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HISTORY AND ISLAMIC SIGNIFICANCE

Exploring the rich historical tapestry of Palestine, from ancient times to the modern era, with a focus on its significance in Islamic history. This category provides comprehensive resources to understand the significant events, figures, and periods that have shaped Palestinian history, including its spiritual and historical importance in Islamic teachings and heritage.

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RESOURCES

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      THE NAKBAH "CATASTROPHE"

      The Nakbah, meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinian Arabs in 1948. This pivotal event occurred when the State of Israel was established, leading to the destruction of numerous Palestinian villages and the uprooting of Palestinian society. The Nakbah remains a deeply significant and emotional chapter in Palestinian history, symbolizing loss, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for rights and recognition.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      Story: Baba, what does my name mean?

      The book starts out at bedtime with a little girl, Saamideh asking her baba what her name means. He explains to her that it means “one who is patient, persistent and one who perseveres.” She is named this because she is Palestinian, he explains and then he shows her the key to their ancestral home in Palestine.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      Teaching Muslim kids about Palestine?

      Storytelling - Understanding: what is Palestine, why does it matter to Muslims, and what has historically happened there

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      Eliyas Explains: What's Going on Palestine

      A PDF book with a child-friendly explanation of the current situation in Palestine, with Islamic and historical context.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      Story: I Am From Palestine | Award-Winning Short Animation

      Award-winning children’s animation about the Palestinian-American experience in K-12 schools. As Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn't include her homeland.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine | 3 Wonderful Mosques

      The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Do not undertake a journey to visit any mosque but three: this mosque of mine, the Mosque of al-Haram, and the Mosque of al-Aqsa.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      The 100 Years' War on Palestine

      This pivotal work provides a thorough and intimate exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of a prominent historian and descendant of Palestinian Arab families. Khalidi depicts the conflict as a century-long war against the Palestinian people, driven by external forces aiming to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. His narrative challenges traditional historical accounts by highlighting Palestinian experiences and perspectives, shedding light on the systematic displacement, dispossession, and marginalization they have endured over the past century.

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History by Nur Masalha

      This scholarly work offers a thorough exploration of Palestine's history, extending from ancient times to the modern era. It challenges traditional narratives that often begin with the Roman Empire or Zionism, or narrowly focus on the Israeli occupation. Instead, it provides a detailed historical account, highlighting the continuous and rich presence of indigenous cultures, peoples, and civilizations in Palestine across millennia.

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      The Palestine Nakba: Decolonising History, Narrating the Subaltern, Reclaiming Memory

      The book examines "social history from below," focusing on subaltern narratives, memory, and collective identity formation. Masalha argues that truthfully writing about the Nakba is not only a professional obligation but an ethical one. He emphasizes that the efforts of ordinary refugees to reclaim and publicly affirm the truth about the Nakba are essential for protecting their rights and sustaining the hope for peace with justice. This approach underscores the significance of these narratives in maintaining historical integrity and promoting social justice.

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      Towards Sacred Activism by Dawud Walid

      "Towards Sacred Activism" by Imam Dawud Walid provides essential guidance for Muslims in the West on engaging in social justice activism from an Islamic viewpoint. Walid stresses that this work is not the definitive authority but offers general principles based on core Islamic teachings. The book argues that true activism aligns with the sacred duty to support a just life for all of Allah's creation, prioritizing humans. The title challenges the modern Western divide between activism and the sacred, highlighting their harmonious relationship within an Islamic framework.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      Why Palestine is the Holy Land?

      Why Palestine is the Holy Land | with Dr. Omar Suleiman | write one paragraph about this topic for all similar resources.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ALL AGES

      Al Aqsa, 360° tour of Jerusalem's holiest mosque

      Experience Islam's third holiest site in more detail than ever before through this 4K, ultra-high definition experience. Millions of feet have walked the grounds of al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      Al Aqsa: Why We Care (Youth Session) | Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

      Al Aqsa: Why We Care (Youth Session) | Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      How did the Nakba happen? | Al Jazeera English

      70 years have passed since the Nakba, the “catastrophe” in Arabic, took place in Palestine in 1948. In which more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcefully displaced from their homes and pushed into refugee camps in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and neighbouring countries.

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    • Visualization
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      Interactive timeline/history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 1799 - Palestine Remix

      The interactive timeline spans more than two centuries, meticulously detailing the dramatic chain of events that led to the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. This engaging tool allows users to explore pivotal moments in history, each contributing to the narrative of Israel's occupation. Through in house documentries, viewers can delve deeper into these significant years, offering a comprehensive exploration of the events that shaped the region.

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    • Presentation
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      Blogging Theology - The Fall of Al Quds - 106 years

    • Infographic IconINFOGRAPHIC
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      Allamah History of Masjid al Aqsa

      Masjid al Aqsa: A History of the blessed land

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon ELEMENTARY

      The letter that led to the founding of Israel | Featured Documentary

      In November 1917, Britain’s Balfour Declaration opened the door to the founding of Israel 30 years later. And it has had a major impact on the Middle East. The British government issued a public statement that contained a letter from Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community. He forwarded it to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. It began, “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and was the first public statement of support for Zionism by a major political power.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      Six days that changed the Middle East: The '67 Arab-Israeli War | Featured Documentary

      The June 1967 War was a milestone in the Arab-Israeli conflict, with consequences still felt across the region to this day. It altered the political and military landscape, expanded Israel’s territorial claims and confirmed Israel's military dominance in the region. This war is known to Arabs as 'The War in June' and in Israel as 'The Six Day War'. It came just two decades after the 1948 'Nakba,' or catastrophe, when the state of Israel was established and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their homes and land. ‘The War in June’ looks at the roots of the 1967 War and documents the actual details of six days of battle, before considering the profound long-term consequences of this conflict.

