Antun Saadeh
Encyclopedia
Antun Saadeh (March 1, 1904-July 8, 1949) was a Lebanese
Syrian nationalist
philosopher, writer and politician who founded the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
.
(modern-day Lebanon
), Saadeh emigrated to Brazil
after completing his education, joining his father, Khalil Saadeh, who was a prominent Arabic-language journalist there. In 1932, he returned to Beirut
and began to teach at the American University of Beirut
. The same year, he founded the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
to oppose the French division of the region and push for unity. From 1935 on, he was repeatedly harassed and imprisoned by the French mandatory authorities, and, as a result, decided in 1938 to emigrate once again, returning to Brazil. After a short period there, he left for Argentina, where he continued his political journalism.
Saadeh returned to Lebanon on March 2, 1947, after the country's independence from France
. On July 4, 1949, the party declared a revolution in Lebanon in retaliation to a series of violent intimidations staged by the government of Lebanon against party members. The revolt was suppressed and he traveled to Damascus
to meet with Husni al-Za'im
, the President of Syria
at the time, who was, at had previously been agreed to, supposed to support him. However, he was handed by el-Zaim over to the Lebanese
authorities. Saadeh and many of his followers were judged by a Lebanese military court, and were executed. The capture, trial and execution happened in less than 48 hours. Saadeh's execution occurred at dawn of July 8, 1949. According to Adel Beshara, it was and still is the shortest and most secretive trial given to a political offender.
He published numerous books, treatises, and articles during his lifetime on a wide range of topics.
He emphasized the role of philosophy
and social science in the development of his social ideology. He viewed social nationalism, his version of nationalism
, as a tool to transform traditional society into a dynamic and progressive one. He also opposed colonization that broke up Greater Syria into sub-states. Secularization
played an important role in his ideology. Secularization is taken by him beyond the socio-political aspects of the question into its philosophical dimensions.
Saadeh rejected Arab Nationalism
(the idea that the speakers of the Arabic language
form a single, unified nation), and argued instead for the creation of the state of United Syrian Nation or Natural Syria
encompassing the Fertile Crescent
, making up a Syrian homeland that "extends from the Taurus
range in the northwest and the Zagros mountains in the northeast to the Suez Canal
and the Red Sea
in the south and includes the Sinai peninsula and the Gulf of Aqaba
, and from the Syrian Sea in the west, including the island of Cyprus
, to the arch of the Arabian Desert
and the Persian Gulf
in the east." (Kader, H. A.).
Saadeh rejected both language and religion as defining characteristics of a nation, and instead argued that nations develop through the common development of a people inhabiting a specific geographical region. He was thus a strong opponent of both Arab nationalism and Pan-Islamism
. He argued that Syria was historically, culturally, and geographically distinct from the rest of the Arab world, which he divided into four parts. He traced Syrian history as a distinct entity back to the Phoenicians, Canaanites, Assyrians
, Babylonians etc. and argued that Syrianism transcended religious distinctions.
Saadeh was influenced by European fascist ideologies and modeled the Syrian Social Nationalist Party on the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Sa'adeh's party adopted a reversed swastika as the party's symbol, and included developing the cult of a leader, advocating totalitarian government, and glorifying an ancient pre-Christian past and the organic whole of the Syrian Volk or nation.
However, these claims of alleged Nazi and Fascist ideological influence on Saadeh were refuted by Saadeh himself. During a 1935 speech, Saadeh himself said: "I want to use this opportunity to say that the system of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party is neither a Hitlerite nor a Fascist one, but a pure social nationalist one. It is not based on useless imitation, but is instead the result of an authentic invention -- which is a virtue of our people" .
According to historian Stanley G. Payne
, the Arab nationalism
was influenced by European fascism, with the SSNP being in 1939 one of the several shirt movements inspired by the brown shirt
s movement. Saadeh would share with European fascism the belief in the superiority of his own people, theorizing a "distinct and naturally superior" Syrian race, although it wouldn't be a biologically pure race, but a fusion of the many races found in Syrian history.
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
Syrian nationalist
Syrian nationalism
Syrian nationalism refers to the nationalism of Syria, or the Fertile Crescent as a cultural or political entity. It should not be confused with the Arab nationalism that is the official state doctrine of the Syrian Arab Republic's ruling Baath Party, nor should it be assumed that Syrian...
philosopher, writer and politician who founded the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party , is a secular nationalist political party in Lebanon and Syria. It advocates the establishment of a Syrian nation state spanning the Fertile Crescent, including present day Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Cyprus, Kuwait,...
.
Life
Born in 1904 in Dhour El Choueir, Ottoman SyriaOttoman Syria
Ottoman Syria is a European reference to the area that during European Renaissance from the late 15th to early 18th century was called the Levant within the early period of the Ottoman Empire, the Orient until the early 19th century, and Greater Syria until 1918...
(modern-day Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
), Saadeh emigrated to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
after completing his education, joining his father, Khalil Saadeh, who was a prominent Arabic-language journalist there. In 1932, he returned to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and began to teach at the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
. The same year, he founded the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party , is a secular nationalist political party in Lebanon and Syria. It advocates the establishment of a Syrian nation state spanning the Fertile Crescent, including present day Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Cyprus, Kuwait,...
to oppose the French division of the region and push for unity. From 1935 on, he was repeatedly harassed and imprisoned by the French mandatory authorities, and, as a result, decided in 1938 to emigrate once again, returning to Brazil. After a short period there, he left for Argentina, where he continued his political journalism.
