Shukri al-Quwatli, a Syrian president who survived the gallows three times and stepped down

Tap to listen

"In accordance with the will of the people of the precious Arab parts, I believe that as we come to the referendum scheduled for the election of the President of the United Arab Republic on Friday, February 21, 1958, it is my duty to be the first citizen of the new state to nominate President Gamal Abdel Nasser as President." (1)

This was part of the historic speech delivered by President Shukri al-Quwatli in the Syrian Council of Representatives, in which he announced his abdication of the presidency of the United Arab Republic of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, becoming the first and last Arab president to step down, to record a new line in describing the features of the Arab man And the most controversial politician in modern history.

Al-Quwatli's struggle for independence was achieved, and during his long journey he survived the gallows around his neck three times, amended the constitution to extend his term for a second term, before the coup by Hosni al-Zaim, and five years later he returned to power once. But this time he voluntarily abdicated him for the sake of unity with Egypt.Who is the one who easily ceded the presidency of a state for which he sacrificed so much, as it is not any state, but a country that will fight over its power thousands and die hundreds of thousands and displaced millions after the revolution March 2011 in Syria?

From Iraq to Syria How did the Quwatli family story begin?

On October 21, 1891, in the Shaghour neighborhood of Old Damascus, Shukri bin Mahmoud bin Abdul Ghani al-Quwatli, Syria's first post-independence president, was born to a family of merchants and landowners who had been displaced from Iraq to Syria six centuries ago. Arab society, where "Mohammed Said al-Quwatli" brother of al-Quwatli's grandfather was among the personalities invited by Khedive Ismail to attend the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal. (1)

In this house, Al-Quwatli grew up loving Arabic, to attend the "Azarite Fathers" School in Damascus, because of her interest in studying Arabic. After completing his studies, he joined the "Anbar High School" in Damascus. After completing his studies, he participated in the competition of the Shahania College in Istanbul. School of political and administrative sciences in the Ottoman Empire at the time.

The competition was a test to test the student before being admitted to the university, has been submitted to the competition 350 students, of which 40 students succeeded, the order of Quwatli was the fifth among them, to join in 1908, the year when the Ottoman Constitution, the station that marked the beginning of Quwatli in the political work One year after the constitution was proclaimed, he and a group of his friends founded the Literary Forum in Istanbul, which included a group of Arab youth, whose aim was to defend the interests of the Arabs, create a single Arab entity, and opposed the policy of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's rule and supported the coup d'état And he was able to fix his feet in politics He was joined by many young people from different Arab countries. (1) But this bold start in the field of political action almost destroyed his entire life.

His political struggle is a road to the gallows

Al-Quwatli returned to Damascus in 1913 after graduating from college, where he enrolled in the State Court, where the college graduates were required to train for three years on the work of the administration there, but he soon resigned, refusing to kiss the hand of the wali, as he imposed this protocol This was the reason for his return to his political struggle, and his accession to the Arab Association of the Secret Girl, which was founded in 1911 in Paris.In 1913, the association became a branch in Damascus, joined by al-Quwatli. Syrians have, to work towards ending Syria's dependence on the Ottoman Empire, p Then Prince Faisal visited Damascus and joined its membership, and held several meetings with its members in order to unify efforts to resist the Ottoman Empire (1).

The result of these political efforts was that the Ottoman authorities arrested al-Quwatli and some of his comrades.After a while, al-Quwatli was released to monitor him and the other members, but they failed to reach him through any of them.He returned to prison again, where he was subjected to terrible pressure, between interrogation and torture. On the one hand, and between his devotion to his comrades on the other hand, he decided to commit suicide for fear of confessing them. He was then transferred to the hospital and remained there for a month, then returned to prison again, and was sentenced to death, but was not carried out because of the Sharif Hussein the Great Arab Revolt. 1916, threatening to execute Turkish officers and soldiers, who He was taken as prisoners of war, and al-Quwatli and his companions were subsequently released and executed. (1)

In the meantime, the Great Arab Revolt succeeded in overthrowing Ottoman rule in Syria, and King Faisal became governor of the territory of Syria, and ordered Quwatli to form the government of the state of Damascus. In the meantime, Britain and France had signed the Sykes-Picot treaty to divide the Arab states, and Syria signed the share of France, which ended the rule of King Faisal in Syria and ruled in his place, to inaugurate the beginning of the French colonial period in Syria.

