Sha’ab (07.??.43)
Translation with [comments]
[Still exists today]
Built on an ancient ruin.
Water to the west a water spring Ayn al-Gharbiya, water drawn using animals. A second spring in the west of the village is inside a cave reached by steps to draw water. The sheep and goats are watered in the water pools around the caves. Each home has a rainwater hole.
Roads the internal ones are unpaved and in bad condition in winter. Recently a paved road was built from Sha'ab to Birweh [see file]-Acre and from Sha'ab to Tiberias via Sakhnin [see file]. The village has a special bus. There are roads east to Miyar [see file], west to Birweh, north to Majd a-Krum [see the file], south to Kabul [still there today].
Buildings the ancient stone, loam, lime and wood: the new stone and concrete. The fences - stone and sabres [prickly pear].
Wadis to the west Wadi al-Halzun.
Khirbes [ruins] to the east Khirbat al-Bazu'iya, with ruined buildings, to the east an ancient graveyard called Khirbat 'Aqafa.
Livestock 400 heads of cattle, 1500 goats, 1000 chickens, 100 beehives.
Land 14 thousand dunams plain and mountain. All divided. Soil is red and white.
Plantations olives and fruit. Main crops: seasonal field crops and olives. The waqf holds about 300 dunam on behalf of Sidna Hadi al-Israti (Al-Shadaliya [a Sufi order located in Acre]) with plantation and field crops, cultivated by members of the sect [namely order].
Average area per family about 30 dunam. There are families who do not own land who work for the other families. Have not developed new land over the last years. Have not received land from the government. There is no irrigated land. There is no land belonging to the village elsewhere.
There are no ties to the waqf.
Residents 2100 people, number of men aged 18-48: 500.
Families
1. Al-Khatib, 300 members, headed by Ragee Shaqer al-Khatib
2. Fa'ur, 200 members, headed by Husayn Fa'ur.
3. Al-Afadia 50 members, headed by Sheikh 'Omar al-Afadia.
From among the Khatib family many are government officials in Haifa.
In 1938 conflict over leadership erupted between the al-Khatib and Fa'ur families. 4 people were killed on both sides. This year they have made it up. Relations with neighbouring villages are good.
Mukhtars Sheikh Amin Al-Khatib, popular, and Fa'ur al-Fa'ur.
Village Committee Wahsh Al-Khatib, Rashid 'Abed Al-Latif, Muhamad al-Mustafa, Muhamad Salim, Ibrahim Radwan, Sheikh Nimer al-Asadi, appointed by the government.
[Schools] There is a government school.
Artisans 25 quarrymen, 3 well diggers, 8 masons, one cobbler.
[Shops] Five shops that provide livelihood to their owners.
There are no government officials. 25 people work for the railway and telephone companies, engine drivers, stockers etc.
[Employment] A few have moved to Haifa for work.
[Guesthouses] There are public guesthouses in the homes of the large families.
[Expenditure] There is no arrangement for meeting expenditure and it is levied as the need arises.
There are no relatives of consequence.
[Jews] There are no ties with the Jews.
[Mosques and Churches] There is an ancient mosque in the centre of the village. The hazan [probably the Imam]: Sa'id al-Asadi, of the village, receives his salary from the residents. There is a Christian church north of the village (two Christian families live in the village).
[Guards] One man enlisted to the military. Guard: appointed for the days of the season.
Relations with the government are currently good. Informers not known.
The residents owe no money.
[Smuggling] here are currently no smugglers.
The Troubles [The Arab Revolt] the instigators were: Shaqer al-Khatib and Nimer al-Khalil. The villagers were under the command of Sheikh Ahmad Abu Baqer of Baraka in the Nablus province who was a teacher at the school. The army killed 5 people and the rebels killed Ghafnam Husayn al-Husayn for spying for the government and Ratidi [probably Raed] Fa'ur.
There were detentions, especially of the notables of the village, of between 3 months and 5 years.
20 rifles were confiscated. The amount of arms currently in the village is unknown.
Damages after a grenade exploded killing army personnel and the dogs led the way to the village, the army demolished 200 houses and hassled the village. Hearing of the villagers' plight the rebels came under the command of one called Abu 'Awad. Youth from the village joined them and they are said to have killed 400 soldiers (??).
Matrudin [deportees] Mahmud 'Abed Qarim al-Khatib and his cousins, 5 people, fled the authorities and when time was up, after mediation, they returned to the village.