Jumah Hammad

Jumah Hammad Jahamah (Arabic: جمعة حماد) is a writer, novelist and politician who is Jordanian of Palestinian origin. He occupied many political positions. He died in 1995 in Arish.

He was credited for creating a number of newspapers in the West Bank and East Bank such as, Al-Manar Daily Newspaper in Jerusalem, a newspaper that focuses on Arab heritage and Islamic ideology. He was the newspaper’s director and editor-in-chief since 1962. Al-Manar issued Al-Ofoq Al-Jadid magazine in Jerusalem in 1961 for five years. Jumah Hammad co-founded Amman Daily News in 1961. Following the decision to merge newspapers, Ad-Dustour newspaper was founded as a result of merging Al-Manar and Felestin newspaper in 1967. He was appointed editor-in-chief of Ad-Dustour newspaper from 1968 to 1972. The following year, he worked as the director-general and chairman of the board of directors of Jordan Press Foundation, which publishes Al Ra’i newspaper and The Jordan Times. He remained in the position until 1986. Hammad contributed to founding Jordan Press Association.

He worked as the director of the World Islamic Congress in Jerusalem in 1954. He was appointed vice-president of the Jordanian Senate in 1971. In 1973, Hammad was appointed secretary-general of the Arab Union. In addition, he became a member of the National Consultative Council in 1978 and was also a member of the Charter Committee. In 1994, he was appointed Minister of Culture.

He was born in 1923 in Auja al-Hafir, Beersheba Subdistrict, Palestine. He completed his high school education in Gaza in 1942. He joined the Palestinian Security Forces in the early 1940s and worked on radio communications in Beersheba Subdistrict. He participated in leading a campaign that foiled Jews attempts to acquire Palestinian lands. He contributed to founding Beersheba Youth Front to resist the Zionist invasion in 1946. In addition, the outbreak of armed conflict prevented him from reconciling his work in Security Forces with his patriotic duty, therefore, he joined the Mujahideen in Beersheba with whom he fought a turf war in the Palestinian Revolution. Upon being accused of crimes, Hammad left to Jordan. He participated in a number of national organizations and conferences and contributed to voluntary charitable associations such as, Al-Bir Society for Martyrs Sons in Jericho in 1954.