During this period, al-Quwatli founded the Istiqlal Party in 1918, a continuation of the Arab Girl Association, to unite to fight the French occupation of Syria. On April 26, 1920, the San Remo Conference was held, in which France won its mandate over Syria. The Battle of Maysaloun between the Great Revolutionary Army and France, and martyred Syrian Minister of Military Yusuf al-Azmeh, France won the battle (1), and began pursuing opponents, and issued in 1920 sentenced in absentia to the death of 34 people, including al-Quwatli, but he and his companions managed to escape from Syria, (2) They traveled between Egypt, Palestine and European countries to denounce the disadvantages of the occupation. (3)

Upon his arrival in Germany, Shukri founded the Syrian-Palestinian Conference to call for the liberation of the Arab region from foreign occupation. As a result, France issued a political pardon for al-Quwatli and political prisoners on death row. Quwatli returned to Syria in 1924, but refused to negotiate with France before Syria was evacuated. (3) In 1926, France issued a new death sentence for al-Quwatli, for providing aid and financial support to the Syrian revolution. He only left Syria and moved between Egypt, Jerusalem and Riyadh to return to condemn the crimes of the occupation. Cancel How much punishment from him again, he returned to Syria in 1930. (3)

From execution to the presidency

In 1930, King Faisal, who supported al-Quwatli in ending Ottoman rule over Syria, and called for the establishment of a united Arab state, signed the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, which gave Britain the right to manage foreign and military affairs in Iraq, losing al-Quwatli his most ally. In 1931, al-Quwatli and a group of his comrades, including Hashem al-Atassi, Jamil Mardam Bey, and Fakhri al-Baroudi, formed the bloc. National Bloc for the Independence of Syria, the bloc participated in the founding of the "Constituent Assembly" The Syrian people had to communicate with the French Mandate Authority to draft a constitution for the country, the most prominent of which was the establishment of a representative government and a liberal constitution, but the French mandate disrupted five of its provisions under the pretext of "incompatibility with the Mandate authorities." , Similar to the Iraqi-British treaty. (5)

In the same year, al-Quwatli became a member of the Syrian Council of Representatives.When Jamil Mardam formed the government, al-Quwatli was appointed Minister of National Defense and Finance. France, which took advantage of the Quwatli travel to Saudi Arabia and held with the Syrian government represented in Jamil Mardam Bey, the two agreements "Syrian Bank and Petroleum", which gave France the right to the presence of French experts, and the existence of cooperation and exchange between the two countries, and respect for the rights of minorities, but This Convention raised Angered many ministers and deputies, and was the most furious Quwatli, who submitted his resignation from the ministry March 22 / March 1938, but remained a steadfast member of the House of Representatives, and traveled to Europe to demand the independence of Syria. (6)

In 1940, there was an order to stop the work of the National Bloc, accusing the bloc's members of killing Abdul Rahman Shahbandar.Qawatli resorted to the Saudi consul in Damascus to protect them because of his close relationship with the French.He investigated Quwatli and proved his innocence after the appearance of the Shahbandar killer and his confession of the crime. In 1941 al-Quwatli was elected leader of the National Bloc to succeed its late leader Ibrahim Hanano because of his great popularity, which led the French to move away from any arbitrary action against him, especially in light of the strikes by the Syrian people, until Syria gained its independence in 1941. (6)

After the death of Syrian President Taj al-Din al-Hassani in 1943, al-Quwatli ran for president, and on August 17, 1943 al-Quwatli was declared the first president of an independent Syria. (7) But France did not leave Syria so easily. In 1945, France bombed the Syrian parliament. The British Commissioner asked al-Quwatli to conclude a treaty with France but he refused. As a result, the French occupation resorted to a war of rumors, the first of which was the execution of al-Quwatli, and the escape of members of the government outside the country, which increased Quwatli's determination to stand against the occupation. Members of the government face prosecution if any of them submit their papers It had forced France to evacuate its forces from Syria on April 17, 1946, and Syria gained full independence.

From the presidency to the coup

Political life in Syria began to be stable, and many political parties were established, most notably the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, which cooperated with the national forces and al-Quwatli against the Greater Syria project offered by Jordan to Syria, but this stability did not last much, especially after the Nakba of Palestine. Al-Quwatli's constitution was extended to a second term, as well as the National Bloc split into two groups, a group known as the National Party, which included the old founders of the bloc, headed by Quwatli, and another team, known as the People's Party. Syrian society, and did not Be these things only cause divisions (11).

The Syrian intellectual and writer in response to the period of al-Quwatli's rule said:

"He madly filled the incompetent and incompetent ministries solely for their political loyalty. He ordered the Ministry of Public Works to build roads on his family's property at the taxpayers' expense, to pour public money on poets and authors who praised his name, and to corrupt the courts by appointing judges who were biased towards him."

