Suleiman Mousa

Suleiman Mousa (11 June 1919 – 9 June 2008) was a Jordanian author and historian born in Al-Rafeed, a small village north of the city of Irbid. He wrote up to fifty books of which most prominent are Biography of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, Jordan in the 1948 War, Great Arab Revolt, History of Jordan in the 20th century, and was the first and only Arab author to write about Lawrence of Arabia and show the Arab perspective.

After receiving his elementary education from religious scholars, Mousa moved to a small school known as Al Ta'ifa for three years. As were his mother's ambitions, he was then sent to a governmental school in Al Husn (الحصن), where he resided at his relatives' until May 1934, when he was unable to continue into high school due to the family's limited income. A few months later, at the age of sixteen, he took up the profession of teaching at the School of Irbid. This journey had a significant impact on his cultural life as it was then that he started borrowing and purchasing books and novels from neighbouring libraries and fulfilling his passion of reading. He gradually learnt English using dictionaries, and published many articles in Palestinian newspapers as well as several short stories in 1938. As time progressed, he found himself leaning closer towards books of literature and poetry and his fascination in history developed. Mousa spent fifteen years in Mafraq and his publications were put close to a halt due to the inappropriate and illiterate environment he went through although he managed to publish a few short stories, articles and translations.

A major transformation in his life occurred when Mousa moved to Amman, the Jordanian capital, and began working in the Jordanian Broadcasting Company in 1957, turning to the work of the publications service and the Ministry of Information and Culture until 1984. During that period, he was the editor of the Jordanian magazine ‘Resalat Al Ordon’ (1966 to 1967). Later on, Suleiman Mousa spent more than four years as a cultural adviser in the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), from 1984 to 1988.

Writer and historian Mousa's first book Al Hussein Bin Ali and the Great Arab Revolt was published in 1957 where it was written when the author had been resident of Jaffa, Palestine in early 1939, when he was a mere nineteen years of age.

One of the most prominent works of Suleiman Mousa is T. E. Lawrence: An Arab View, which has been translated into English, French and Japanese. This was a turning point for the author Mousa that has taken him to world fame. He showed the Arab's point of view about battles and events of The Great Arab Revolt, and also came in response to the British book written by Lawrence himself,

Mousa wrote in regard to his interest in English:

T. E. Lawrence: An Arab View T. E. Lawrence: An Arab View, the only book that shows the Arab perspective on Lawrence of Arabia. Of the articles written by Suleiman Mousa in Jaffa that sparked widespread attention was an article published by the name "Lawrence on the balance" in Al Adab magazine (November 1955) which discussed the book written by Richard Aldington called Lawrence of Arabia: A Biographical Inquiry, which had appeared in Britain earlier that year. The idea of writing a book discussing the matter in an integrated manner from an Arab's perspective was based on the success the eight-page article received. The book was translated into English by Dr. Albert Boutros, a professor of English at the University of Jordan. Many Arab and Western references were used for its writing. Mousa was visited by senior Western writers, including professors Colin Wilson and Jeremy Wilson. To this day, his book remains the only one that shows the Arab viewpoint. It has left a deep impact on all researchers interested in Lawrence. Hence, the book has won global reputation, and became a reference to researchers about the subject of Lawrence and the Great Arab Revolt.

Being taught in Arab and foreign universities including the University of Oxford in Britain is a sure sign of the success and attention this book has drawn. It was Professor Eugene Rogan from the University of Oxford who had remarked in a July 2000 speech:

Internationally and locally

Suleiman Mousa, in addition to being a recognized researcher who achieved a breakthrough intellectually and in the Arab World, was also a local ‘people's’ author. He wrote in four major themes: Biographies, history of Jordan, history of Arab revolution and writings in literature and short stories, in addition to the translations of Arabic and several simplified books written for young people. Mousa relied on many diverse Arab, British and foreign sources.

He went to the Public Record Office in the United Kingdom in 1974 and spent four months researching documents relating to Jordan. Therefore, his works are considered indispensable references for many students and researchers.

Mousa won many awards in recognition of his contributions to Jordanian and Arab history including: The Order of Independence in 1971, King Abdullah I Award for research in Islamic civilization in 1988, the State Incentive prize in 1990, the Order of Al Hussein distinguished first class in 2007 and Medal of the Arab Author after his death in 2008.

Death Suleiman Mousa died on 9 June 2008, in Amman, Jordan two days prior of his eighty-ninth birthday. He died of congestive heart failure. Cultural officials participated in the funeral and wake as well as representatives of his majesty Abdullah II of Jordan, the Ministry of Culture, the media and many more of whom have praised his contributions in various creative fields.

Posthumous recognition Although Suleiman Mousa received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime, many projects have been launched posthumously in recognition of the contributions he has made to Jordanian, Middle Eastern and World history. The establishment of the Library of Suleiman Mousa at the (GAM), with an "aim of introducing history to the new generation", are amongst the most prominent of these projects. Mousa was also awarded The Arab Author Medal in 2008 after his death.

Library of Suleiman Mousa

The library is divided into several sections, one for the titles related to the history of Jordan in Arabic, English and French. Another is allocated for books and personal possessions of Suleiman Mousa,

The library regularly receives visitors from schools and universities to introduce them to Middle Eastern history through documentaries, photos and library resources.

"Suleiman Mousa's work had a deep and lasting influence over T.E. Lawrence scholarship. It showed how different those events looked through Arab eyes, and taught us to question the assumption that things happened - only, or indeed at all - because Lawrence wanted them to happen. I believe that, in the long run, Western and Arab historians will reach a common view of the history of the Arab Revolt, based on all the evidence that has survived. By challenging the accepted Western view, Suleiman Mousa played an important part in that process. For that he deserves lasting recognition.".- British historian, Jeremy Wilson

Awards and honors Ali Bin Al-Hussein Medal - The Independence Medal, Second Class, 1971. State Award for Literature, 1977. An Honorary shield from the first conference of the History of Jordan - 1980. Shield organized by the World Conference on the history of the King Abdul-Aziz - the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Al-Riyadh - 1985. Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein Award for Research in Islamic civilization, 1988. Honorary gift from the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation and is a model of the Al-Aqsa mosque - in June 1989. Honorary shield from the University of Jordan in appreciation for the efforts of Suleiman Mousa in the history of Jordan - 1990. Arab Author Medal - in June 1991. The honorary shield Faha Sports Club of the Social and Cultural - September, 1993. The honorary shield Qurtubi Secondary School for Boys - in November 1995. The honorary shield from the Office of the people of the town of al-Rafid, Beni Kananeh - July 1996. The honorary shield from the Royal Medical Services - December, 1996. The honorary shield from the Center for Strategic Studies Jordan, on the occasion of the participation of Suleiman Mousa at the Second International Conference of the social history of Jordan - Amman in July 2000 - and that in recognition of its great foundation for the writing of the history of Jordan. Ali Bin Al-Hussein Medal - The Independence Medal of the First Order - in June 2002. The honorary shield from the Jordanian Writers Association - January 2006. Al-Hussein Medal for distinguished performance- May, 2007. The Shield of the Greater Amman Municipality. The Shield of the Ministry of Culture. The Shield of the Jordanian television channel. Shield from the Board of Trustees of the Documentation Center of the Hashemite monarchy of Jordan in recognition of outstanding contribution. Arab Author Medal - August, 2008.