Saadeh returned to Lebanon on March 2, 1947, after the country's independence from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. On July 4, 1949, the party declared a revolution in Lebanon in retaliation to a series of violent intimidations staged by the government of Lebanon against party members. The revolt was suppressed and he traveled to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
to meet with Husni al-Za'im
Husni al-Za'im
Husni al-Za'im was a Syrian military man and politician. Husni al-Za'im, whose family is of Kurdish ancestry, had been an officer in the Ottoman Army. After France instituted its colonial mandate over Syria after the First World War, he became an officer in the French Army...
, the President of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
at the time, who was, at had previously been agreed to, supposed to support him. However, he was handed by el-Zaim over to the Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
authorities. Saadeh and many of his followers were judged by a Lebanese military court, and were executed. The capture, trial and execution happened in less than 48 hours. Saadeh's execution occurred at dawn of July 8, 1949. According to Adel Beshara, it was and still is the shortest and most secretive trial given to a political offender.
He published numerous books, treatises, and articles during his lifetime on a wide range of topics.
He emphasized the role of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and social science in the development of his social ideology. He viewed social nationalism, his version of nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, as a tool to transform traditional society into a dynamic and progressive one. He also opposed colonization that broke up Greater Syria into sub-states. Secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
played an important role in his ideology. Secularization is taken by him beyond the socio-political aspects of the question into its philosophical dimensions.
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
(the idea that the speakers of the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
form a single, unified nation), and argued instead for the creation of the state of United Syrian Nation or Natural Syria
Greater Syria
Greater Syria , also known simply as Syria, is a term that denotes a region in the Near East bordering the Eastern Mediterranean Sea or the Levant....
encompassing the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent, nicknamed "The Cradle of Civilization" for the fact the first civilizations started there, is a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia. The term was first used by University of Chicago...
, making up a Syrian homeland that "extends from the Taurus
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
range in the northwest and the Zagros mountains in the northeast to the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
in the south and includes the Sinai peninsula and the Gulf of Aqaba
Gulf of Aqaba
The Gulf of Aqaba is a large gulf located at the northern tip of the Red Sea. In pre twentieth-century and modern sources it is often named the Gulf of Eilat, as Eilat is its predominant Israeli city ....
, and from the Syrian Sea in the west, including the island of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, to the arch of the Arabian Desert
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of...
and the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in the east." (Kader, H. A.).
Saadeh rejected both language and religion as defining characteristics of a nation, and instead argued that nations develop through the common development of a people inhabiting a specific geographical region. He was thus a strong opponent of both Arab nationalism and Pan-Islamism
Pan-Islamism
Pan-Islamism is a political movement advocating the unity of Muslims under one Islamic state — often a Caliphate. As a form of religious nationalism, Pan-Islamism differentiates itself from other pan-nationalistic ideologies, for example Pan-Arabism, by excluding culture and ethnicity as primary...
. He argued that Syria was historically, culturally, and geographically distinct from the rest of the Arab world, which he divided into four parts. He traced Syrian history as a distinct entity back to the Phoenicians, Canaanites, Assyrians
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
, Babylonians etc. and argued that Syrianism transcended religious distinctions.
Saadeh was influenced by European fascist ideologies and modeled the Syrian Social Nationalist Party on the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Sa'adeh's party adopted a reversed swastika as the party's symbol, and included developing the cult of a leader, advocating totalitarian government, and glorifying an ancient pre-Christian past and the organic whole of the Syrian Volk or nation.
However, these claims of alleged Nazi and Fascist ideological influence on Saadeh were refuted by Saadeh himself. During a 1935 speech, Saadeh himself said: "I want to use this opportunity to say that the system of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party is neither a Hitlerite nor a Fascist one, but a pure social nationalist one. It is not based on useless imitation, but is instead the result of an authentic invention -- which is a virtue of our people" .
According to historian Stanley G. Payne
Stanley G. Payne
Stanley George Payne is a historian of modern Spain and European Fascism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He retired from full time teaching in 2004 and is currently Professor Emeritus at its Department of History. Payne is one of the most famous modern theorists of fascism...
, the Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
was influenced by European fascism, with the SSNP being in 1939 one of the several shirt movements inspired by the brown shirt
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
s movement. Saadeh would share with European fascism the belief in the superiority of his own people, theorizing a "distinct and naturally superior" Syrian race, although it wouldn't be a biologically pure race, but a fusion of the many races found in Syrian history.
External links
- Antoun Saadeh's full works and resources
- Official website of Hizb alsouri alqawmi el Ijtima3i
- school of Antoun Saadah
- "What Motivated me to Establish the Syrian Social Nationalist Party", by Antoun Saadeh
- Official SSNP Online Biography of Sa'adah
- Antun Saadeh
- SSNP video in Arabic about Antun Saadeh
- Outright Assassination: The Trial and Execution of Antun Sa'adeh, 1949
- Antun Sa'adeh: The Man His Thought, An Anthology