Rushdi Sa'id Shawwa Bey ( ar, رشـدي الحـاج سعيـد الشـوا) (b. 1889 – 5 December 1965) was the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Gaza from 1939 to 1952. He was born in his father's house (former mayor

Sa'id al-Shawa Hajj Sa'id al-Shawwa ( ar, الحـاج سعيد الشوا) (1868–October 1930) was a Palestinian Arab politician and the first mayor of Gaza, serving from 1906 to 1917. He was also one of the most influential members of the Supreme Musl ...

) in the al-Turukman section of the

Shuja'iyya Shuja'iyya ( ar, الشجاعية), also ''Shejaiya'', ''Shijaiyeh'', ''Shujayya'', ''Shuja'ia'', ''Shuja'iya'', is a neighborhood district of the Palestinian people, Palestinian city of Gaza City, Gaza and one of the largest neighborhoods in Gaza ...

neighborhood. His mother, Hafiza Sha’ath from

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

, came from a major tribe in that area. Her brother, Tajuddin Sha'ath, was the head of the tribe and a former mayor of Beersheba.

Biography

Rushdi was sent to

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

in 1899 for education. He studied law and finished in 1914. He came to Gaza for the summer and was supposed to return to Istanbul in September–October for his official graduation, but was unable to as the

University of Istanbul , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

was destroyed during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. To get a degree, Rushdi instead went to

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, enrolled in the Syrian University (now the University of Damascus) and graduated in one year. In 1925, he returned to

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

which was under British control and took up residence in the city of

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

. During his time as mayor of Gaza, Rushdi started rebuilding the infrastructure of the city. He started building asphalt roads, dug Bir as-Safa (as-Safa water well)—the first water well equipped with a pump and engine in Gaza—and started distributing water to houses through a water pipe system. He also started the first sewage draining system and provided electricity as well as many other services for the citizens of Gaza. He built the as-Shuja'iyya School, az-Zaytoon School, Salahuddin School, and was the head of the founding committee that built the Palestine High School.:: بلدية غزة ::
Municipality of Gaza. When the British Mandate over Palestine ended on 15 May 1948, Rushdi and along with other Arab mayors in Palestine were awarded the Order of the British Empire Medallion (OBE) by

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. Rushdi was elected mayor of Gaza more than once, serving for four terms. When British troops left Palestine on 15 May, Rushdi was the last mayor elected for Gaza. Since 1946 no elections have been held for the municipality of Gaza. Rushdi flew the

flag of Palestine The flag of Palestine ( ar, علم فلسطين) is a tricolor of three equal horizontal stripes (black, white, and green from top to bottom) overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist. This flag is derived from the Pan-Arab colors and ...

over the municipal headquarters (as-Saraya) in Gaza upon the departure of the last British soldier from the city that same day. After Rushdi's term ended in 1951, the

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

ian authority did not run any elections for the Municipality of Gaza. They started appointing mayors and members of the council. When Israel occupied the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

in 1956, Rushdi accepted the responsibility of the Municipality of Gaza and helped saving the people's lives, secured food, security, and other needs of Gaza City's residents and the inhabitants of the

as well. His term as mayor ended on 7 March 1957. Rushdi died in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 5 December 1965 and his body transferred to Gaza on a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

aircraft via

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

. In Gaza, a formal and national funeral for was held for him on 9 December 1965.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shawwa Bey, Rushdi al- 1889 births 1965 deaths Mayors of Gaza City Arab people in Mandatory Palestine Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni Damascus University alumni