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Yet each man kills the thing he loves,

By each let this be heard: Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a flattering word, The coward does it with a kiss, The brave man with a sword! Some kill their love when they are young, And some when they are old; Some strangle with the hands of Gold: The kindest use a knife, because The dead so soon grow cold. Some love too little, some too long, Some sell and others buy; Some do the deed with many tears, And some without a sigh: For each man kills the thing he loves, Yet each man does not die.

Oscar Wilde

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🌌 PART I: The Arab Astrologers—Names You Must Know

📝Abū Maʿshar al-Balkhī-known in Latin as Albumasar

Born in Balkh (modern Afghanistan) in 787, a former hadith scholar who turned to the stars in midlife.

His Kitāb al-Madkhal al-Kabīr (The Great Introduction) became the bedrock of European astrology when translated into Latin.

He systematized planetary natures, zodiac signs, houses, aspects, and the elements.

His “conjunction theory” argued that history moves in great cycles, marked by rare celestial alignments—especially Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions, which he claimed heralded the rise of prophets and empires.

"All change under heaven is written first in the sky."

📜 Al-Kindi – The Philosopher of the Arabs

A polymath in the Abbasid court, blending Greek philosophy with Islamic theology and celestial theory.

In De Radiis Stellarum (On the Stellar Rays), he proposed a theory of stellar influence—not superstition, but a natural force, like light or magnetism.

He laid early groundwork for what would become natural philosophy (proto-science), suggesting stars transmit influence through rays affecting Earthly matter and human temperament.

🌍 Al-Biruni – The Observer from Khwarezm

Though more astronomer than astrologer, he cataloged astrology in full without ever endorsing its claims outright.

His Kitāb al-Tafhīm contains precise definitions of astrological terms, planetary motions, and how horoscopes are calculated.

A master of cultural synthesis: he compared Greek, Indian, and Persian systems, noting their commonalities and contradictions.

🕊 Abū al-Rayḥān al-Sijzī & Al-Zarqālī – Instruments of the Sky

Developed the astrolabe, armillary spheres, and zij tables—astronomical charts used by astrologers to pinpoint planetary positions with astonishing accuracy.

🪐 PART II: What the Arabs Contributed to Astrology

🧠 1. A Philosophical Foundation

Arabs didn’t just practice astrology—they thought about it. They debated whether the stars compel or merely incline.

Al-Farabi and later Avicenna argued the stars could only affect the body, not the soul—a blend of Neoplatonism and Islamic ethics.

The stars whisper, they do not command.

📊 2. Horoscopic Techniques Refined

Arabs inherited and enhanced horoscopic astrology from the Greeks:

Twelve Houses (Bayūt): Places in the chart signifying career, love, health, death.

Lots (Arabic Parts): Points calculated from planetary positions, like the Lot of Fortune and Lot of Spirit, used to fine-tune predictions.

Triplicities and Dignities: Systems to assess planetary strength.

Interrogations (Horary Astrology): Divining answers to specific questions, such as “Will I marry?” or “Will the king win this war?”

⚔️ 3. Political and Historical Astrology

Astrologers like Abū Maʿshar claimed that world events—plagues, conquests, religious shifts—were written in planetary cycles.

Used to time coronations, launch battles, found cities.

Caliphs would sometimes delay decisions until the astrologers said the heavens were "favorable."

🏥 4. Medical Astrology

Used zodiac signs to diagnose and treat illness—Aries rules the head, Pisces the feet, and so on.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) himself, though skeptical of predictive astrology, used astrological charts for medical diagnoses, especially in fevers and crisis periods.

🌠 PART III: Astrology in Islamic Society

🌗 Religious Debate

The Qur’an warns against claims to know the unseen:

"Say: None in the heavens or on the earth knows the unseen except Allah." (Qur’an 27:65)

So Islamic scholars:

Allowed astronomy (for timekeeping, Qibla direction).

Permitted astrology only if used to understand natural rhythms—not fate.

Condemned fortune-telling or attributing independent power to stars.

Yet astrology persisted—not as dogma, but as courtly art, folk belief, and scientific curiosity.

