Nur Masalha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nur ad-Din Masalha
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| نور الدين مصالحه | |
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| Born | 4 January 1957 |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Other names | Nur Masalha |
| Alma mater | Hebrew University of Jerusalem, SOAS University of London |
| Occupation | Historian, academic, author |
| Known for | Critiques of Zionist narratives and historiography |
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Notable work
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The Palestine Nakba, Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History, The Zionist Bible |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | St Mary's University, Twickenham, SOAS University of London, Birzeit University |
Nur ad-Din Masalha (Arabic: نور الدين مصالحه, romanized: Nūr ad-Dīn Maṣālḥa; born January 4, 1957), also known as Nur Masalha, is a Palestinian writer, historian, and professor. He studies the history, politics, and religious ideas of Palestine. His work includes topics like the Palestinian Nakba, Zionism, and liberation theology.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and School
Nur ad-Din Masalha was born in Galilee, Israel, on January 4, 1957. He went to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There, he studied International Relations and Politics. He earned his first degree in 1979. Later, in 1982, he got a master's degree in Middle East Politics. He then earned his PhD from the SOAS (University of London) in 1988. His PhD was in Middle Eastern Politics.
His Work as a Professor
Professor Masalha has worked at many universities. He was a professor of religion and politics at St Mary's University, Twickenham. He also led a research center there. From 2005 to 2015, he directed a master's program at St. Mary's. This program focused on religion, politics, and solving conflicts.
He has also been a research professor at the SOAS, University of London. He was part of the Centre for Palestine Studies. He also worked at the London Middle East Institute. Masalha has held special research positions at other places too. These include Durham University and the London School of Economics. He has also taught at Birzeit University in Ramallah, West Bank.
Editor of a Journal
Masalha is a co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies. This is a journal where experts review articles. It used to be called Holy Land Studies. A Spanish version of the journal is also published.
He started the journal with Michael Prior in 2002. Famous scholars like Edward W. Said and Noam Chomsky have been part of its advisory board.
His Research and Ideas
Professor Masalha's research looks closely at the history, politics, and religious parts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He works to "decolonize" history. This means he tries to tell history from the Palestinian point of view. He wants to make sure Palestinian voices are heard. He also looks at and questions Zionist ideas.
In his book The Palestine Nakba, Masalha explains how important the Nakba is to Palestinians. The Nakba is a big event in their history. He shows how important it is to listen to people's personal stories. This helps keep forgotten viewpoints alive. His book Theologies of Liberation in Palestine-Israel talks about how religious ideas can support resistance. It also helps strengthen Palestinian identity.
Looking at Benny Morris's Work
Masalha has also looked closely at the work of historian Benny Morris. Morris wrote a book called The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947–1949. Masalha and others have reviewed this book. Along with Norman Finkelstein, Masalha has questioned Morris's first book about the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight.
Masalha believes Morris's conclusions favor Israel. He says Morris used only some Israeli documents. More sensitive papers were not available to other researchers. Masalha also says Morris accepted Israeli documents too easily. He calls these documents "apologetic," meaning they tried to excuse actions. Masalha also points out a problem in Morris's findings. Morris said there was no clear plan to expel Palestinians. But Masalha argues that the evidence in the book suggests leaders like David Ben-Gurion had an unspoken agreement to make Palestinians leave.
Morris, in return, said his findings came from many military and civilian papers. He argued that Masalha and Finkelstein had a pro-Palestinian view. Morris defended his strict way of defining expulsions. He still said there was no official policy to move people.
See also
In Spanish: Nur Masalha para niños
- 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight
- Palestinian refugee
