How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs: The Syrian Congress of 1920 and the Destruction of its Liberal-Islamic Alliance

During World War I, Arab nationalists revolted against the Ottoman Empire and allied with the British, promising an independent Arab state. Prince Faisal entered Damascus in October 1918 and proclaimed a constitutional government in Greater Syria. The Syrian-Arab Congress declared independence in 1920, with Sheikh Rashid Rida as president. France and Britain refused to recognize the government and imposed a system of mandates, leading to the French invasion and destruction of the Syrian state in July 1920. This book explores the destruction of the fragile coalition of secular modernizers and Islamic reformers that had established democracy, with profound consequences that reverberate still.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 496 pages
\n Publication date: 06 May 2021
\n Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
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When the Great War engulfed the Ottoman Empire, Arab nationalists rose in revolt against their Turkish rulers and allied with the British, promising an independent Arab state. In October 1918, the Arab military leader, Prince Faisal, entered Damascus and proclaimed a constitutional government in an independent Greater Syria. Faisal gained American support for self-determination at the Paris Peace Conference, but other Entente powers plotted to protect their colonial interests. Under threat of European occupation, the Syrian-Arab Congress declared independence on March 8, 1920, and crowned Faisal king of a civil representative monarchy. Sheikh Rashid Rida, the most prominent Islamic thinker of the day, became Congress president and supervised the drafting of a constitution that established the world's first Arab democracy and guaranteed equal rights for all citizens, including non-Muslims.

However, France and Britain refused to recognize the Damascus government and instead imposed a system of mandates on the pretext that Arabs were not yet ready for self-government. In July 1920, the French invaded and crushed the Syrian state, destroying the fragile coalition of secular modernizers and Islamic reformers that had established democracy. The consequences of this destruction reverberate still, marking a pivotal moment in the history of the Middle East.

How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs is a groundbreaking account of this extraordinary, brief moment of unity and hope, using previously untapped primary sources, including contemporary newspaper accounts, reports of the Syrian-Arab Congress, and letters and diaries from participants. This book sheds light on the complex dynamics that led to the destruction of the Arab democratic experiment and provides a valuable insight into the ongoing struggle for self-determination and democracy in the region.

\n Weight: 460g\n
Dimension: 130 x 197 x 40 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781611854640\n
Edition number: Main\n