Chapter 8, Part 4: The Question of Arab Unity

Section One
The Question of Arab Unity

For our generation the idea of Arab unity was something sacred, built up in us by a set of lofty values. Among them was the way people in general were brought up to hate the mandatory state, a hatred that reached the point of loathing. Religious belief certainly had a large part in the growth of this hatred. Then our teachers in the primary schools, and right up to the secondary schools, raised their pupils on the belief that the Arabs are one nation, that it is our duty to restore its vanished glories.. and that there is no life for an Arab except within the unity of his nation.

So it is no wonder that a mystical faith in the unity of the Arabs took root in Rushdi al-Kikhya, especially since he began his political work in an atmosphere of French domination in Syria and Lebanon and English occupation in Palestine, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.. in addition to the occupation of the Arab Maghreb by France, Italy and Spain. That is why no public value could rise above the value of Arab unity in his thinking.

It was a faith that our whole generation held.

The minutes of the Chamber of Deputies record that Rushdi al-Kikhya was truly upset by the positions of some Lebanese isolationists, and he denounced them, saying:

"I wish to comment on what was said in the Lebanese telegram of congratulations to Syria. I am surprised that these phrases are repeated on every occasion. I address a word of reproach to the noble Lebanese people and to the Lebanese government for this attachment to complete and absolute independence, as though Lebanon had no tie of any kind with the other Arab countries. You know, gentlemen deputies, that every Arab living in the Arab countries has his share in every one of the other Arab lands, and that these lands as a whole are held in common among the speakers of Arabic. We live at a time when we look beyond the independence of separate states. We are at a time when we look to comprehensive Arab unity (applause)."[1]

If al-Kikhya spoke of the need for Arab unity and called for work toward it at this session of 1943, and before that in the previous term of 1936, when the Prime Minister, Saadallah al-Jabiri, praised him, his colleague Dr. Nazim al-Qudsi gave this desire concrete form by submitting a proposal to the Chamber of Deputies at the session of 26 August 1943, which I reproduce here for remembrance and for the record:

"Whereas the Arabs believe in the necessity of uniting political efforts and endeavors with all the other Arab countries in order to establish a sound and strong entity that will secure for the Arab nation the attainment of its political and social aims."

And whereas securing such a noble aim depends on the extent of the efforts the Arab governments make toward it.

Therefore, in fulfillment of the hopes and demands of the Syrian country, and in loyalty to the sacred trust of the deputies, the Syrian Chamber of Deputies resolves to call upon the legitimate government that emanates from it, and expresses its wish that this government make strong and generous efforts, in cooperation with the sister Arab governments, to arrive at a practical way of securing in the present a union of the Arab countries, a union that will guarantee in the future a steady advance toward the unity of the Arab nation, drawn from the facts of life and the events of history.

I submit this proposal to His Excellency the President of the Chamber (Faris al-Khouri) so that he may put it to the vote.

The President put al-Qudsi's proposal to the Chamber, and the deputies approved it unanimously and with applause.

It is notable that the Prime Minister (Saadallah al-Jabiri) asked to speak, praised al-Qudsi's proposal, thanked him for it and promised to make every effort to reach the goal it sought.[2] A study of al-Qudsi's proposal, which necessarily expressed the view of his colleague al-Kikhya, shows that it called first for the establishment of a union between the Arab states, to be followed by the achievement of comprehensive unity. This is what the Chamber of Deputies wanted in 1958 with regard to establishing a union between Syria and Egypt, and it approved it unanimously. But the politicized officers acted on their own and imposed on the country that unity which was not destined to live.[3]

Rushdi al-Kikhya came back to the subject of Arab unity once more at the session of 30 October 1944, when he debated the statement of the Prime Minister, Faris al-Khouri. His speech included the following:

"A part of the Arab countries cannot form an independent sovereign state.. We are now a nation of sixty million,[4] and we must not remain scattered among governments. Rather, there must be a union among us in which we share culturally, economically and militarily, so that the country can defend its own ground."

