The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-09-09
Arab Girl Leader Pleads For Her
Native Land

Haifa, Palestine, August 3-NaZel
al Abed. an Arab girl who played
a prominent part in fomenting the
revolt against French rule in Sy-
ria last May, and who later man
aged TO escape from prison where
she was serving a life sentence,
gave the representative of the AS
sociated Press an interview in
which she set forth her reasons for
the unpopularity of the French
mandate in the Near East.
''The French press she said,
accused Charles r. Crane, form
er American Minister to China, OF
being the cause OF the disorders
of last May. This is absolutely
false. The disorders were tie di-
rect result of the oppressive and
offensive rule of the mandatory
power in Syria.
I'VE Syrian people," she contin-
ued, "are liberty loving people. We
pride ourselves on the fact that we
are the Intellectual and moral lead
ers of all Arabs. In welcoming the
French army in 1918, we had hoped
that France would help US realize
our aspirations for self government.
We have been deceived. Instead
of just treatment, we find our coun-
try is occupied by black troops,
who are our interiors: cur govern
ment turned over to inexperienced
French officials. who try to govern
by force, and our leaders lodged in
jails.
I'm 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.'
Nazel al Abed is about 80 years
of age, of commanding personality
and with a great charm Of manner.
She was born in Damascus Of a
wealthy and influential family. A
school provided her with an
which seems to have in
stilled into her heart the love Of.
country and of independence.
During the war she served in the
Red Crescent. a Turkish organiZa-
ton similar to the American Red
Cross. Since 1919 she has been
The accredited leader OF all, the
women organizations in Syria. Be-
cause of the part she played in or
ganizing the demonstrations in Da-
mascus last May, which resulted IN
great disorders and bloodshed, she
was arrested and condemned to
l.fe Imprisonment. She remained
in prison, however. but a short
time. soon making her escape.
Asked il Syra 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 ems.
croachments on sovereignty of our
beloved country in favor Of an i'm
perialistic power, and on the other
hand it brought to us great So
cial as well as commercial suffering,
due to the separation Of Syria from
her sister country-Palestine."
Nazel al Abed complained that
the world. and especially America.
is SO i'll informed about Syria The
French occupation" she asserted,
has been q curse instead Of a
blessing. We Syrian people today
are treated like slaves. We are
forced to accept French customs,
French civilization and even
French language. in spite of our
selves. Is it any wonder that we
revolted last May ?'
..All we ask now is to be left
alone, free to rebuild our country
in undisturbed quiet; free to live
our life in our own way, and to
solve our problems after our own
manners. We still hope that Amer
lea will not fail to help US realize
our aspirations.