Shukri al-Quwatli: Events and Memories

Dar Al-Arabia Lil-Oloum Publishers has released a book titled "Shukri al-Quwatli: Events and Memories," prepared by Syrian historian Dr. Sami Moubayed and supervised by the President Shukri al-Quwatli Foundation. The book narrates the life story of former Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli (1891-1967), making it accessible to readers with its included documents, memoirs, photographs, and events that shed light on pivotal stages of his political career and national achievements.

This biography/memoir includes letters and notes that al-Quwatli documented and exchanged with Arab and foreign kings and presidents, and which he audio-recorded to highlight the period of struggle he waged with his fellow patriots, first against Ottoman Turkish domination, and then against the French Mandate authority over Syria, which culminated in full independence.

With high performance and historical integrity, historian Moubayed added some definitions of the events and personalities mentioned in the biography, noting stages that President al-Quwatli did not address, such as his re-election in 1948, and the period of unity with Egypt and its aftermath.

The family of President Shukri al-Quwatli introduced the book with the following statement: "More than fifty years have passed since the departure of the Arab mujahid, the free master, and the noble president, who loved his homeland and was sincerely devoted to Arabs and their causes with genuine faith, without bias or evasion.

And we present these papers to the people of beloved Syria, and to all Arabs, for it is time for them to remember, and to know, if they are ignorant, the life and struggle of this great man; that life rich in phases and roles, in which he was one of those who paved the way, one of the strugglers for freedom and independence."

Regarding the importance of these memoirs, Dr. Sami Moubayed states in his introduction to the book: "... because its author was the first Arab ruler to fall victim to the military coups that swept through these lands and overthrew their democratic systems. And ironically, President al-Quwatli began writing and audio-recording his memoirs in 1961, and finished them in the summer of 1963, a few months after the Ba'ath coup, when he was residing in Geneva. And here they are published today, after the end and fall of the Ba'ath rule as well, a few months later...".