He pointed out that "Al-Quwatli's abuse of office was not for personal wealth. He inherited a great fortune from his family, which he added in projects in agriculture, trade and industry, until he became known as the" King of Apricots. "He had another goal: to use the political agenda and easy access to In addition to exploiting the many disputes between Syrian parliamentarians skillfully in his favor, Khaled al-Azm, the prime minister in the Quwatli government, stated that “he sowed the seeds of competition and mutual hatred among political figures so that they would not unite against him. He will remain alone in control of the situation. '' (12 )

In addition to the support of some parties, such as the Baath Party, the Arab Socialists, and the Syrian National Party, a desire to gain power through the military establishment, this gave way to Hosni Al-Zaim, a Syrian officer known for his love of strict military life. And his imitation of military figures, which played a pivotal role in the political life of their people. He was appointed to the rank of colonel, but was removed from his post and arrested in 1941 by the French Gaullist forces. In 1944, al-Quwatli was released and allowed to return to work. There he held several positions, until he became army chief and chief of staff. He made his first bloodless military coup in Syria on March 33, 1949. He then arrested al-Quwatli, but released him after he resigned. Quwatli traveled to Egypt and settled in Alexandria, only a few months until Sami al-Hinnawi on August 14. In 1949, Hosni al-Zaim was overthrown and executed after a military trial Ahkla on December 19 / December 1949 coup against Sami Hinawi, and put him in prison, and then released, is to be the end of the 1950 assassination in a Beirut street. (13)

Shishkli remained in power until the coup against him in 1954, and then submitted his resignation, and fled to Beirut and then to Saudi Arabia until he settled in Brazil, and in 1960 was assassinated by a young Druze, to take "Hashim Atassi" to rule after Shishkali (13). In 1955, several delegations traveled to Egypt, represented by national and political bodies in Syria, for al-Quwatli's return to the presidency.On September 6, 1955, the House of Representatives met and Quwatli was elected President of Syria for the third time. (14)

The first Arab citizen cedes power to a president like him

"We stand and declare publicly on behalf of the Arab people in each of the precious Arab parts of the birth of the United Arab Republic"

This was what al-Quwatli said when he announced the establishment of the unity between Egypt and Syria, which started early before it was officially announced. During the tripartite aggression against Egypt, Syrian officers blew up the Tabline pipeline, through which Europe imports oil from Iraq. In addition to hosting Damascus Radio after the attack, the Egyptian radio station on the Syrian side, but on the Egyptian side, Nasser sent in 1957 military units to participate with the Syrian forces to repel Turkish attacks on Syria, besides all this was the beginning of the 1950s call for nationalism Among the countries in the Arab world, All this has facilitated unity. (16)

On February 22, 1958, unity between Egypt and Syria took place, and Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli ceded the presidency to Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, nicknamed "the first Arab citizen", to be the first Arab president to step down to another president. [16] When he stepped down, he said to Nasser: "Congratulations to you Syrians, each of them thinks himself politically, one of two considers himself a national leader, one of four thinks he is a prophet, and one of ten thinks he is God." He praised the Syrian people, in which "a reference to the vitality and ability of the Syrian people, on the one hand, and the tendency of individuality and mutuality G each of its members "(17), on the other side there are those who deny the words Quwatli to that argument, and the lack of historical support to them. (18)

Cairo was chosen as the capital of the United Arab Republic, and the Syrian flag was changed to a two-star instead of a three-star flag. The Syrian parliament was unified with Al-Masri and its headquarters in Cairo, besides the abolition of all ministries until it became one in Cairo.Nasser also demanded the dissolution of all Syrian parties, and the withdrawal of Syrian army officers from political life.The Syrians accepted these conditions, including the Baath Party. (19)

Some historians believed that Nasser did not want unity between Egypt and Syria, but agreed after the Baath Party demanded that besides the party campaign for the union of Egypt with Syria, and when Nasser took power he took control of all state organs in Syria, and deported the Baath Party All this had a negative impact on the Syrian economy, which led to protests and calls for secession.Nasser tried to deter these protests but he could not. On Unity on March 8, 1963. (19)

(Quwatli speech after the declaration of unity with Egypt)

Al-Quwatli was not a supporter of this coup, but he supported Syria's secession from Egypt because of Nasser's exclusive power and control of the government. Al-Quwatli's money was confiscated after this coup and subsequently deported to Beirut, where he remained until his death on June 30, 1967. (21) He was buried in Damascus, his hometown in al-Bab al-Kabir cemetery, and authorities prevented the Syrian provinces from attending his funeral, but The residents of Damascus only crawled to the border, until the authorities allowed them in, carried their coffin and went to pray at the Umayyad Mosque, (22) thus ending the story of the first Arab president to surrender to a president of his own free will.