Naji al-Suwaydi (Arabic: ''ناجي السويدي''; 1882 – 17 August 1942) was an

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

i politician who served as

Prime Minister of Iraq The prime minister of the Republic of Iraq is the head of government of Iraq and the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces. On 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani became the incumbent prime minister. History The prime minist ...

from November 1929 to March 1930. Gertrude Bell wrote in May, 1921:

Naji Suwaidi has drawn up and submitted to me a programme for a moderate Sharifian party- which I showed to Sir Percy oxwho thought it all right. I'm very grateful to Naji for keeping me so closely in touch... I've found Naji very sensible and capable as well as very patient under the prolonged delay.Bell, Letters vol. II (1927) pp. 596-7

Naji al-Suwaydi became prime minister in November 1929, following the suicide of Abd al-Muhsin as-Sa'dun. His short time in the post was marked by street protests agitating for a treaty that would pave the way towards Iraqi independence from the

British Mandate of Mesopotamia The Mandate for Mesopotamia () was a proposed League of Nations mandate to cover Ottoman Iraq (Mesopotamia). It would have been entrusted to the United Kingdom but was superseded by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, an agreement between Britain and Ira ...

. That turmoil, combined with attacks from hostile newspapers and undermining from both

King Faisal I Faisal I bin Hussein bin Ali Al-Hashemi (, ''Fayṣal al-Awwal bin Ḥusayn bin ʻAlī al-Hāshimī''; 20 May 1885 – 8 September 1933) was King of Iraq from 23 August 1921 until his death in 1933. A member of the Hashemite family, he was a l ...

and

Nuri as-Said Nuri Pasha al-Said Al-Qaraghuli CH (; December 1888 – 15 July 1958) was an Iraqi politician and statesman who served eight terms as Prime Minister of Iraq. He served in various key cabinet and governmental positions in Iraq during its Briti ...

, led him to resign in March 1930. Al-Suwaydi presided over the 1937 Bloudan Conference, one of the first pan-Arab conferences held in solidarity with Palestinian Arabs against the

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

movement. He served as

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

from February 1934 to August 1934, from March 1940 to February 1941 and April 1941 - May 1941. Naji Al-Suwaidi was a member of the rebel government following the

1941 Iraqi coup d'état The 1941 Iraqi coup d'état (, ''Thawrah Rašīd ʿAlī al-Kaylānī''), also called the Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani coup or the Golden Square coup, was a nationalist coup d'état in Iraq on 1 April 1941 that overthrew the pro-British regime of Regent ...

. Later taken in custody, he died while being transported from

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He was the brother of Tawfiq al-Suwaydi, also a

References

* 1882 births 1942 deaths Party of National Brotherhood politicians Prime ministers of Iraq Finance ministers of Iraq Justice ministers of Iraq {{iraq-politician-stub Iraqi collaborators with Nazi Germany Prisoners and detainees of Rhodesia Prisoners who died in South African detention