Al-Futuwwah ( Arabic: فتوة - "The Youth" or "The Brotherhood") was the youth organisation of the Palestine Arab Party in Palestine. The organisation was created in February 1936 by the al-Husseinis to counteract their rivals' al-Nashashibis National Defense Party. It was, to some extent, modelled on the Hitler Youth organisation in Germany. [1]
The Palestine Arab Party was founded at a congress in March 1935, when Jamal al-Husayni was elected President. [2] One of the tasks pursued by the heads of the Party was to create a youth branch; scouts of young Palestinians who participated in the political feuds of the time. [3] [2] This was actively pursued by the General Secretary Emil Ghuri, who at first tried to work through the Boy Scouts, later creating a separate organisation. For a short time they called themselves the "Nazi Scouts" and then renamed it to al-Futuwwah, meaning 'chivalry' in Arabic. [2]
At the founding meeting on February 11, 1936, Jamal al-Husayni noted that Hitler's followers had grown in number from six to six hundred to sixty million and expressed the hope that al-Futuwwah would also be a nucleus of national resurrection. [2] The following credo was adopted:
Liberty is my right; Independence is my goal; Arabism is my principle; Palestine is my country and mine only. This I attest and God is a witness to my words. [2]
Al-Futuwwa was broken up by the British in 1937 during the Arab Revolt. [4] It was re-established in September 1946 and Kamil Arikat was made its commander. [4] Its main task was to support the leadership of Jamal al-Husayni by opposing al-Najjada. [5] Its members wore uniforms and had superficial military training, with estimates of their strength ranging from 2,000 to 5,000, not existing as a signifiance force in the Palestinian political sphere. [4] [6] An official merger of al-Futuwwa and al-Najjada was announced later that year, but in practice they continued to operate separately. [4] For al-Najjada and al-Futuwwa, by the summer of 1947 they were already dispersed as any serious militant organization. [7]
Tauber, Eliezer (November 2015). "The Arab Military Force in Palestine Prior to the Invasion of the Arab Armies, 1945–1948". Middle Eastern Studies. 51 (6): 950–985. doi: 10.1080/00263206.2015.1044896. JSTOR 24585912. S2CID 143058885 – via JSTOR.
Anderson, Charles W. (September 2013). From Petition to Confrontation: The Palestinian National Movement and the Rise of Mass Politics, 1929-1939 (Thesis). New York University. ProQuest 1468938822.
Porath, Yehoshua (1977). The Palestinian Arab National Movement: From Riots to Rebellion. Vol. 2. Frank Cass. ISBN 9780714630700.
Al-Futuwwah ( Arabic: فتوة - "The Youth" or "The Brotherhood") was the youth organisation of the Palestine Arab Party in Palestine. The organisation was created in February 1936 by the al-Husseinis to counteract their rivals' al-Nashashibis National Defense Party. It was, to some extent, modelled on the Hitler Youth organisation in Germany. [1]
The Palestine Arab Party was founded at a congress in March 1935, when Jamal al-Husayni was elected President. [2] One of the tasks pursued by the heads of the Party was to create a youth branch; scouts of young Palestinians who participated in the political feuds of the time. [3] [2] This was actively pursued by the General Secretary Emil Ghuri, who at first tried to work through the Boy Scouts, later creating a separate organisation. For a short time they called themselves the "Nazi Scouts" and then renamed it to al-Futuwwah, meaning 'chivalry' in Arabic. [2]
At the founding meeting on February 11, 1936, Jamal al-Husayni noted that Hitler's followers had grown in number from six to six hundred to sixty million and expressed the hope that al-Futuwwah would also be a nucleus of national resurrection. [2] The following credo was adopted:
Liberty is my right; Independence is my goal; Arabism is my principle; Palestine is my country and mine only. This I attest and God is a witness to my words. [2]
Al-Futuwwa was broken up by the British in 1937 during the Arab Revolt. [4] It was re-established in September 1946 and Kamil Arikat was made its commander. [4] Its main task was to support the leadership of Jamal al-Husayni by opposing al-Najjada. [5] Its members wore uniforms and had superficial military training, with estimates of their strength ranging from 2,000 to 5,000, not existing as a signifiance force in the Palestinian political sphere. [4] [6] An official merger of al-Futuwwa and al-Najjada was announced later that year, but in practice they continued to operate separately. [4] For al-Najjada and al-Futuwwa, by the summer of 1947 they were already dispersed as any serious militant organization. [7]
Tauber, Eliezer (November 2015). "The Arab Military Force in Palestine Prior to the Invasion of the Arab Armies, 1945–1948". Middle Eastern Studies. 51 (6): 950–985. doi: 10.1080/00263206.2015.1044896. JSTOR 24585912. S2CID 143058885 – via JSTOR.
Anderson, Charles W. (September 2013). From Petition to Confrontation: The Palestinian National Movement and the Rise of Mass Politics, 1929-1939 (Thesis). New York University. ProQuest 1468938822.
Porath, Yehoshua (1977). The Palestinian Arab National Movement: From Riots to Rebellion. Vol. 2. Frank Cass. ISBN 9780714630700.