Amin Husayni

About the Author

Amin Husayni, a prominent Palestinian nationalist and religious leader, served as the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem during the turbulent interwar period and World War II. Born in 1895 into a distinguished Jerusalem family, he rose to prominence as a fierce advocate for Arab independence and resistance against British colonial rule and Zionist settlement in Palestine. Exiled from his homeland in 1937, Husayni spent the war years in Berlin, where he engaged with Nazi authorities to promote anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist causes, broadcasting appeals to Arab audiences and authoring key documents that articulated his vision for a unified Islamic front. His writings from this era, compiled in Mufti-Papiere: Briefe, Memoranden, Reden und Aufrufe Amin al-Husainis aus dem Exil, 1940-1945, offer invaluable insights into the intersections of pan-Arabism, Islamism, and global conflict. Husayni's legacy remains a subject of intense debate, embodying both heroic defiance and controversial alliances in the quest for Palestinian sovereignty.