Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Duff's Insight on "Palestinianism"

Not that there was, in 1922, any sense of political nationality among the Palestinians. In those days the artificial States set up by their French and British masters meant less than nothing to them. Most Muslim of the illiterate masses were not conscious of being members of any nation, and if one was asked his nationality he always looked a trifle puzzled and replied, "Thanks be to God, I am Muslim." Such nationalities as Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrians, Jordanians or Palestinians meant absolutely nothing to them. Were they not all good Muslim? Was not that enough? 

Douglas Duff,
1953


And he even mentions the belief in virgins after death on p. 200:


I had pointed out to the young Jews that we must avoid killing any of the
Arabs if we could, so as to obviate the starting of a blood feud which might
last for generations. They co-operated so magnificently that we routed the
rebels without sending a single one of them to enjoy the favours of the
Eternal Maidens of Paradise.
^

No comments: