Caravan, Vol. 61, No. 12

              Tuesday December 23, 1980
Vol. 61 No. 12
SHAATH; PLO'S GOAL A FREE PALESTINE
Some of the remains of Fustat City
AUC SUPPORTS EXCAVATION AT FUSTAT
For the second season, the American University in Cairo has supported the excavation of the medieval site of Fustat in Old Cairo. The work is directed by Or. George T. Scan-non. Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture in our Center for Arabic Studies. During the nine-week season,Dr. Scanlon was assisted by a staff of scholars and field supervisors from the United States, Canada, England, Poland and Egypt.
The Fustat Expedition receives its premier funding through the American Research Center in Egypt, and also draws hard currency suport from the Corning Museum of Glass and Fogg Museum of Harvard University.
As this was the last funded season, the Expedition centered its efforts on a huge mound,
13 5.5 m. above the water table, known as Fustat-C in the original (1964) concession. It was threatened by the inexorable thrust of the main rubbish heap of the Cairo Governorate, which when hardened will be used as foundation level for various housing projects.
iwo surprises were in store for the veteran archaeologists, one that unlike any other structures known at Fustat, the buildings revealed midway through the mound, were built not on rock surface on which
the city was reared, but on the accumulated rubble from the earlier occupation. And second that the high water table, which has risen between five and seven meters in 15 years, proved impossible to reach this earlier occupancy phase, though five large soundings were made through the rubble base in quest of the rock surface.
This is unfortunate, as there can be little doubt that this phase was the earliest at Fustat since the entire range of artifacts, particularly coins and glass weights, belonging to the late seventh
and mid eighth centuries.
Such data are of prime historical importance since they prove that within a century, the original settlement had spread much further to the east than has ever been possible to prove before.
The major finds were equally surprising in that their like had not been encountered before by the Fustat Expedition. Examples are written documents and textiles.
This article has been given to us from President Pedersen's office. A follow-up on it will be written, with more information about the excavations.
By Patrick Twohy
Palestinian political planner and former director of the PLO planning center. Dr. Nabil Shaath, spoke to a packed Oriental Hall last week on the prospects for a democratic secular state in Palestine.
Dr. Shaath emphasized throughout his nearly two-hour talk that the Arab world is as potentially powerful vis a vis Israel as ever.
• He said that Arabs have never before been so strong both militarily and economically, but that this potential is being used “stupidly."
In outlining what is known as the standard PLO line. Or. Shaath said that the quest for an Arab state in the totality of Palestine in not a dead letter. "The whole question of Palestine is still in our
hands..... it is still a very
1ively matter."
Dr. Shaath called the Iran-Iraq war a “diversion" and a "waste", and said the war may even be a boon to the Israelis.
We must avoid being frustrated by Arab affairs today.
Dr. Shaath said. He spoke of some of the reasons for his optimism. In addition to the great and growing potential for strength in the Arab world, Israel's position is constantly weakening. In addition, the United States is finding it increasingly difficult to support Israel's military, economy, and politics.
The political model represented by Israel is doomed, he said. The idea of each minority in the Middle East having a politically autonomous state is inherently unstable and must sooner or later collapse. He cited Israel, Lebanon, and Cyprus as examples, asserting that none of them would last in the form we now know them. "It is not feasible that the Israel model can survive the 20l!ii century."
Dr. Shaath said the longterm goal of the PLO and the Palestinian people is a free Palestine state in the entirety of Palestine to be closely allied with the rest of the Arab world.
However, such a state is not likely to be soon, given what Dr. Shaath called the “present power relationships" in the Middle East and the world.
In the meantime, Palestinians have the right to set up an “interim" state on any available part of Palestine.
The state Dr. Shaath spoke of as the PLO goal would include Jews, Christians and Muslims.
He said that a "great mental transformation" has become necessary among Palestinians to separate the Jews who have settled in Palestine from the
i deoi ogy--Zi oni sm—wh i ch
brought them there.
Or. Shaath described efforts of the PLO to gain credibility among Jews. He mentioned PLO work in France, West Berlin, and Morocco on behalf of Jews. He have had to transform our feelings from hatred of the Jewish people to hatred of the state and system, he said.
It is a fact that two-thirds of the Jews in Palestine today are Arab, he said, referring to the “Sephardic" Jews who moved to Israel from other parts of the Middle East.
In answering questions. Dr. Shaath denied the need for a distinct political ideology at this stage of the Palestinian revolution. That will be a matter for the people of Palestine to decide on once there is a democratic state, lesaid.