The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-09-05
Arab Girl Leader
Pleads For Native
Land; Tells Story

HAIFA, Palestine, Aug. 20-(Asso-
ciated Press MaiD-NaZel al Abed,
an Arab girl who played a prominent
part in fomenting the revolt against
French rule in Syria last May, and
who later managed to escape from
prison whre she was serving a life
sentence, gave the representative of
The Associated Press an interview in
which she set forth her reasons for
the u~npopularity of the French man
date in the Near East.
"The French press" she said "ac-
cused Charles r. Crane former Am
erican Minister to China, of being
the cause of the disorders of last May
This is absolutely false. The dis
orders were the direct result of the
oppressive and offensive rule of the
mandatory power in Syria.
1--WE Syrian people,, she continued
"are liberty loving. We pride our
selves on the fact that we are the
intellectual and moral leaders of all
the Arabs. In welcoming the French
Army in 1918, we had hoped that
France would help us realize u as
pirations for selfgovernment. We
have been deceived. Instead of just
treatment, We ulu tldJ Jul SOuhJl
is occupied by black troops, who are
u interiors; our government turned
over to inexperienced French officials
who try to govern by force, and our
leaders lodged in jails.
"In the face of all these abuses"
she declared, "a nation can do no
less than revolt and rid itself of the
yoke of the oppressor."
AT-I IA = - on
age, of commanding personality and
with a great charm of manner. She
was born in Damascus of a wealthy
and influential family. A mission
school provided her with an educa-
ton which seems to have instilled
her heart the love of country and
of independence.
During the wal she served in the
Red Crescent, a Turkish organization
similar to the American Red Cross
Since 1919 she has been the accre-
dited leader of all the women organi-
cations in Syria. Because of the part
she played in organizing the demon
strations in Damascus last May,
which resulted in great disorders and
bloodshed, she was arrested and con-
demned to life Imprisonment. She
remained in prison, however, but a
short time, o on making her escape.
Asked if Syria is prepared as yet
for independence Nazel al Abed re-
piled: "Those who know anything of
Syrian politics will admit that so far
the mandate system has proven an
absolute failure. On the one hand it
introduced fresh encroachments On
the sovereignty of our beloved coun-
try in favor of an imperialistic power
and on the other hand it brought to
us great social as well as commercial
suffering, due to the separation of
Syria from her sister country Pales-
tine"
Nazel al Abed complained that the
world, and especially America, is so
i'll informed about Syria. THE French
occupation, she asserted, "has been
a curse instead of a blessing. We Sy-
rian people today are treated like
slaves. We are forced to accept
French habits, French customs, a
French civilization and even a French
language, in spite of ourselves. Is
it any wonder that W. revolted last
May?
"All we ask now is to be left alone,
free to rebuild our country in undis-
turbed quiet; free to live u life
in our own way, and to solve u