Deep - Seated Malice

by Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qasimi, Gavin Watterson (translator), Basil Hatem (translator)

This book tells the story of a man who carried within himself an inveterate hatred - a hatred he had inherited from the past but nurtured with fighting in the Crusades in North Africa and the Mediterranean. This man then came to the East with the intention of destroying the Ka'aba, ransacking the grave of the Prophet(Muhammad) and digging up his undefiled body to use a bargaining counter in haggling over the Christian holy places around the Jerusalem. He came to East intent on diverting the course of Nile to make it flow from Ethiopia directly to Red Sea, for Egypt as a barren desert would be that much easier to subjugate. In his grand design, Egypt was to be the locus for convergence of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, it was from there that he would secure the trade route from India to Portugal.

But God defeated him as He defeated the People of the Elephant, the army which attempted to attack Mecca in per-Islamic times , but which was miraculously routed after being pelted with stones dropped by birds; a tempest drove this man out of Red Sea onto the coast of Horn of Africa, where he poured his hatred on the town of Zelah, leaving it in ruins.From there he headed for the coast of Arabia and Hormuz, at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf, bombarding the towns with cannon fire, killing the innocent while maiming and mutilating the defenseless bodies of those left alive.

This was the first wave of Western Colonialism. Waves upon waves were to follow, right up to our present day. But will those waves recede one day after finally breaking on our rocky shores or will those rocks be scattered to the winds , allowing the sea to flood in and wash away once and for all the way things used to be?

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi is a member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, the Ruler of Sharjah, and President of American University of Sharjah.

His Highness became the Ruler of Sharjah and its dependencies and a member of the Supreme Council in 1972. He is the 15th Ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah in a chain of Al Qasimi rulers since the year 1630. He served as the UAE Minister of Education from 1971-72. As the Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness has led the social, economic and cultural development of the emirate. In addition, His Highness has devoted considerable effort and resources to promote intercultural interactions and dialogues among the peoples of the world. He is known throughout the region as a firm believer in the significance of the role arts and culture play in bridging the minds and souls of the people of the world. Toward this aim, he initiated the touring Sharjah Cultural Festivals, which bring aspects of Arab and Islamic arts and culture to the cities around the world.
His Highness has authored a number of important scholarly texts as well as plays, which have been translated in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Urdu, Persian among other languages. Some of these include Muscat and other Forts on the Shoreline of the Gulf of Oman; Sharjah Air Station between the East and West; The Genesis of the Scout Movement in Sharjah; Deep-Seated Malice; A Memorandum for Historians on the innocence of Ibn Majid; Power Struggles and Trade in the Gulf (1620-1820); The Gulf in Historic Maps (1478- 1861); The Rebel Prince; The Gulf in Historic Maps (1493-1931); The White Sheikh; The Journals of David Seton in the Gulf, 1800-1809; John Malcolm and the British Commercial Base in the Gulf 1800; British Occupation of Aden; Division of the Omani Empire (1856-1862); The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf; Samson; Nimrod; Alexander the Great; The Reality, Identical Copy of the Original; The Case; and The Return of Holako; among many others.

Please visit his website.

Reviews

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve mainly picked up this book to read about Albuquerque’s occupation in Khorfakkan, but in sixty pages Dr Sheikh Sultan AlQasimi talked about the long lasting hatred towards Islam that was strongly held by Albuquerque.

Besides seizing Muslim countries (including Khorfakkan), he also attempted to seize Mecca and Medina to destroy the Kaaba, and turn it to a Christian holy site, along with digging up the Prophet’s PBUH grave and sell his body in Christian markets. But in Gods power, a strong wind hit his ships midst journey, destroying some fleets and forcing him to change his journey.

After talking about Albuquerque’s death, Dr Sheikh Sultan AlQasimis ending remarks are worth a thought “But was the deep-seated malice buried along with him? Or has it remained one of the characteristics of colonialism to this very day?”

[Feroz Hameed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Historical account of the Western Colonisation of Arab lands.