🕯 PART IV: The Transmission to Europe

Translations of Arabic astrological texts into Latin via Toledo and Sicily reawakened Europe’s interest in the stars.

Terms like zenith, nadir, azimuth, almanac, and even algorithm come from Arabic.

Albumasar, Albohali, Messahala—all Arabic astrologers Latinized into the canon of European learning.

The Renaissance astrologers (like Ficino and Agrippa) drank deeply from Arab wells.

🌌 In Closing: A Legacy Like the Night Sky

The Arabs did not merely gaze at the stars—they listened to them, charted them, debated them, and passed on their wisdom in tomes that still echo today. Astrology, as they practiced it, was never just fortune-telling—it was philosophy, poetry, medicine, and mathematics entwined in a cosmic dance.

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Pirates and Astrology

🧭 1. Navigation as Proto-Astrology

Example: Using the North Star (Polaris) and constellations such as Ursa Major (The Big Dipper) to chart position at sea.

Details: Though strictly astronomical, pirates used the stars not just to know where they were, but when to move, and how to read the mood of the sea. To many, these movements weren’t just physics—they were omens.

If a particular constellation rose bright and sharp, it was seen as a sign of clear skies.

If the stars were dim or flickering, they might interpret this as an upcoming storm—an astrological forecast of sorts.

Many pirates would also sail under particular moon phases, believing a full moon offered better luck, visibility, and even heightened intuition.

🌒 2. Lunar Superstitions and Astrology

Example: Planning a raid according to the Moon’s phase—especially avoiding New Moons for fear of misfortune.

Details:

Waxing Moon (growing): considered a time of gain and success—raids were often launched in this phase.

Full Moon: excellent for visibility at night and thought to be blessed by Selene, the ancient Moon goddess in European lore. Pirates believed the full moon brought clarity and truth, so betrayals were often uncovered under her light.

Waning Moon (shrinking): a time of loss, retreat, or banishment. Bad time to begin new ventures.

Some pirates would carve moon symbols into their ships or keep silver coins under their bunks to honor the Moon’s power (silver being the Moon’s metal in traditional astrology).

🔥 3. Zodiacal Beliefs and Personality

Example: Some captains kept crew logs where they noted birthdays (or baptism dates) of their crew—not for celebration, but for interpreting temperament.

Details:

A crewman born under Aries might be prized for bravery but watched for recklessness.

A Pisces might be considered a good lookout due to intuition, but perhaps too soft for hand-to-hand combat.

A Leo captain was believed to have natural command—some would even be referred to by their sign, like “Leo Jack” or “Scorpio Jim.”

This personalization mimicked what we today know as sun-sign astrology. It wasn't formalized but rooted in folk understanding.

🪐 4. Planetary Days and Hours

Example: Choosing days for launching voyages based on planetary influences—Tuesdays (Mars) for attack, Fridays (Venus) for negotiation or division of spoils.

Details:

Monday (Moon): moody, not ideal for business.

Tuesday (Mars): aggression, war, great for raids.

Wednesday (Mercury): speed and trickery; ideal for escaping or deceptive maneuvers.

Friday (Venus): gifts, wealth, pleasure—some pirates used this day to share treasure or engage in carousing.

Saturday (Saturn): many avoided sailing on this day due to its association with misfortune and restriction.

This system mirrored planetary hour magic found in grimoires like Picatrix or the Key of Solomon, which pirates could have encountered through contact with Moors, Spanish monks, or Arabic manuscripts.

💀 5. Tattoos and Talismans as Astral Wards

Example: Star tattoos, crescent moons, and astrological glyphs etched on skin and tools.

Details:

Tattoos of stars weren’t always decorative—they were often meant to ward off drowning. Sailors believed the stars would "guide them home" even in death.

Some pirates wore pendants engraved with zodiac signs, or planetary sigils (like Jupiter’s glyph for luck).

Charms and talismans blessed under certain skies were worn to invoke planetary aid—a nod to astrological talismanic magic.

Certain captains were rumored to possess amulets enchanted under rare conjunctions (like Mars-Jupiter) to ensure victory or dominance.

