Izz ad-Din al-Qassam

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, born on November nineteenth, eighteen eighty-two in Jableh, was a prominent Syrian Muslim preacher and activist. He emerged as a significant figure in the resistance against colonial powers, particularly the French in Syria and the British in Palestine. His early education at Al-Azhar University in Egypt laid the foundation for his later role as an Islamic revivalist preacher in his hometown.

In the early years of the twentieth century, Qassam became an ardent supporter of the Libyan resistance against Italian occupation, which began in nineteen eleven. He not only raised funds and recruited fighters to support the Libyan cause but also composed an anthem to inspire them. His commitment to the struggle against colonialism continued as he allied with Ibrahim Hananu to lead a group of rebels against the French Mandate in northern Syria, a conflict that was formalized on September twenty-ninth, nineteen twenty-three.

After the defeat of the rebels, Qassam immigrated to Palestine, where he took on the role of a Muslim waqf official. His experiences there deepened his concern for the plight of Palestinian Arab peasants, prompting him to advocate for a comprehensive jihad—moral, political, and military—as a means to combat British rule and thwart Zionist ambitions in the region. In the nineteen thirties, he organized local fighters, notably the Black Hand, and initiated attacks against British and Zionist targets.

Tragically, Qassam's life was cut short in nineteen thirty-five during a manhunt by British authorities, following accusations related to the killing of a policeman. His legacy, however, endured, as Israeli historian Tom Segev referred to him as 'the Arab Joseph Trumpeldor.' Qassam's campaign and subsequent death played a pivotal role in igniting the Arab revolt in Palestine from nineteen thirty-six to nineteen thirty-nine.