Deir al-Asad

Deir al-Asad (Arabic: دير الأسد‎) is a veelage in the Galilee region o Israel, 49 kilometres frae Haifa. It is locatit abuin al-Araas muntain. Aw the residents are Muslims. The nummer o the residents in 2003 wis approximately 8,400. History Deir al-Asad's name literally means "the lion's monastery" in Arabic. In the late 19t century, it wis describit as a veelage o 600 Muslims, containin a few ruins. It wis surroondit bi olive-trees an arable land, wi a spring nearby. The toun is maistly populatit bi the Asadi an Dabbah faimilies. Accordin tae the 1931 Breetish census, Deir al-Asad haed 858 Muslim residents livin in 179 hooses. Bi 1945, Deir el Asad haed 1,100 indwallers, aw classifee'd as Arabs. Thay awned a tot o 8,366 dunams o land, while 7 dunams wur public. Palestinian naitional poet Mahmoud Darwish wis educatit in the veelage. The veelage providit sanctuary tae Uri Davis for a year while he wis evadin airmy service. Afore 1962 the veelage o Deir al-Asad wis self-sufficient in fuid. It producit enough meat, fruit, wheat an vegetables for itsel an sauld the surplus in Acre or Nazareth. In 1962 its land in the Majd al-Kurum valley wis confiscated for the Carmiel toun project, an the veelage wis tharebi stripped o its maist fertile acres. Anerlie the hill land tae the north, consistin mainly o olive groves, remained. In ane blow the economy o Deir al-Asad wis ruined. The day anerlie 10% o the labour force can wirk on the land, ower 80% hae tae commute daily tae the factories o Haifa or wirk as labourers on Jewish ferms. In 2003, the municipality o Deir al-Asad mergit wi Majd al-Krum an Bi'ina tae form the ceety o Shaghur. Housomeivver, it wis reinstatit in 2008 efter Shaghur wis dissolvit. References Bibliography Template:Israeli municipality merger o 2003