👻 6. Jinn, Spirits, and Celestial Entities

Example: In regions influenced by Islam (like the Barbary Coast), pirates often invoked jinn or star-spirits through whispered prayers and rituals.

Details:

The Barbary Corsairs, based in North Africa, often followed Islamic astrology (ilm al-nujūm). They may have timed attacks based on astrological signs, particularly Leo or Scorpio for war.

Some pirate captains consulted astrologers in Tunis, Algiers, or Tripoli before embarking on long campaigns.

Spirit invocations were carried out during specific celestial alignments. A pirate might even bury treasure on a day when Saturn (the planet of delay and secrecy) was in the 12th house—believing it would remain hidden for centuries.

🧙‍♀️ 7. Witches, Sea-Wives, and Star-Seers

Example: Caribbean pirates often visited local seer women—called “mothers of the moon” or Obeah women—to get astrological blessings.

Details:

These women combined folk astrology, African spirituality, and European grimoires.

A captain might request a reading of the stars before battle, or a charm made while Venus was rising, to win over rival crews.

Some pirates swore by their seers more than any map—believing the stars whispered fates only women with “the second sight” could interpret.

⚓ Conclusion: Pirates and the Astrology of the Sea

Though they sailed with rum in one hand and cutlasses in the other, pirates often leaned on celestial intuition and cosmic signs to steady their course. Their superstitions were not childish—they were a system of belief, a salty astrology born from life-and-death choices made beneath the moon and stars.

The pirate, after all, lived between worlds: land and sea, life and death, chance and fate. Astrology, in all its mystical forms, gave them a language to understand that liminal space—and to dare the waves with the stars in their favor.

⚔️ 1. Barbarossa Brothers (Oruç and Hayreddin) — The Corsairs of the Maghreb

Region: Ottoman Algeria / Mediterranean

Era: Early 1500s

Astrological Influence: Operated under the Ottoman Empire, which deeply respected astrology. They were known to consult court astrologers in Algiers and Istanbul for timing sea raids and negotiations.

Example: Oruç Reis allegedly waited for favorable lunar phases before launching attacks on European ships. Ottoman naval campaigns often coordinated with astrologers, and as naval commanders under Ottoman rule, the Barbarossa brothers likely used astrological calendars.

Mystical Additions: The brothers also relied on North African marabouts (holy men) who used astrology, dream interpretation, and geomancy to advise warlords and pirates alike.

🌙 2. Sayyida al-Hurra — The Pirate Queen of Morocco

Region: Tetouan, Morocco / Western Mediterranean

Era: 16th century

Astrological Influence: As an educated noblewoman and ally of Barbarossa, she was steeped in Islamic scholarship, including ilm al-nujūm (science of the stars).

Example: Sayyida al-Hurra was said to consult Sufi mystics and court sages before engaging in battle or negotiation. It’s believed her title “al-Hurra” (the free one) was given during a favorable celestial alignment.

Cultural Context: Her court in Tetouan preserved Arabic astrological manuscripts from Andalusia. Her identity as both a leader and spiritual woman suggests she moved through astrological circles as both a patron and believer.

🌊 3. Al-Mustafa bin Jafar — Corsair of Tripoli

Region: Libya (Tripolitania)

Era: Late 17th century

Astrological Influence: A commander in the Barbary States, he allegedly used star signs and planetary hours to time ambushes against Venetian and Spanish galleons.

Example: Oral tradition in Tripoli recounts that bin Jafar would delay voyages based on the Moon’s position, and his personal flag bore a star and crescent—symbolic not just of Islam, but of lunar magic and celestial favor.

🔥 4. Henry the Slave-King (Henri Caesar) — Haitian Pirate with African Roots

Region: Caribbean (Haiti) / African diaspora

Era: Early 1800s

Astrological Influence: Though more of a mythic figure, stories say he blended West African vodun, astrology, and Caribbean obeah to summon protection and curse his enemies.

Example: Legends describe Caesar timing his attacks with eclipses and comets, claiming they were signs from his ancestors. He carried talismans blessed under Jupiter and Mars.

