Adonis Diaries

Articles by leader Antoun Saadi. Part 4

An extract from the Introduction of Saadi’s book “Development of nations”

Note: Moustafa Ayoubi has been posting on Fb the articles and letters that leader of Syria National Social Party (SNSP), Antoun Saadi, in newspapers in Lebanon and overseas. I decided to repost them on my blog. Wishing to post any translated pieces that I stumble on.

In context: , Antoun Saadi was born on March 1st, 1904 in Shouweir (Mount Lebanon) and grew up in Brazil and shared with his father in the issuing of a newspaper. At the age of 24, Antoun came back to Lebanon with the determination of founding a secular national party. He taught German at the American University of Beirut  and enlisted many students in the principles of his organization. Antoun mastered at least 5 languages: Arabic, German, Portuguese, Spanish and English

The administration of AUB warned the mandated power France on the activities of this organization and he was tried in 1936 and put in prison for 6 months. During his incarceration, Antoun wrote “The Birth and development of nations”. 

In 1938, the Mandated power ordered Antoun to be exiled. He traveled to Germany, then to Brazil and ended up in Argentina for the duration of WWII. From Argentina, Antoun published articles and letters to the leaders of the party in Lebanon and expanded the base of his party in Latin America among the immigrants of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Iraq

After many negotiations with the nascent independent Lebanon, he returned to Lebanon in 1947, at the acclamation of a massive welcome at the airport. The government decided to issue a warrant for his arrest and Antoun took refuge in his birth place of Dhour Shouweir until the government relented.

The party spread like wild fire in Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon and secular people swore allegiance. During this period, Antoun Saadi lambasted the stealing of the USA and England of our oil in Iraq (our strategic weapon), the creation of State of Israel (our existential enemy) and demanded that the States provide the party with weapons to confront Israel.

On July 8, 1949, the government of Lebanon executed him in a mock trial that lasted less than 24 hours for “treason“.