MUFTI OF JERUSALEM

Hawera Star, Volume L, 17 May 1930, Page 18

MUFTI OF JERUSALEM

Moslem Head at Home

* 4 YXD'PJEOTJT any of the trappings of ’ ’ oriental magnificence, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem received me ini his home,” writes a special correspondent at Jerusalem.

ern methods of farming, but they do not understaind the country as - '' tho Arabs do. We are born farmers and with the necessary money could do far more than the Jews. If the Government will restore the agricultural banks which wo had ‘in the Turkish regime!, whereby ‘Arab [farmers an obtain small credits, then the country will really progress.” While the Arab leaders are thinking about all this, and hoping that the Government will advance the money, the Jews have made a good start. Thriving colonies have been established all over the country, swamps have been drained andi made into good land, malaria has -been almost wiped out by the skill of tho Jewish scientists, factories have been established and a modern town built- up at Tel-Aviv, yet still the Arabs say: “(But if we had the monev we could da much better than this.”

“The (Mufti’s house overlooks the Ilarem —the site of Solomon’s Temple —affording a wonderful view of the .Mosque •of Omar —the third most holy mosque of Islam —with, the Mount of Olives rising dimly in the background. “We sat on English wicker chairs, comfortable but not luxurious, in an open loggia. The domed, white ceiling and the austere walls were in unrelieved 1 simplicity. Tea was served in English fashion but though the Mufti was •all concern for the comfort of his guest, vet he neither drank nor smoked himself.

It is commonly said in Jerusalem that 1 though the uVlufti, as head of the Moslem Supreme 'Council may not actually be responsible for the terrible riots of August, yet he did not exert his authority to stop them. In fact, that the Mufti o.penly countenanced the tragic disorders in which so many Jews were killed. In consequence, the person of the Mufti lias become invested with a stage halo of romance and he a.ppears ini the general .imagination as a powerful Arab chief fain'invested with power of life and death over the vast Moslem hordes and concerned only ini maintaining the glory of Islam. (But he is really nothing of the kind—most unlike a fanaticg.l Arab warrior. Ha;j 'Haim el Hussfcini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, is a young man of thirtyfive or so, but a slight beard makes him look older. Instead of gorgeous oriental robes, he wore a gown of sober black. TJndcrneath peeped out. a white silk shirt, black trousers, and patent leather shoes. The [Mufti speaks Arabic, Turkish and -French, but in compliment to his guest he welcomed mo in English, of which ho knows just a few words. He spoke sometimes in French, but chiefly in Arabic, which his Eminence much prefers. The development of Palestine is of real concern to the Mufti. '“(Palestine is an agricultural country,” he said, “ which eouldi be made

For two thousand years and more the Arabs have been cultivating the : land in Palestine and it is still poor, uni developed and primitive; where the ! Jews have settled is progress, initia- , tive and modern culture, i The Mufti of Jerusalem is not con- • cerned with the future of,Palestine as a country, but as a Moslem'country. Arab efforts at development have failed so far but still every effort is made 1 to hinder the Jews because they are becoming Palestinian, while the Arabs retain the rigid limits of their own caste and creed. But the Mu'fti is cultured. At a sharp command the lights of the room were switched out and we moved to the open loggia. With expressive hand he pointed tci the entrancing beauties of the moonlit mosque and the tali'-minar-ets and stately cypress trees. “Is it not beautiful!” he asked. Electric lights gleam now on tho temple walls, but they still are as old as yore. Similarly, modern culture enveloi>os the mind of the (Mufti, but beneath- this lurks something of his wild ancestry. Scion of a. warrior race —son of wild chiefs of the desert, Haj Haim retains still the belief that all men are go.od which advance the Moslem cause. The same hope led Saladin’s wild hordes onto Crusaders’

much mure productive. The Jews are swords because their-only hope of glory on the right lines by introducing mod- was to die in battle for Islam.