Issue 58 of Al-Shiraa Magazine, June 1983

Published on June 15, 1983, this is the fifty-eighth issue of Al-Shiraa (The Sail) magazine. Muhammad abu Libda is this issue’s editor-in-chief, Siham al-ʿasaly is the senior editor, Adnan az-Zubaydy is in charge of the illustrations and fonts. Printed in the Arab Orient Press in al-Quds (Jerusalem), the magazine explores a variety of issues under the following sections, Palestinian policy, Arab policy, Local features, Israeli affairs, thoughts and point of view, and miscellany. The 64-page issue tackles these subjects through the following: - An analysis of the events following the 1982 Israeli Occupation of Lebanon, the Reagan Middle East peace plan, the 1982 Arab Summit in Fez, the position of Arab countries on Reagan’s plan, the military reinforcements in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon and the presence of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) there, and the Syrian position on these developments. Some of the articles that tackle these issues include “After Reagan’s Plan was Scrapped,” “American Imperialism Receives Two Slaps in the Face,” “From the Funeral of Arab Solidarity to the Axes of Imperial Service” by ʿĀdel Samara where he makes a distinction between the axes of settlement and dependency in the Arab world and their relation to the United States and Israel. - The internal division among the members of Fateh following the 1982 Israeli Invasion of Lebanon, the split of Fateh al-Intifada from the organization under the leadership of Saʿid al-Muragha (Abu Musa) due to the decisions made by Yaser Arafat to replace military leaders in the Beqaa Valley, the demands to renounce the resolutions of the Fez Summit to join the Steadfastness Front, and to sever relations with the Jordanian and Egyptian regimes. These issues and the position of Palestinian figures and factions on this divide are explored in the article “Let’s Meet the Demands of the Opposition within Fateh.” -  The article “The Recent Events at Birzeit University” discusses the attack of the Muslim Brotherhood in Birzeit University against the student movement and the position of various factions on this attack. - A number of local feature stories such as “Widespread Arrests in South Lebanon,” and “Seeking Refuge Haunts Palestinians Everywhere, Laqiyya: A History of Displacement and an Unknown Future.” Other articles discuss workers’ issues such as the rights of employees at Al-Quds University, an interview with the administration of the Jenin Sports Club, the Voluntary Work Committee in Sa’ir, and a story about the Student Movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. - Some of the articles in the thoughts and points of view section of this issue include the following, “Unity and Conflict in the National Alliance” which discusses democracy in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the methods of solving conflict over political and military issues. The article “More Solidarity” which is about the political parties in the 1948 Occupied Palestinian Territory and their relation to Palestinian people. “The Class Struggle at the Heart of Journalism” and another article written by a student from the Islamic University in response to an article entitled “The Miracle of the Pious Sher and Putting an End to the Aggression” published in Al-Shiraa about the Afghan jihad. - The articles in the Israeli affairs section focused on the Israeli position following the withdrawal of troops from Lebanon and analyzing the Israeli domestic situation in light of recent events. - The women’s section featured an article by Suha al-Barghuthy entitled “40 Million Arab Women inside the Confines of Houses and Traditions.”