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    • Media IconMEDIA
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      The War in October: What happened in 1973? | E1-P1 | Featured Documentary

      'The War in October' is a landmark, three-part documentary series, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. The story of the war has never been thoroughly explored. What exactly happened in those three weeks in October 1973? Both Arabs and Israelis still claim to be the victors today. The films feature men and women who planned and fought in the three-week war that took place on both the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. Egyptians, Israelis, Syrians and other participants in the Iraqi, Jordanian, Algerian, Moroccan and Palestinian militaries are all included. The series also hears from diplomats and defence officials from the U.S., the former Soviet Union and Europe.

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      The Palestine Nakba: Decolonising History, Narrating the Subaltern, Reclaiming Memory

      This book delves into new methods of remembering and commemorating the Nakba, focusing on Palestinian oral history and the 'social history from below.' It highlights subaltern narratives and the formation of collective identity. Masalha argues that writing truthfully about the Nakba is not just a professional duty but an ethical imperative. The efforts of ordinary refugees to recover and assert the truth about the Nakba are crucial for protecting their rights and maintaining hope for peace with justice. This book is essential for understanding the central role of the Nakba in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of memory in narratives of truth and reconciliation.

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History by Nur Masalha

      This comprehensive work traces Palestine's ancient heritage, revealing cultures and societies of remarkable depth dating back to the earliest recorded history. Starting with references in Egyptian and Assyrian texts, Nur Masalha explores the evolution of Palestinian identity from the Bronze Age to today. Using a wealth of sources and recent archaeological evidence, Masalha uncovers how Palestine's multicultural history has been distorted by Biblical lore and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Contrary to popular belief, he demonstrates that the concept of Palestine is deeply rooted in ancient history, not a modern construct. This book offers an authoritative account of the country's history.

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappe (Author)

      The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine is a book authored by New Historian Ilan Pappé and published in 2006 by Oneworld Publications. The book is about the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, which Pappe argues was the result of ethnic cleansing. The thesis of the book is that the displacement of the Palestinians during the 1948 Palestine war was an objective of the Zionist movement and a must for the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state.[1] According to Pappé, the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight resulted from a planned ethnic cleansing of Palestine that was implemented by David Ben-Gurion and a group of advisors referred to by Pappé as "the Consultancy"

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    • Article IconARTICLE
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      What is the History of the Holy Places in Islam?

      The significance of Masjid Al-Haram, Masjid An-Nabawi, and Masjid Al-Aqsa in Islam is profound. Each of these three holy sites has its own distinct history and spiritual significance, offering Muslims the unique opportunity to greatly multiply their prayers and blessings.

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    • Article IconARTICLE
      Grade Icon MIDDLE + HIGH

      Who was Sultan Abdul Hamid II

      Sultan Abdul Hamid II was a steadfast defender of Palestinian lands against corruption and external interests. When Theodor Herzl, the founder of the Zionist movement, offered 150 million pounds of gold in exchange for land in Palestine, Sultan Abdul Hamid II firmly refused. He replied, "I advise Dr. Herzl not to pursue his project further. I cannot give away even a handful of the soil of this land, for it is not mine to give; it belongs to the entire Islamic Nation, which has fought and shed blood for it. The Jews may keep their millions."

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    • Book IconBOOK
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      “Palestine … it is something colonial” By Dr. Hatem Bazian

      Book overview: This book critically examines Palestine's modern history through the lens of settler colonialism, framing the occupation as the last settler-colonial project initiated by the British Empire, which continues to unfold over a century later. Hatem Bazian employs settler-colonial theory to analyze the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, providing a nuanced understanding that challenges traditional narratives and highlights the complexities of the situation. The author argues that the internationally supported "peace process" is fundamentally flawed, as it affirms settler-colonial rights, problematizes the colonized population, and ignores the long-term consequences of colonialism. The book emphasizes that the settler-colonial project in Palestine is not merely historical but an ongoing reality that shapes current Israeli policies, Palestinian resistance, and international diplomacy. By situating the Palestinian struggle within the broader context of global indigenous resistance to colonialism, the book offers a fresh perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposes alternative approaches to resolving the crisis.

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    • Article IconARTICLE
      Grade Icon HIGH SCHOOL

      Commemoration: A Collective Narration of Palestine

      This article covers the Naksa, or "setback," marking the 1967 war that led to Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. It discusses the preemptive Israeli attack that initiated the conflict, the swift defeat of Arab forces, and the resulting displacement of Palestinians under Israeli military rule. The article highlights the annexation of East Jerusalem, viewed as illegal under international law, and frames the Naksa as a continuation of the 1948 Nakba. It emphasizes the lasting impact of the Naksa on Palestinian identity and the ongoing struggle against Israeli control, illustrating its significance in shaping the realities of occupation and resistance for over five decades.

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