In this speech he criticized the Prime Minister, who had called for "cooperation" among the Arab states. Cooperation did not please al-Kikhya, and so he rejected it, insisting "that the government should know that all the Arab countries look to a great unity embracing every aspect of life. Cooperation takes place between one foreigner and another, but it cannot take place between a true Arab and an Arab."

Rushdi al-Kikhya had led the opposition ever since he withdrew from the National Bloc in 1939, and had practiced it in fact since the new Chamber of Deputies convened in 1943. But he did not officially announce its existence until this historic session. Its members in the Chamber included a number of educated deputies, among them Sabri al-Asali, Ahmad al-Sharabati, Ghalib al-Azm, Hani al-Siba'i, Nazim al-Qudsi, Akram al-Hourani and Raif al-Mulqi.

I would like to digress a little to mention that this opposition nominated Rushdi al-Kikhya for the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies against Saadallah al-Jabiri. The result of the vote was astonishing: al-Jabiri received 67 votes and al-Kikhya 42.

When the Arab League was founded, Rushdi al-Kikhya criticized the weakness of its Charter.[5]

The days that followed proved his foresight, because the League has remained a feeble, wasting body to this day and has rendered the Arabs no service worth mentioning, since voting in it has to be unanimous for a resolution to be carried out. This happens only in minor matters. Many studies have been made of how to reform this Charter, but the members have reached no result, and each member goes on singing his own song.[6]

Had the League carried any weight with its members, the Arab nation would not have suffered so many disasters and setbacks. To defend the ground of Arabism, al-Kikhya enthusiastically supported the proposal of the deputy Akram al-Hourani to allocate sufficient funds to stop Arab land in Palestine from slipping into Jewish ownership.[7] For the same purpose he also attacked the "Shu'ubis", the enemies of Arabism, who were very dangerous to Arab nationalism.[8]

Perhaps his long speech on Arab nationalism, delivered at the session of 26 May 1945, is the best thing he said in explaining his view of this nationalism.[9]

The first brick in building this nationalism is that it should be built on solid foundations of regional independence. It is not acceptable to demand an Arab unity in which our independence is only nominal. That is why al-Kikhya criticized the independence the French had offered the Syrians, for he refused "that we keep names with nothing behind them. The independence offered by General Catroux and spoken of by the representatives of the Allies is not enough.. Either we keep to the right course, or we go back to the ranks of the people once again."[10]

He, God have mercy on him, was confident of the people's support, and happy with it:

"The noble nation has placed its trust in my humble person without my resorting to any means of enticement or propaganda.. I can only bow in respect before their (the citizens') mighty will, and record for them from this rostrum a word of thanks and loyalty."

Endnotes:

[1] Session of 21 August 1943, p. 28.

[2] Minutes of the session held on 26 August 1943.

[3] This is a subject we shall return to in Chapter Twelve of this book.

[4] It is said that we are close to two hundred million Arabs in this year 2000, and it is also said that Syria, for example, whose population this year is seventeen million, will double every 22 years, whereas a country like Sweden or England needs two centuries to double its population. I do not know what results this population explosion will bring!

[5] Session of 9 April 1945, p. 92.

[6] Dr. Aziz Shukri studied the condition of the Arab League in a book he wrote on reforming it, notable for its objectivity. Dr. George Jabbour also wrote a book, "Khawatir Mujaddada hawl Mustaqbal al-Wahda al-Arabiyya" (Renewed Thoughts on the Future of Arab Unity), Damascus 1984. At its end he said: "Arab unity.. must come through our own effort and will", p. 10.
Dr. Jabbour is known for his staunch nationalism and his commitment to unity.

[7] Session of 16 January 1945, p. 37.

[8] Session of 28 April 1945, p. 14.

[9] The minutes, p. 268.

[10] The same session.