🐍 5. African Mystic Pirates of the Swahili Coast

Region: Zanzibar, Mombasa, Comoros

Era: 15th–18th centuries

Astrological Influence: The Swahili coast was rich with Islamic mysticism, blending Arabic astrology, African animism, and Indian Ocean trading lore.

Example: Pirate dhows in this region often featured celestial symbols etched into the wood, and some captains hired Swahili astrologer-priests who timed sea raids based on planetary hours and rising stars—particularly Sirius and Canopus, stars sacred in East African and Arab star lore.

🌌 The Common Thread

These pirates, though diverse in culture and era, were bound by a shared worldview where the heavens were not far-off mysteries, but maps of fate, just waiting to be interpreted.

Cultural Bridges:

Arabic astrology, descended from Babylonian and Hellenistic traditions, was deeply entrenched in courts, trade routes, and religious life.

African cosmologies, especially in Mali, Yoruba, and Berber traditions, viewed stars and planets as divine beings with personalities—guides or warnings.

When the sword was raised, the stars had already whispered their omen.

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The Extraterrestrials of Vrillon

The recording of the voice of Vrillon

Refers to a mysterious broadcast interruption that occurred on November 26, 1977, in southern England. At around 5:10 PM, during a news program on Southern Television, a strange voice—metallic and echoing—took over the airwaves for nearly six minutes. The entity identified itself as "Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command"—an alleged extraterrestrial being.

The message was solemn and haunting, warning humanity to abandon its weapons and live in peace, lest we "destroy your world" before entering the "Age of Aquarius."

Transcript of the Vrillon Message:

"This is the voice of Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, speaking to you. For many years you have seen us as lights in the skies. We speak to you now in peace and wisdom as we have done to your brothers and sisters all over this, your planet Earth. We come to warn you of the destiny of your race and your world so that you may communicate to your fellow beings the course you must take to avoid the disaster which threatens your world, and the beings on our worlds around you. This is in order that you may share in the great awakening, as the planet passes into the New Age of Aquarius. The New Age can be a time of great peace and evolution for your race, but only if your rulers are made aware of the evil forces that can overshadow their judgments. Be still now and listen, for your chance may not come again. All your weapons of evil must be removed. The time for conflict is now past and the race of which you are a part may proceed to the higher stages of its evolution if you show yourselves worthy to do this. You have but a short time to learn to live together in peace and goodwill. Small groups all over the planet are learning this, and exist to pass on the light of the dawning New Age to you all. You are free to accept or reject their teachings, but only those who learn to live in peace will pass to the higher realms of spiritual evolution. Hear now the voice of Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, speaking to you. Be aware also that there are many false prophets and guides operating in your world. They will suck your energy from you—the energy you call money—and will put it to evil ends and give you worthless dross in return. Your inner divine self will protect you from this. You must learn to be sensitive to the voice within that can tell you what is truth, and what is confusion, chaos and untruth. Learn to listen to the voice of truth which is within you and you will lead yourselves onto the path of evolution. This is our message to our dear friends. We have watched you growing for many years as you too have watched our lights in your skies. You know now that we are here, and that there are more beings on and around your Earth than your scientists admit. We are deeply concerned about you and your path towards the light and will do all we can to help you. Have no fear, seek only to know yourselves, and live in harmony with the ways of your planet Earth. We of the Ashtar Galactic Command thank you for your attention. We are now leaving the plane of your existence. May you be blessed by the supreme love and truth of the cosmos."

—Vrillon, November 26, 1977

👽 The Appearance of Ashtar (Commander of the Galactic Fleet)

The most common depictions of Ashtar Sheran, often said to be Vrillon’s superior or perhaps his other name, show him as a being of radiant, almost angelic presence:

Tall and Regal – Usually standing around 7 feet tall.

Humanoid Form – He appears very human, sometimes almost indistinguishable from us.

Golden Hair – Flowing and shining like solar rays, often shoulder-length.

Blue or Violet Eyes – Piercing and serene, as if holding the gaze of galaxies.

Glowing Aura – Described as bathed in a soft white or bluish light, often dressed in silvery or white robes with golden insignias.

Uniformed Appearance – At times, he's shown in a form-fitting "space uniform" with insignias denoting his command over the Ashtar Galactic Fleet.

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A Night Beneath the Palm’s Shadow

The wind hums secrets through the date-laden trees, whispering names of those who once walked this dust, where footprints fade but never truly leave, pressed deep in the memory of the earth’s quiet trust.

Oh, moon of longing, hung low and bright, do you still remember the songs we sang? Verses embroidered in the fabric of night, soft as jasmine, where old echoes hang.

A mother calls, her voice a prayer, threading through the hush of dawn, her hands—cracked, but full of care— building futures from threads long gone.

And here I stand, between past and now, a daughter of sand, of stars, of sea, asking the wind to teach me how to love, to lose, yet still be free.

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Libya: From Sands of Time to Storms of Change

Beneath the blazing sun of North Africa, bordered by the ancient tides of the Mediterranean and the vast breath of the Sahara, lies a land whose story has danced with gods, kings, conquerors, and revolutionaries. This is Libya: a nation born from the dust of myth, forged in the fires of empire, and reshaped in the hands of her people.

Origins in the Whispering Sands

Long before cities rose and borders were drawn, the land we now call Libya was home to prehistoric peoples who left their mark in the rock art of the Tadrart Acacus, carvings of giraffes and hunters that tell of a greener Sahara, long vanished. By the Bronze Age, Libya was not one land, but many tribes. Chief among them were the Meshwesh and the Libu—nomadic Berber peoples who grazed their herds along the Nile’s western flanks. Egyptian scribes would scrawl their names in hieroglyphs, sometimes as foes, other times as mercenaries or neighbors. Though they lacked pyramids or written chronicles of their own, the Libyans lived rich oral traditions, passed from elder to youth beside desert fires. Their tongues were early Berber, ancestors to the Amazigh languages spoken to this day.

The Libyan Pharaohs of Egypt

In one of history’s great ironies, these wandering tribes—once dismissed as desert raiders—would wear the crowns of Pharaohs. Around 945 BCE, a chieftain of the Meshwesh named Shoshenq I seized power in a divided Egypt. He founded the 22nd Dynasty, becoming the first Libyan Pharaoh. He was no usurper in chains, but a ruler accepted by Egypt’s priests and people, a man who walked the sacred halls of Karnak and marched his armies as far as Jerusalem. For over two centuries, Libyan dynasties ruled parts of Egypt. They wove themselves into Egyptian culture, marrying daughters into temple lineages and honoring the gods of old, while maintaining their tribal roots in the Delta’s tangled marshes.

Under Greek, Roman, and Islamic Rule

Time, ever the patient sculptor, wore down Libya’s independent spirit. By the time of Herodotus in the 5th century BCE, Libya had become a vague term for "all lands west of Egypt." The Greeks founded Cyrene in eastern Libya, a shining jewel of Hellenistic culture. Later came the Romans, who tamed the coast and named it Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Great cities bloomed, like Leptis Magna, where Emperor Septimius Severus—a Libyan by birth—would rise to rule the Roman world. With the coming of Islam in the 7th century CE, Libya joined the rising tide of Arab civilization. Arabic took root, and Berber tribes embraced the faith, blending it with ancient customs in a uniquely North African tapestry.

From Ottoman Sands to Italian Chains

From the 16th to 19th centuries, Libya was ruled by the Ottomans, often in name more than presence. Local rulers like the Karamanlis in Tripoli built their own dynasties, their corsairs feared across the Mediterranean. But in 1911, the old world shifted once more—Italy invaded, snatching Libya from Ottoman control. The Libyans resisted fiercely under leaders like Omar Mukhtar, the "Lion of the Desert," whose guerilla war against Mussolini’s fascists became legend. Though captured and executed in 1931, Mukhtar’s spirit ignited a flame that would not die.

A Brief Bloom: The Kingdom of Libya

After World War II, Libya was stitched together from three provinces and granted independence in 1951 under King Idris I. For the first time in centuries, Libya was sovereign. But beneath the crown, discontent stirred. Oil wealth enriched a few, while many remained poor. In 1969, a young officer named Muammar Gaddafi led a bloodless coup, ending the monarchy and beginning one of the most controversial reigns in modern Arab history.

