AMMAN – Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, was born in the town
of Jableh, south of the Syrian city of Latakia, he received his primary
education in his hometown from his father's tutors. At the age of fourteen, he
traveled to Cairo, where he joined Al-Azhar University and studied under
prominent religious leaders, including Sheikh Mohammed Abdo.
اضافة اعلان
After earning his credentials, Qassam returned
to Jableh in 1903. He succeeded his father in teaching writing, reading, Quran
memorization, and some modern sciences.
During his stay in Egypt, Qassam was
influenced by the nationalistic fervor against British occupation following the
failed revolution led by Egyptian army officer Ahmed Orabi and the reformist
calls for unity, self-reliance, and resistance against foreign occupation.
Qassam assumed the Imamate of the Mansouri
Mosque in Jableh and, through his sermons and teachings, gained the respect of
the people, extending his reputation and goodwill to neighboring areas.
He called for support for the Arab people of
Libya after Italy's attack in 1911, encouraging demonstrations and volunteering
to fight alongside them. He was among the first to join the revolution against
French occupation in the Syrian coast between 1919-1920, displaying remarkable
courage in the mountains around Salah al-Din Castle above Latakia, leading the
French authorities to sentence him to death.
Qassam fled with his family and some of his
brothers to the city of Haifa in late 1920, where he worked as a teacher at the
"Al-Burj" high school established by the "Islamic
Association" responsible for managing Islamic endowments in the Haifa
area. Later, he taught religious classes in the Independence Mosque, which was
constructed by the same
Islamic Association, gaining attention through his
sermons. After a few years, he became the Imam and preacher at the same mosque,
as well as establishing a night school to combat literacy.
Qassam contributed to founding the branch of
the "Muslim Youth Association" in Haifa, where he was elected its
president in July 1928. This association became an effective means of spreading
national awareness among young men, rallying and engaging them.
In 1930, Qassam was appointed as a religious
official by the Sharia Court in Haifa. He engaged with people in the Galilee
villages, increasing his popularity.
Qassam, influenced by the increasing
threat of Zionism due to Britain's support for the "Jewish National Home"
project, believed that armed struggle was the only way to counter British
support. He stressed sincerity, rejecting partisanship, focusing on unity,
sacrifice, commitment, and organizing while supporting the poor and striving to
improve their conditions. He garnered loyalty from wider circles of the rural
population who migrated to Haifa to work in its ports, factories, and
refineries.
Qassam hesitated to declare jihad against
British colonization until he was fully prepared. However, the massive Jewish
immigration in the early 1930s, increased government surveillance, and fear of
a preemptive strike pushed him to declare on the night of November 12, 1935, in Haifa. Subsequently, he and eleven
of his brothers headed to the Yabed village's forests near Jenin, engaging in a
six-hour, uneven battle with
British forces on the 20th of the same month. In
this confrontation, Qassam, along with four of his men, were killed, and the
others were either injured or captured.
Upon news of his killing, Haifa witnessed a
comprehensive strike on November 21, 1935. Stores, shops, and restaurants
closed as thousands bid farewell to Izz ad-Din al-Qassam and his supporters
in the city. Qassam was buried in the "Blad al-Sheikh" cemetery in
the
outskirts of Haifa.
Qassam played a significant role in igniting
the great Palestinian revolution (1936-1939), inspiring Palestinian resistance
for generations to come.
This
article originally appeared in Al-Ghad
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