller issues we are driven further and further away from the true struggle for liberation. Instead, an exaggerated religiocentric fight is being highlighted to grant an illegitimate entity a right to a land it never should have had. A land it gained through the Declaration.
So in the spirit of remembrance I am going to list below a few points about the Balfour Declaration on the 97th anniversary of its issuance. I hope they refresh your memory. Please share them with others so that they too may remember:
- The Ottoman Empire was the first target for the zionist advances that sought to carve out Palestine as a “jewish state”. After the zionist leaders failed in that effort, they turned their attention to other powers and eventually Britain made its commitment in the form of the Balfour Declaration.
- The Declaration is racist by definition as is clear in its text where no mention of Arabs or Palestinians is made and only reference is given to “non-Jewish communities in Palestine”. Further evidence is given by the author of the declaration himself at a later time when announcing the importance of Zionism:
“Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-long traditions, in present deeds, in future hopes, of far profounder import than the desires and prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land”
-Arthur Balfour
- The Palestinian rejection of the Balfour Declaration was and remains to be universal. After it became known to the Palestinians anti-british and anti-zionist riots occurred in 1920 and 1921.
- While the Declaration smashed the door of the conflict wide open, the “immigration” of jews towards Palestine had started earlier around 1882.
- The Balfour Declaration was a promise by those who did not own to those who were/are undeserving at the expense of the rightful people of the land. This is a fact that will never change and one that we would do well to remember.
The Man who promised a land he did not own to the racist zionist movement.
Please have a look at the proposed State of Palestine Mr. Mahmoud Abbas is doing his best to promote. You will not see Palestine. You will see a discontinuous territory that is less than 22% of Palestine. If you want to see Palestine you have to look at maps that go further back in time, maps before 1948 or even further, before the fateful Declaration. Personally I don’t have to look at a map to see Palestine, I can draw it from memory. I will never forget the truth, I will always remember: This land is ours and we shall return.
* Different types of land theft include settlements, the Apartheid Wall, road building and “development” plans (the Prawer Plan for example)
Da’esh (ISIS) is not very dissimilar to existing tyrannical entities in the region it uses the same tool others are using so efficiently and successfully. To allude to some of these entities I will only mention sectarianism, ban on women driving, violent islamic punishment of criminals (beheadings and limb amputation are very islamic punishments) and moral policing of citizens.
This resemblance to current states is only one reason for me to believe that it is more than just a possibility for ISIS to become a state, to me it has turned into a state creation process. The reason: the international coalition.
Past experiences have taught me that international “help” has only served to increase the violence, shape public opinion and move it more and more into the open arms of criminal jihadi movements and in time granting them legitimacy.
Sadly, I think the international coalition (part of which are tyrannical religious entities governing the Arab world today) will fail, in the words of Mr. Obama, to “degrade and destroy” ISIS or ISIL because a non-entity cannot be destroyed. It only becomes an entity after it survives.
Should that happen, ISIS will have an appeal with some deluded muslims that it survived the onslaught and succeeded in defending Islam. Next come negotiations with neighboring countries, and guess what, only states can negotiate with states.
ادعم نتنياهو
بوستر من مسار تحرري
هذا البوستر من مسار تحرري يقدم شرحاً مختصراً لعملية حسابية بسيطة: قيمة صفقة الغاز المزمع توقيعها بين حكومة الأردن والشركات المستثمرة في حقول الغاز في “إسرائيل” (شركة أمريكية واحدة وعدة شركات اسرائيلية تدفع جميعها رسوماً وضرائب هائلة لحكومة “إسرائيل”) 15 مليار دولار تدفع على 15 سنة، يعني أن شركة الكهرباء ستدفع ما معدله مليار دولار سنويا للكيان الصهيوني من اجمالي مصاريفها السنوية والبالغة 3.5 مليار دولار (بحسب الموقع الالكتروني لوزارة الطاقة الأردنية). أي أن 30% من مصاريف الشركة والتي تحصلها من جيوب المواطنين عبر الفواتير ستذهب الى “اسرائيل” وشركاتها سنوياً. أي أن المواطن الذي يدفع الفواتير سيساهم بدعم الاستعمار الاستيطاني الصهيوني وجيشه وعملياته العدوانية مباشرة. هكذا سينتقل عامة الناس بعد إتمام صفقة الغاز (ودون سؤالهم أو مشاورتهم) من مجرد مشاهدين صامتين إلى ممولين فعليين للمشروع الاستعماري الاستيطاني الصهيوني وعدوانيته وإجرامه.
عرف نفسك 