The short-lived Syrian party, Hizbullah, and its founder Bashir Kamal - Aleppo, 1949. Unlike the modern party in Lebanon, which is a military group focused on Shiite Islam and warfare, the Syrian Hizbullah was a Gandhian party, focused on non-violence, peace, and love, inspired by the meaning and teachings of God. It called for a ministry of childhood, and a ministry of women affairs. The party shunned all kinds of violence and segregation, be it sectarian, ideological, military, or political. The party was short-lived and operated only in Aleppo during the tenure of President Husni al-Zaim. Kamal, a retired officer from the Ottoman Sultan's private guard, tried to run against Zaim in the 1949 presidential elections but his candidacy was turned down by government authorities.