Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-08-30
Arab Girl Leader Pleads
For Her Native Land

1iaifa. Palestine. Aug. Eazcl al
Abed. an Arab girl who played a prom
inent part in fomcntng the revolt
against French rule in SYRIA last MAY.
ana who later mana ged to escape from
prison where she was serving a life
sentence, gave the representative of
The Associated Press an interview in
which she set forth her reasons for tho
unpopularity of the French mandate in
the Near East.
The French press" she said "ac
cuscd Charles r. Crane, former Amer
lean Minister to China, of being tho
cause of the disorders of last Nav.
rms is absolutely false. The disor-
ders were the direct result Of the Oh
pressve and offensive rule Of the man
datorX power in Syria
wv" syrian people" she continued
ar" liberty loving. We pride ourselves
on the TACT that we arc tho intellectual
ana moral leaders of all the Arabs. In
welcoming the French Army in 1918
we had hoped that France would helm
Us realize our aspirations for self
instead OF lust treatment. We find that
our country is occupied by black
troops. VIII" are our Interiors; cur gov
eminent turned over to inexperienced
French officials. who try to govern by
force. and our leaders lodged in jails.
In the face Of all thcS" abuses" she
declared, "A nation can DO no less than
| revolt and ria itself Of the yoke Of the
opprcssor."
Nazcl al Ahod is about 80 Years Of
age. of commanding personality ami
with a great charm Of manner. SHE
was born in Damascus Of wealth,
and influential family. A mission
school provided her with an education
/ which seems to have instilled into her
heart the love Of country and of indie
I pcnd"nce.
! During the war she served in the
1 Red Crescent. a Turkish organization
similar TO the American Red Cross
/ Since 1919 she has been the accredited
] leader of all tho women organizations
/ in Syria. because IF the part she
( played in organizing the dcmonstra-
| tons in Damascus last May. which re-
! suited in great disorders and blood
! shed. sh" was arrested and condemned
! 10 lie imprisonment. She remained
| IN prison. however. but a short time.
soon making her escape.
Asked if Syria is prepared as Vet for
! independence Nazcl al Abcd replied:
| Those who know anything of Syrian
/ politics Will admit that SO far the man
| date system has proven an absolute
! failure on the one hand it introduced
! fresh encroachmcnts on the sovereign
! ty of our beloved country in favor of
an imperialistic power, and on the
! other hand it brought to us great So
cial as we'll as commercial suffering.
due to the separation of Syria from
her sister country. Palestine"
| Nazcl al Abod complained that the
world, and especially America, is so i'll
! Informed about Syria. The French
occupation" she asserted has been 4
curse instead Of blessing. We Sy-
slaves. We arc forced to accept Frcnch
habits. French customs. French civil
iZation and even French language, in
spite Of ourselves. is it any won Ter
| that we rovoltcd last May?
"-All we ask now is to be left alone,
free to rebuild our country in undis-
turbed quiet; free TO live our life in
blems after our own manners. We
! still hope that America will not fail to
help US realize our aspirations"