Gaddafi's Rule and the Gathering Storm

For 42 years, Gaddafi ruled with a blend of charisma, brutality, and eccentric philosophy. He styled himself as the "Brother Leader", preached his Green Book, and funded revolutions abroad. At times a pariah, at times an ally, he kept Libya's oil flowing and dissent smothered. But the winds of change were rising. When the Arab Spring swept across the region in 2011, Libyans—long repressed—rose in revolt. The uprising turned into a brutal civil war, drawing NATO intervention. In October 2011, Gaddafi was captured and killed. His fall was cheered, but peace did not follow.

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The Samaritans and their conflict with the Jews

Who Are the Samaritans?

The Samaritans are a small religious minority living in the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically on Mount Gerizim in Nablus, and in the city of Holon in Israel. They consider themselves the true descendants of the Israelites who remained in the Holy Land when the Jews were exiled to Babylon in the 6th century BCE. They believe that they never deviated from the original faith, unlike the Jews who, according to their view, altered the religion after their return from the Babylonian exile.

Samaritan Religious Beliefs

The Samaritans only follow the Samaritan Torah, which differs from the Jewish Torah in several points, and they reject the Talmud, the main source of Jewish law after the Torah. For Samaritans, Mount Gerizim in Nablus is the holiest site, and they believe it is the true place of worship for God, not the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as the Jews believe. They view the Jews as having strayed from the true path when they chose Jerusalem as the center of their worship, leading to a deep religious divide between the two communities.

The Roots of the Hostility Between the Samaritans and Jews

The conflict between the Jews and Samaritans dates back thousands of years. Jews believe that the Samaritans are not pure Israelites but a mix of the remnants of the ancient Israelites and pagan peoples who settled in the area after the Assyrian conquest. In contrast, the Samaritans believe that they are the true Israelites, and the Jews have distorted the religion and introduced incorrect teachings. This hostility became so intense that the Jews in ancient times considered Samaritan food impure and rejected intermarriage and interaction with them.

The Conflict in Ancient Times

During the Persian period, the Jews tried to impose their control over the Samaritans and prevent them from building their temple on Mount Gerizim, leading to fierce conflicts between the two groups. During the reign of Alexander the Great, the Samaritans gained some privileges, but with the arrival of the Hasmoneans, the Jews persecuted them, and their temple on Mount Gerizim was destroyed.

The Samaritan Situation in the Roman and Islamic Periods

Under Roman rule, the Samaritans faced great persecution, especially after their failed revolts against the Roman Empire, which led to the killing and displacement of many of them. With the rise of Christianity, they became further marginalized, as the Christians did not consider them Jews, nor did they regard them as part of their faith. During the Islamic era, the Samaritans were granted some protection as "People of the Book," but they remained a minority community.

The Samaritans Today... Between Challenge and Survival

Today, the number of Samaritans is around 800 people, making them one of the smallest religious communities in the world. Some hold Israeli citizenship, while others live in the West Bank under Palestinian authority. Despite their small number, they continue to hold onto their traditions, language, and celebrate their unique holidays, such as the Samaritan Passover, according to their distinct calendar.

The Samaritans are a living testament to the religious and political history of the region, carrying an ancient legacy of conflict and isolation, yet striving to preserve their identity despite the political and religious transformations that have taken place in the Holy Land. Do you think the hostility between the Samaritans and Jews still persists today?

