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Portrait of Abdelqader Al-Husseini (Abou Moussa) taken in 1945. Son of Moussa Kazem Pasha Al-Husseini a well-known Palestinian nationalist from an aristocratic Jerusalem family. Nationalist, military commander, Abdelqader studied at the American University in Cairo. He and his wife Wajiha Al-Husseini dedicated their whole lives to defending their homeland, Palestine, from the British-assisted take-over of their country by European Jewish immigrants. He died in combat during the battle of Qastal close to Jerusalem and was buried within the campus of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, an honour bestowed on only four or five national figures.
His son Faysal (or Faisal) was a long-time nationalist, political activist, and Director of Orient House in Jerusalem. He also served occasionally as Minister for Jerusalem Affairs in the Palestinian National Authority under Chairman Yasser Arafat following the Oslo Accords. According to media reports Faysal died of a heart attack while attending a conference in Kuwait in June 2001. Had the Israelis been genuinely interested in a meaningful accommodation for both peoples during his life-time, and had the Palestinian leadership also risen to the occasion, Faysal Al-Husseini could have been the best partner and would have provided serious and effective leadership to achieve this elusive objective.
For additional information, please consult Appendix 8 on page 72 of the Biography section in this website. |
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