Arab Nationalism - History - Expansion of The Movement - Links With Nazism

Links With Nazism

In the 1930s, wealthy Arab youths, educated in Germany and having witnessed the rise of fascist paramilitary groups, began returning home with the idea of creating an "Arab Nazi Party". The atmosphere of the 1930s Arab movement was described by one of the leaders of the Syrian Syrian Ba'ath Party, Sami al-Jundi: "We were racists, admiring Nazism, reading its books and the source of its thought..." In 1935, Jamal al-Husayni (Haj Amin's brother) established the Palestine Arab Party, the party was used to create the "fascist-style" youth organization, al-Futuwwa, officially named the "Nazi Scouts". The organization recruited children and youth, who took the following oath: "Life – my right; independence – my aspiration; Arabism – my country, and there is no room in it for any but Arabs. In this I believe and Allah is my witness." The British expressed concern at the situation in Palestine, stating in a report that "the growing youth and scout movements must be regarded as the most probable factors for the disturbance of the peace." The Arab nationalist idealogue Sati' al-Husri is infamous for saying in 1930: "We can say that the system to which we should direct our hopes and aspirations is a Fascist system."

Hajj Amin al-Husayni met with Hitler and other Nazi officials on various occasions and attempted to coordinate Nazi and Arab policies to solve what he believed was the "Jewish problem" in Palestine. Due to al-Husayni's role of leadership and his association with the Nazi leader, he was cheered by crowds as the "fuhrer of the Arab world" during a visit to Berlin in 1941. In one of the mufti's speeches he said: "Kill the Jews wherever you find them—this pleases Allah." In 1941 Rashid Ali al-Gaylani staged a pro-Nazi coup in Baghdad. The Mufti Amin al-Husayni of Palestine was one of those who, together with Iraqi officers, obtained finances and support from Nazi Germany.