@Hayahbook

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يقولونَ إني كالبدرِ بَهجةً وأنَّ الجمالَ بوجهيَ ارتَسما

يحيطُ بي المدحُ مثلَ الهَواءِ ولكنَّ ذاتي تُرددُ: "لا" نَسَما

يأتونَ خاطبينَ، وبالعَينِ شَوقُ كأنّي كنزٌ على الدربِ مُبتَغى

وأسمعُ ألفاظَ ثَناءٍ تُقالُ كأنّي لؤلؤةٌ لا تُضاهى سَنا

ولكنَّ نفسي – غريبةُ دربي – كأنّي ظِلٌّ بلا نَورِه اتّقَدا

كأنَّ المرآةَ تُخفي حقيقتي وتُظهرُ وجهاً غريبًا عني بدا

فهل في المرايا كَذبٌ خَفيٌّ؟ أمِ العيبُ في العينِ إذ لم تَرَ الصَفا؟

أجيبوا سؤالاً سَكنَّي طويلاً لماذا الجمالُ إذا لم يُصدَّقا؟

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The occupation of Palestine documented in photographs

Proclamation of Marshall Law in Jerusalem by General Allenby. 1917

British forces enter Jerusalem, December 9, 1917 with Brig. Gen. Watson and Col. Bailey at the Jaffa Gate.

British occupying army in Jerusalem. 1929

Palestinian leaders meet to discuss the 1929 revolt against British occupation. 1929

Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian leaders at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem. 1921–1937

Palestinian delegation in London to demand Palestinian independence. 1929

Palestinian citizens searched during the uprising of August 23 to 31 at Jaffa Gate. 1929

Palestinian women’s delegation demonstrating against British policies outside of the high commissioner’s residency. 1929

Palestinians demonstrating against the occupying British army at Jaffa Gate. 1933

Palestinians protesting British occupation, Jerusalem. 1933

Palestinians at Abou Ghosh take oath of allegiance to protest British occupation and reject Zionist immigration. 1936

Fire scorched the Armenian Quarter in the old City. 1936

British occupation soldiers stand witness to their destruction in the City of Jenin. 1938

Jenin after British occupying soldiers destroyed a quarter of the city with dynamite. 1938

Palestinians lined up by British occupying police for identity card check. 1939

Australian soldiers marching down Jaffa Road. 1940–1946

British military recruits parade across Jaffa Gate. 1941

Photographs published by: https://www.palestinephotoproject.org/Gallery-Folder/Occupation-and-Resistence/i-3bPjRwR

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We are accused of terrorism

We are accused of terrorism If we dare to write about the remains of a homeland That is scattered in pieces and in decay In decadence and disarray About a homeland that is searching for a place And about a nation that no longer has a face

About a homeland that has nothing left of its great ancient verse But that of wailing and eulogy

About a homeland that has nothing in its horizons Of freedoms of different types and ideology

About a homeland that forbids us from buying a newspaper Or listen to anything About a homeland where all birds are always not allowed to sing About a homeland that out of horror, its writers are using invisible ink

About a homeland that resembles poetry in our country Improvised, imported, loose and of no boundaries Of foreign tongue and soul Detached from Man and Land, ignoring their plight as a whole

About a homeland to the negotiating table moves Without a dignity or shoes

About a homeland That no more has steadfast men With only women therein

Bitterness is in our mouthsin our talkin our eyes Will draught also plague our souls as a legacy passed to us from ancient times?

Our nation has nobody left, even the less glorified No one to say "NO" in the face of those who gave up our homebread and butter Turning our colorful history into a circus

We have not a single honest poem That has not lost its virginity in a ruler's Harem

We grew accustomed to humiliation Then what is left of Man If he is comfortable with that?

I search the books of history For men of greatness to deliver us from darkness To save our women from fires' brutality

I search for men of yesterday But all I find is frightened cats Fearing for their souls From the authority of rats

Are we hit by national blindness Or are we suffering from color blindness

We are accused of terrorism If we refuse to perish Under Israeli tyranny That is hampering our unity Our history Our Bible and our Quran Our prophets' land If that is our sin and crime Then terrorism is fine

We are accused of terrorism If we refuse to be wiped out By barbarians, the Mongols or the Jews If we choose to stone the fragile security council Which was sacked by the king of caesuras

We are accused of terrorism If we refuse to negotiate the wolf And reach out for a whore

America is fighting the cultures of Man Because it lacks one And against the civilizations because it needs one It is a gigantic structure but without a wall

We are accused of terrorism If we refuse current times Where America  the arrogant the mighty the rich Became a sworn interpreter of Hebrew.

