Akram al-Hawrani
Non-Nasserite Arab socialism in Syria has its origins in the Arab Socialist Party (ASP; also ASM, for Arab Socialist Movement). This party grew out of Syria's "Hizb al-Shabab" (Youth Party). In 1950, Akram al-Hawrani took over leadership of the party and changed its name to the "Arab Socialist Party". After initial successes, the ASP was banned by Syria's "de facto" leader, Adib ash-Shishakli, in 1952, as he considered it to be too powerful a political rival. Akram al-Hawrani went into exile in Lebanon, and there agreed on a merger with a nationalist and pan-Arabist opposition party, the Arab Ba'ath Party. The new party was called the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.