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Book documents '100 years of Palestinian
history'
100 Years of Palestinian History
A 20th Century Chronology
Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International
Affairs (PASSIA)
Jerusalem, 2001
Pp. 404
`100 YEARS of Palestinian History' documents the recorded event
and personalities as they impacted Palestine and the Palestinian
people throughout the 20th century.
The book brings together, in an illustrated volume, statements,
personalities' decisions and events that have shaped Palestinian
history. It also affords the reader a passage through time from
a Palestinian point of view.
Mahdi Abdul Hadi, head of PASSIA, writes in the book's
introduction that the task to document Palestinian history was
not undertaken simply with a fascination for the past, but with
a “firm belief in the importance of a thorough and proud
understanding of the wealth of that culture, political and
national heritage which each of us, Palestinian, shares by
virtue of our own place at the fore of an unravelling destiny”.
In an effort to enrich this documentation, the records
themselves are arranged in a way that allows the reader to
focus, at any one point, upon the period and/or the region to
which their attention is turned.
The information is organised into four parallel chronological
successions for each year from 1900 to 1999. In each year, the
chronology first presents events that occurred, especially in
Jerusalem, then those occurring over the same period within
Palestine, those occurring in the region and global events of
significance.
The book relates the unfolding of events each year, providing
valuable context and compelling detail. Each year is divided
into four sequences, symbolised throughout the book by the four
colours of the Palestinian flag. Jerusalem is indicated by a
green line in a row next to the released text, maps and images,
Palestine is represented by a red line, regional events are
marked by the use of a white line and the global events by a
black line.
A glossary defining terms and proper names of places and people
that occur frequency in the text follows the chronology,
allowing the reader to look up any unfamiliar terminology.
The reason behind adopting this structure, explained Abdul Hadi,
is that it provides the reader with as valuable and negotiable a
resource as possible.
The book comprises of 20 maps, including maps of the early
Jewish settlement in Palestine up to 1914, Palestine under the
British mandate, 1923-1948, the Anglo-American partition
proposal of 1945 and others. It also has photographs of people
and places, some published for the first time, with relevant
extracts or summaries of important documents.
PASSIA, explains the book introduction, has drawn upon hundreds
of sources, individuals, publications, private collections,
libraries, websites, foundations and institutions. It also
depended on private collections of some Palestinian families in
diaspora or in Palestine, such as Abdul Hadi, Nabulsi, Husseini,
Nashashibi, Tuqan, Shawwa, Kanan and many others.
Established in 1987, PASSIA, an independent Palestinian
institution, aims to “present the Palestinian question in its
national, Arab and international contexts through academic
research dialogue and publication”.
The book was supported by the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency. It can be found at Bustan Lil Kutob
bookstore in Shmeisani.
Hada Sarhan
Monday, September 15, 2003
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