Island Exile: Hussein Fakhri al-Khalidi in the Seychelles

Hussein Fakhri al-Khalidi was a Palestinian doctor and a leading figure in Palestinian politics during the British Mandate period. He served as mayor of Jerusalem from 1934–37, helped to found the Reform Party, and represented that party in the Arab Higher Committee. In 1937, the British government exiled him to the Seychelles for his political activities, and eventually released him in spring 1939. While in exile, al-Khalidi wrote a daily diary in English. Edited by Rafiq Husseini, and including an introduction by Rashid Khalidi, the diary has now been published for the first time. What follows is a review- essay on this important new historical source.