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Image expressive Mustafa Wahbi Al Tal. Image Arar
Mustafa Al-Tal was a nationalist Jordanian poet who influenced the anti-colonial movement in Jordan to a great extent. As a great patriot, he infused the spirit of patriotism among his countrymen at a time when Jordanians were searching for an identity of their own. He was a great poet who composed poetry on several topics related to Jordan’s political and social situation.
On May 25, 1899, Mustafa was born in Irbid where he received his primary education. He later transferred to Damascus to continue his studies and participated in political activities that express opposition towards the Ottoman Empire and inciting Arab nationalism. Along with other Jordanian activists, he was briefly exiled to Beirut but soon returned.
From his high school days Mustafa was actively engaged in political activities because of the regional turmoil through which Arabs and Turks were going as part of the British colonial ambitions. He became a teacher of Arabic Literature in Karak in 1922 but was fired and expelled to Saudi Arabia for his political beliefs which he regularly conveyed to the public. Over the next decade he returned to Jordan and was exiled again after some time. Mustafa next studied law and was admitted to the bar in Salt, Jordan in 1939.
During his years as a lawyer Mustafa kept writing poetry with a nationalist flare full of rebellion for the current foreign occupation of the Jordanian lands. He toured extensively to deliver speeches and read poetry in poetry recital meetings giving free expression of his thoughts. In 1941 Mustafa was arrested for expressing his political opinions. Mustafa took up the case of the peasants who had suffered at the hands of the Zou’bi tribe in Ramtha, Jordan. From 1942 onwards he settled in Amman as a lawyer but continued reading and writing poetry. He knew many contemporary poets had had close links with the elitist poets of King Abdullah’s palace where he was invited there to read his poetry.
Mustafa died in 1949 in Amman. Jordan’s highest literary award is named after him as well as an annual poetry festival which is held in his name. Mustafa was also an avid researcher and writer. His political papers were widely distributed among Jordanian readers and he had a large following for his political views. He played a key role in creating a national patriotic spirit among the people of Jordan against foreign occupation of their lands. He showed them why it was necessary to stand up against the colonial powers to save their national prestige and self-respect.
