Muslim-Christian Associations facts for kids
In 1918, after the British army defeated the Ottoman Empire and set up a temporary government in Palestine, new political groups started forming. These groups were called Muslim-Christian Associations (Al-Jam'iah al-Islamiya al-Massihiya). They appeared in all the main towns.
Soon, these local groups joined together to form a national organization called the Palestine Arab Congress. Their main goal was to influence the British government's plans for Palestine. They also wanted to counter the ideas of the Zionist Commission, which visited Palestine in April 1918.
The main ideas of these Muslim-Christian Associations were:
- They wanted Palestine to be independent.
- They were against the Balfour Declaration, which supported the idea of a Jewish National Home in Palestine.
- They opposed a large number of Jewish people moving to Palestine.
These associations are seen as the first major steps towards a Palestinian Nationalist movement, where people wanted their own country. However, by the end of the 1920s, they became less important. Most of their members were from wealthy families. They struggled to stop the growth of Zionist activities and couldn't provide strong leadership for people who were worried about Palestine's future.
Early History of the Associations
The very first Muslim-Christian Association was created in Jaffa on May 8, 1918. Its president was al-Hajj Ragib al-Dajani. The members were important people from Jaffa. This group was generally supportive of the British at first. This was partly because the local orange export business needed good relations with the authorities. Also, the British military governor of Jaffa, Colonel Hubbard, got along well with the Arab people there. Some sources even suggest that Hubbard helped start the Association.
In November 1918, the Jaffa Association celebrated the anniversary of General Allenby's victory over the Turks. They gave a statement to the governor. It showed their trust in British promises of self-government and self-determination (the right for people to choose their own government). They also said that Palestine was an Arab country and disagreed with Zionist claims to the land.
In May 1919, the Jaffa Association held a big meeting at the Zohar Cinema. About 500 people attended. The main decisions made at this meeting were to ask for independence, to recognize Palestine as part of Greater Syria, and to oppose Jewish immigration. After two hours, the meeting became too chaotic, and the military authorities closed it down.
The first leader of the Jerusalem Muslim-Christian Association was Arif Pasha Dajani. On November 24, 1918, the British military governor of Jerusalem, Ronald Storrs, warned important local leaders. He told them that being a member of the Muslim-Christian Association meant they could not hold administrative or political jobs.
The next year, from January 27 to February 10, 1919, the Associations held a Congress in Jerusalem. Most of the delegates were older and came from privileged backgrounds. This group was already starting to lose touch with the stronger opinions of the general population. In March, the Jerusalem Association wanted to hold a protest on April 1, 1919, against the Zionist plans. However, the authorities did not allow it, so it was canceled.
Similarly, in May 1919, the Association planned to share a statement with their views before an international commission arrived. The statement stressed that Palestine and Syria were united. It rejected the idea of a Jewish National Home but recognized the rights of Jewish people already living there. General Allenby refused permission for the statement to be released, and it was withdrawn.
The British authorities did allow the Associations to hold a two-day general strike on July 13–14, 1920. This strike protested against the British rule (mandate) and the army's actions.
Challenges and Decline
After the Nabi Musa unrest, the Jerusalem Association released a statement on November 11, 1921. They protested the harsh sentences given to Arab protesters compared to those given to arrested Jewish people. They also refused to cooperate with British plans to demand security money from people suspected of security offenses.
However, the group was losing trust with the public. Many saw it as ineffective in stopping the increasing Zionist activities. The following month, an attempt by Zionists to secretly bring weapons into Palestine was stopped in Haifa.
The Associations boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of the first high commissioner, Herbert Samuel, on September 11, 1922. His arrival happened at the same time as Atatürk's victories against the Greeks. This made many Muslims very excited.
In the autumn of 1923, the Jaffa association stopped working. This happened after the city council agreed to accept the Rutenburg Scheme. This plan would supply the town with electricity but was opposed by the national Congress.
At their strongest point in 1920, there were about 40 Associations with around 3,000 active members.
Opposition from Other Groups
In 1922, some new groups called Muslim National Associations started to appear. These groups were actually given money by the Zionist Executive. Their goal was to weaken the influence of the Muslim-Christian Associations and the Congress. Colonel Frederick Kisch was given the job of encouraging pro-Zionist opinions among Arabs, with a budget of £20,000.
For example, in 1923, the Jerusalem Muslim National Club received £100 a month. The Tiberias club was given a single payment of £200. This money was also used to influence many important leaders and the mayors of Jerusalem, Nablus, Tiberias, and Beisan.
In 1923, the chief secretary to the high commissioner, Colonel Wyndham Deedes, ordered investigations into some of the leaders of the Muslim National Associations. The final report concluded that the people involved could not be trusted. It also found that this strategy was likely to have a negative effect. Both David Ben-Gurion and Ze'ev Jabotinsky were against this policy.