-Nizar Qabbani

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History repeats itself

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Qana

The face of Qana Pale, like that of Jesus and the sea breeze of April… Rains of blood.. and tears.. They entered Qana stepping on our charred bodies Raising a Nazi flag in the lands of the South and rehearsing its stormy chapters   Hitler cremated them in the gas chambers   and they came after him to burn us Hitler kicked them out of Eastern Europe and they kicked us out of our lands They entered Qana Like hungry wolves Putting to fire the house of the Messiah Stepping on the dress of Hussain and the dear land of the South We saw the tears in Ali's eyes We heard his voice as he prayed under the rain of bloody skies Qana unveiled what was hidden We saw America Wearing the old coat of a Jewish Rabbi Leading the slaughter Blasting our children for no reason Blasting our wives for no reason Blasting our trees for no reason Blasting our thoughts for no reason Has it been decreed in her constitution, She, America, mistress of the world, In Hebrew .. that she should humble us al-Arabs? Has it been decreed that each time a ruler in America wants to win the presidency that he should kill us... We al Arabs?

-Nizar Qabbani

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Jerusalem

I wept until my tears were dry I prayed until the candles flickered I knelt until the floor creaked I asked about Mohammed and Christ Oh Jerusalem, the fragrance of prophets The shortest path between earth and sky Oh Jerusalem, the citadel of laws A beautiful child with fingers charred and downcast eyes You are the shady oasis passed by the Prophet Your streets are melancholy Your minarets are mourning You, the young maiden dressed in black Oh Jerusalem, the city of sorrow A big tear wandering in the eye Who will halt the aggression On you, the pearl of religions? Who will wash your bloody walls? Who will safeguard the Bible? Who will rescue the Quran? Who will save Christ? Who will save man? Oh Jerusalem my town Oh Jerusalem my love Tomorrow the lemon trees will blossom And the olive trees will rejoice Your eyes will dance The migrant pigeons will return To your sacred roofs And your children will play again And fathers and sons will meet On your rosy hills My town The town of peace and olives.

-Nizar Qabbani

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Granada

At the entrance of Alhambra was our meeting, How sweet is a rendezvous not thought of before. Two soft black eyes in perfect frames enticing, Generating after-effects from the past ages afore. Are you a Spaniard? I asked her enquiring, She said: Granada is the city where I was born. Granada! Seven centuries awoke from slumbering, In her eyes, after the clothing of sleep they wore. And Umayyad, with flags lifted high, flying, Their horses streaming by, unnumbered they pour. How strange is history, how is it to me returning? A beautiful granddaughter, from my pedigree of yore. With a Damascene face, through it I was seeing, The eyelids of Sheba and the neck of Suad once more. I saw a room in our old house with a clearing, Where mother used to spread my cushions on the floor. And the Jasmine inlaid in its stars were shining, With the golden singing pool, a picture of splendor. Damascus, where is it? I said: you will be seeing It in your flowing hair, a river of golden black ore. In your Arab face, in your mouth still storing The suns of my country from the days of Arab lore. In the perfume of Generalife with waters gleaming, Its Arabian Jasmine, its sweet basil and citron odour. She came with me and her hair behind her flowing, Like luscious ears of grain in an unharvested meadow. The long earrings on her neck were glittering, Like Christmas Eve candles that sparkle and glow. Behind her like a child I walked, she was guiding, And behind me, history, piles of ashes row after row. The decoration of Alhambra I almost hear pulsing, And the ornaments on the roof, I hear their call grow. She said: Alhambra! Pride of my ancestors glowing, Read on its walls my glories that shine and show. Her glory! I anointed an open wound festering, And in my heart anointed another that refused to go. If only my lovely granddaughter had a way of knowing, The ones she meant were my ancestors of long, long ago. When I bid her adieu, when I knew I was going, I embraced in her Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād, that Arab hero.

-Nizar Qabbani

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Fairuz

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We used to meet at dusk Sitting on the old bridge While fog surrounds the hills It covers the road past our sight

No one knows where we are Only the sky and the autumn leafs When you said "I love you" The miserable clouds disappeared

-Al Rahbani Brothers