Wasfi Al-Atassi
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Wasfi al-Atassi (1888–1933) () was a Syrian nationalist, statesman and one of the original writers of the Syrian constitution.


Life

Born in
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
to the Atassi family in 1888, he was educated locally. His father, Najeeb Efendi al-Atassi was an Islamic scholar and a notable, having headed the municipality of the city of
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
in 1879. Wasfi Atassi attended the Imperial Law School of
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, the capital of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. Upon graduation he returned to his home town and established a career as a lawyer. In 1919, after the defeat of the Turks and their withdrawal from Syria, Atassi was elected to the Syrian National Congress, the first Syrian parliament. His cousin,
Hashim al-Atassi Hashim al-Atassi (; 11 January 1875 – 5 December 1960) was a Syrian politician and statesman who served as the President of Syria on three occasions from 1936 to 1939, 1949 to 1951 and 1954 to 1955. Background and early career He was bo ...
, the other deputy from Homs, was chosen as chairman. On March 10, 1920 both Wasfi and Hashim al-Atassi were elected to the seven-membered constitutional committee that was charged with drafting the first Syrian constitution. Within a few days, the members of this committee were able to review several existing constitutional documents from other countries, formulate a draft, debate the articles, and present the new constitution to the congress for ratification. The constitution declared Syria an independent constitutional monarchy under King Faisal, and recognized no foreign claims in the country or international treaties that would jeopardize its independence. Wasfi Atassi was also a member of the three-membered congressional committee which chose the current building that housed the parliament in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
. In 1920 he was installed governor of
Hama Hama ( ', ) is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It is located north of Damascus and north of Homs. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. With a population of 996,000 (2023 census), Hama is one o ...
by King Faisal. Atassi took part in the struggle for independence and became a member of national movements which opposed Turkish dominance and then the French mandate. In early 1919, he founded the Arab Club () in Homs, similar to the one established in Damascus by the nationalists. Atassi was chosen head of the Club and supervised its activities, which included hosting a range of meetings, discussions, and lectures on nationalism. It also staged several plays, all of which were in frank opposition to the French influence and targeted its mandate. The French authorities closed the club down in July, 1920. In May, 1920, he was named a founding member of the Al-Fatat (, the anti-
CUP A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...
pro- Entente organization founded in Paris in 1911) via an amendment made by the original founders to the party constitution. The Young Arab was the largest and most influential Arab party in the late Ottoman period and early independent era. He became an influential figure in the Syrian revolts against the French. In 1920 Atassi took part in establishing The Homs Defense Committee, headed by his cousin Omar al-Atassi. The committee organized armed clashes between the people of Homs and the French troops. He was charged with providing the necessary financial support through donations from both public and governmental agencies. Between 1919 and 1925 he was delegated by the nationalists of Homs to represent them in meetings with the influential families and tribes of the area, such as the Azms, Keilanis and Barazis of Hama, the Suweidans of
Hisyah Hisyah (, also spelled Hasya, Hasiyah, Hesa or Hessia) is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located about 35 kilometers south of Homs. Situated on the M5 Highway between Homs and Damascus, nearby localities in ...
, the Dandachis of Talkalakh, and the Ahsenah tribe. These meetings were held to discuss the struggle for independence and were a prelude to the
Syrian Revolution The Syrian revolution, also known as the Syrian Revolution of Dignity, was a series of mass protests and civilian uprisings throughout Syria – with a subsequent violent reaction by the Ba'athist regime – lasting from 15 March 2011 to 8 De ...
of 1925. He became one of the brains behind the uprisings of the two sister cities of
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
and
Hama Hama ( ', ) is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It is located north of Damascus and north of Homs. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. With a population of 996,000 (2023 census), Hama is one o ...
. In 1925 he joined the Peoples' Party of Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar, along with Shukri al-Jundi, Mazhar Raslan, Shafiq al-Husseini, and Abdul-Kareem al-Droubi, and established a chapter in Homs. The French struck back. In 1926 Atassi was one of the national leaders exiled to the Island of
Arwad Arwad (; ), the classical antiquity, classical Aradus, is a town in Syria on an eponymous List of islands of Syria, island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative center of the Arwad nahiyah, Subdistrict (''nahiyah''), of which it is ...
for two months (January 23 – March 26), along with his cousins
Hashim al-Atassi Hashim al-Atassi (; 11 January 1875 – 5 December 1960) was a Syrian politician and statesman who served as the President of Syria on three occasions from 1936 to 1939, 1949 to 1951 and 1954 to 1955. Background and early career He was bo ...
, Mazhar al-Atassi, as well as Faris al-Khoury, Saadallah al-Jabiri, Mazhar Raslan, Shukry Al-Jindi, and others. Returning from exile, Atassi joined the National Bloc that was formed by the major political figures of Syria and Lebanon at that time, and lead the struggle against the French for the next two decades until establishing independence in 1946. In 1928 he was one of the members of the National Block who signed a pact announcing their participation in congressional elections; however, he stepped down in favor of his cousin, Hashem al-Atassi, to ensure unity. Wasfi al-Atassi died in 1933. He was unable to see the final struggle for independence reap its fruits.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atassi, Wasfi 1888 births 1933 deaths Wasfi al-Atassi Members of the People's Assembly of Syria National Bloc (Syria) politicians People from Homs Syrian nationalists Syrian people of Turkish descent Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni