British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 905

CHAPTER XXII.

67. Subject to those conditions and to the reservation by the Commission of the right to exercise at any time all or any of the powers vested in them by the Defence (Moslem Awqaf) Regulations, 1937 the Commission directed that :-

(i) the Supreme Moslem Sharia Council and the Awqaf Administration should administer and supervise until further notice all Moslem Awqaf affairs in Palestine, in accordance with the procedure followed in the past, in the name of and under the general supervision of the Commission;

(ii) the Supreme Moslem Sharia Council and the Awqaf Administration should bring legal proceedings connnected with the financial interests of the Awqaf, in the name of the Commission, and enter, on behalf of the Commission, into any such proceedings brought against the Awqaf ;

(iii) legal proceedings connected with other matters, such as the title to the ownership of immovable property. should be entered into by the Awqaf Administration.

This procedure came into force in December, 1937, and has worked satisfactorily, but the Government subsequently found it necessary to remove one of the members of the Supreme Moslem Sharia Council from office on account of his continued association with Haj Amin Eff. el Husseini and his subversive activities; another member of the Council subsequently resigned bis post.

68. On account of the reduction of the Supreme Moslem Council from four to two members, the High Commissioner nominated two other Moslem Arabs of good repute and possessing a considerable knowledge of Moslem religious affairs to be members of the Council, thus bringing up the membership of the Council to its full statutory strength of four members. No decision was taken in regard to the filling of the post of President of the Su pre me Moslem Council.

69. The Supreme Moslem Council now consists of the following members

Amin Bey Abdul Hadi, M.B.FJ.

Sheikh Muhyiddin Effendi Abdul Shafi. Sheikh Yusef Effendi Tahboub.

Sheikh Kamal Effendi Ismail.

70. In July, 1945, the composition of the Awqaf Commission, appointed under the Defence (Moslem Awqaf) Regulations, 1937, was changed to one British chairman and two Arab Moslem members. Its present membership is as follows :-

Chairman: Mr. R. Newton.

Members : Sheikh Hussam ed Din Effendi Jarallah.

Wasfi Effendi Anabtawi.

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