Khalil al-Sakakini
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Khalil al-Sakakini (خليل السكاكيني) (January 23, 1878 - August 13, 1953) was a distinguished Palestinian educator, scholar, and poet.
Khalil Sakakini was born into a Christian family in Jerusalem on January 23, 1878. He received his schooling in Jerusalem at the Greek Orthodox school, at the Christian Mission Society (CMS) College, and at the Zion English College where he read Literature.
Later, Sakakini travelled to the United Kingdom and from there to the United States. During his stay in America, he was active teaching Arabic, translating and contributing to the Arabic literary magazines of the East Coast. Upon his return in 1908, he worked as a journalist for the Jerusalem newspaper al-Asmai' and taught Arabic at the renowned Jerusalem Salahiyya school and to expatriates at the American Colony.
In 1909, he founded the Dusturiyyah school, which became known for its Arab nationalism. He pioneered a system he was to use later: there were no grades, prizes or punishments for students, and there was an emphasis on music education and athletics. Sakakini led a movement to reform and Arabize the Greek Orthodox Church in Palestine, and wrote a pamphlet in 1913 titled "The Orthodox Renaissance in Palestine", which led to his excommunication. Ottoman authorities arrested him in 1917 and jailed him in Damascus for sheltering a Jewish-Polish immigrant who was - unbeknownst to him - an American spy. After his release, he joined the ranks of the Arab Revolt, the anthem of which he wrote.
In 1919 Sakakini went to work for the Educational Authority of Palestine in Jerusalem, and was appointed head of the Jerusalem Teachers’ College. He went on to be appointed Inspector for Education for Palestine, a post he held for 12 years, until his resignation in protest at the appointment of Herbert Samuel as High Commissioner in Palestine. At the same time, he wrote political commentaries for the newspapers al-Muqtataf, al-Hilal and al-Siyassa al-Usbu'iyya, composed a number of patriotic poems and spoke at political rallies. In 1925, he founded the Wataniyya school, and in 1938 the Nahda College in Jerusalem.
Khalil Sakakini's wife, Sultana, died in October 1939. He mourned her for the rest of his days, and wrote a number of poems eulogizing her. In 1948, a few days before the city was divided and its western part seized to form part of the State of Israel, the Sakakini family fled. They had been one of the last Palestinian families to remain in the Qatamon quarter, besieged by Israeli mortar attacks. They left with only their personal effects and sought refuge in Cairo, where Sakakini was nominated by the Egyptian writer Taha Hussein to join the prestigious Arabic Language Academy. The sudden death of his son Sari in 1953 devastated him and he died three months later on August 13, 1953. Sakakini had two daughters, Dumya and Hala, who lived together in Ramallah until their deaths about a year apart in 2002 and 2003. The two sisters had long careers in education. Hala edited her father's journals, published in 1955, and also wrote two memoirs in English: Jerusalem and I and Twosome.
Aside from his strong Arab nationalism, Sakakini was a lifelong advocate of social reform. His published work includes educational works, poetry collections, literary, ethical and political essays and a journal. A street and a school in Jerusalem were named after him, as well as the Jazzar mosque's library in Acre and a Cairo street. His papers are now at the Hebrew University. He is buried at the Mar Gerges Cemetery in Cairo, his house and the schools he ran are now under Israeli rule in West Jerusalem, and have been converted to other purposes.
In 2001, the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre successfully petitioned the municipality of Ramallah to rename the main thoroughfare nearest the centre after Khalil Sakakini. The same year, the centre began editing and publishing the diary of Khalil Sakakini, which he kept from 1907 to 1952. The first volume of the projected eight came out in 2003. [Sakakini Diaries]
In 2003, Sakakini's heirs bequeathed the centre his valuable papers, books, and personal effects. They are currently displayed in the centre's foyer.
As part of an expansion project [Proposal Stage Projects], a room in the current building of the centre will be devoted to exhibiting these effects, as well as charting Khalil Sakakini's life alongside the history of Palestine.
[edit] Quotes
"If we do not unite to resist Zionism, we would lose Palestine and expose others to danger"
(translated from http://www.arabtimes.com/osama-all/doc18.html)
