Izzat Darwaza

Izzat Darwaza (or Darwazeh)
Portrait of Darwaza
Secretary-General of Istiqlal
In office 1932–1947
General Administrator of the Waqf
In office 1930–1937
Personal details
Born	1888 Nablus, Ottoman Empire
Died	1984 (aged 95–96) Damascus, Syria
Nationality	Palestinian
Political party	Istiqlal
Other political affiliations	al-Fatat
Occupation	Arab nationalist political activist
Profession	Historian, Editor, Educator, Muslim scholar
Committees	Supreme Muslim Council and Arab Higher Committee
Religion	Sunni Islam

Muhammad 'Izzat Darwaza (or Darwazeh) (Arabic: محمد عزت دروزة‎‎; 1888–1984) was a Palestinian politician, historian, and educator from Nablus. Early in his career, he worked as an Ottoman bureaucrat in Palestine and Lebanon. Darwaza had long been a sympathizer of Arab nationalism and became an activist of that cause following the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1916, joining the nationalist al-Fatat society. As such, he campaigned for the union of Greater Syria (modern-day Levant) and vehemently opposed Zionism and foreign mandates in Arab lands. From 1922 to 1927, he served as an educator and as the principal at the an-Najah National School where he implemented a pro-Arab nationalist educational system, promoting the ideas of Arab independence and unity. Darwaza's particular brand of Arab nationalism was influenced by Islam and his beliefs in Arab unity and the oneness of Arabic culture.

Later, Darwaza co-founded the nationalist Istiqlal party in Palestine and was a principal organizer of anti-British demonstrations. In 1937, he was exiled to Damascus as a result of his activities and from there he helped support the Arab revolt in the Mandatory Palestine. He was incarcerated in Damascus by French authorities for his involvement in the revolt, and while in prison he began to study the Qur'an and its interpretations. In 1945, after he was released, Darwaza eventually compiled his own interpretation entitled al-Tafsir al-Hadith.