Sultan al-Atrash
Sultan al-trash | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | March 26, 1982 Al-Qrayya, Syria | (aged 91)
Nationality | Syrian |
Known for | Commander of the Syrian Revolution of 1925–27 |
Children | Mansur al-Atrash |
Sultan al-trash (
One of the most influential figures in Syrian and Druze history, he played a major role in deciding the destiny of Jabal al-Druze and of Syria in general.
Early life and career
Sultan al-trash was born in
Sultan al-Atrash was an Ottoman army conscript, serving in the Balkans prior to the outbreak of World War I.[1]
Role in the Arab revolt
Sami Pasha used military force and trickery and succeeded at last in occupying Jabal el Druze. He sent hundreds of young Druze to fight in the
According to testimonies from survivors, during the Arab Revolt and the Armenian genocide, he engaged in saving Armenian refugees from the Armenian genocide ; for this, he would have been in link with Hussein bin Ali.[2]
When Arab forces reached Aqaba, he sent a thousand men to join the revolt. He joined them himself, with another 300 men, when they reached Bosra. His forces were the first to enter Damascus and raise the Arab revolt flag on the government house on September 29, 1918. Sultan was a good friend of the
, helped Sultan a lot during his years in exile.The newly independent kingdom of Syria didn't survive for long, as it was occupied by France after the
The Adham Khanjar incident
On July 7, 1922, French soldiers captured
The Syrian Revolution of 1925–27
In 1925 Sultan Pasha al-Atrash led a revolt which broke out in the Druze Mountain and spread to engulf the whole of Syria and parts of
On August 23, 1925, Sultan Pasha al-Atrash officially declared revolution against France, and soon fighting erupted in
Role after the revolution
Al-Atrash participated actively in the Levant Crisis, that led to Syrian independence. In 1948 he called for the establishment of a unified Arab Liberation Army of Palestine, for which hundreds of young people had already volunteered and sent to participate in during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
During the reign of Adib Shishakli, al-Atrash was often harassed because of his opposition to government policy. He left the Druze Mountain for Jordan in December 1954, and came back when Al-Shishakli's regime fell. Al-Atrash supported the political union of Egypt and Syria in 1958, and firmly opposed the process of separation in 1961. He is also known for his contributions to social life and development in the Druze Mountain.
Popularity
Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, is one of the most popular of recently prominent leaders in Arab and Syrian history, especially among the Druze. Many
- Al-Atrash is known for his secularism when he raised the slogan "Religion is for God, the fatherland is for all" (Ad-dīn li-llāh wa-l-waṭan li-l-jamīˤ ) when he led the revolution against the French, which involved rebels belonging to many religions. His speeches and publications were entirely devoid of religious symbols.
- Al-Atrash strongly rejected the French offer of independence for the Druze Mountain. He demanded a national Syrian unity.
- He was known for simple living and humility.
- Al-Atrash refused to accept any political office after the independence of Syria in 1946.
During the period of Syrian-Egyptian unity, on a visit to the Suwayda province President Gamal Abdel Nasser honored Sultan Pasha al-Atrash by awarding him the highest medal of the United Arab Republic. In 1970, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad Honored Sultan Pasha al-Atrash for his historic role in the Syrian Revolution.
Death
Sultan Pasha al-Atrash died on March 26, 1982, from a heart attack. His funeral was attended by more than a million people, and the President of Syrian Arab Republic Hafez al-Assad issued an individual letter mourning al-Atrash as the General Commander of the Syrian Revolution.
Family
His son,
His granddaughter, Naila Al Atrash, is a dramatist and activist against the Assad regime.
See also
- Great Syrian Revolt
- Ayyash Al-Haj
- Ibrahim Hananu
- Yusuf al-'Azma
- Abd Al-Rahman Shahbandar
- Hasan al-Kharrat
- Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon
- Henri Gouraud
- Syria
- Adham Khanjar
- Saleh Al-Ali
- Fawzi al-Qawuqji
-
Saleh Al-Ali
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-957048-5. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ^ "Share Your Stories". Armenian Museum of America. 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ISBN 0-292-70680-4.
- ^ Provence, p. 153