Saadeh – Biography – SSNP Sydney

Antoun Saadeh

Antoun Saadeh was born on the 1st of March 1904 in the town of Showeir, District of Metn, Mt. Lebanon.
He received his elementary education at Showeir School and continued his studies at the Lycee des Freres in Cairo and at Brummana School
He left Lebanon in the latter part of 1919 for the United States, and in February 1921 moved to Brazil where he took part with his father, Dr. Khalil Saadeh, in editing Al-Jarida newspaper and Al-Majalla magazine.
He founded in 1924 a secret society whose object was to work for the unity of Natural Syria, but which he dissolved in 1925. While in Brazil, he studied German and Russian. He returned to Lebanon in July 1930. In 1931, he wrote “A Love Tragedy” which was first published with his “Story of the Feast of Our Lady of Sidnaya” in one book in Beirut during 1933.
In 1931, he went to Damascus where he joined the staff of the Damascene daily Al-Ayyam, but returned to Beirut in 1932 to teach German to students of the American University of Beirut who had chosen to include that language in their studies. In Beirut, he resumed publication in 1933 of Al-Majaila magazine, of. which four issues appeared.
He founded The Syrian Social Nationalist Party on the 16th of November, 1932. On 16th of November, 1935, the existence of the Party became known. Saadeh was arrested and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, during which he wrote his book “THE RISE OF NATIONS”. He was released from prison but was detained again in late June 1936. During this term of imprisonment he wrote his pamphlet “PRINCIPLES EXPLAINED”. In early November he was discharged from prison, to be returned to it in early March 1937. He had written his book “THE RISE OF THE SYRIAN NATION”, but the manuscript was confiscated at the time of his arrest, and the authorities refused to return it.
Released in late May 1937, he founded An-Nahda newspaper in November 1937. He continued to lead the Party until he left the country in 1938 to organize the Party’s branches abroad.
In Brazil, he founded the New Syria newspaper, but was detained there for two months following accusations by colonialist agents which proved to be false.
He moved to Argentina where, following the outbreak of World War II in 1939. He remained there until 1947.
He founded Al-Zouba’a newspaper and wrote “The Struggle of the Intellect in Syrian Literature” which was printed in Buenos Aires.
He married in 1943 Juliette Al-Mir, who bore him three daughters.
He was sentenced in absentia by the French courts during the war to twenty years’ imprisonment and twenty years’ exile.
He returned home on 2 March 1947 and, soon after his arrival, delivered a revolutionary speech, whereupon the authorities issued against him a arrest warrant which remained in force for seven months, but which was later withdrawn.
He founded Al-Jil Al-Jadid newspaper. It was at the offices and printing premises of this newspaper that the Jemmayzeh incident occurred in execution of a plan concocted by the authorities in cohesion with the Kataeb Organization, which attacked and set fire to the premises. Following this planned incident, the authorities set out to harass the Party. In Damascus, Saadeh proclaimed on 4 July 1949 the first national social revolution to destroy the rule of tyranny, corruption and forgery.
During that time, an international conspiracy went into effect and, on 7 July 1949, it succeeded in persuading Husni Al-Za’im to deliver Saadeh to the Lebanese authorities who interrogated, tried and executed him within twenty-four hours.
At 3.20 am on the 8th of July 1949, he was assassinated by the Lebanese authorities.