The Tabit incident shows, if anything, that Saadeh was very dearly attached to his principles and ideological framework. He showed that these were not up for negotiation at any price, since they were sacred for him. This created a hula of sacredness around his personality. Some went as far as to say that Saadeh could become prime minister if only he would accept to change or divert a little from his principles.
He was even able to get millions of pounds-a big sum for those time-if he accepted a change in his principles. However, he would rather have his head cut off rather than attempt into such ludicrous negotiations.
Saadeh' return to Lebanon was a big stride for the party. The leader and the party had chosen to stay and struggle. This was what Saadeh had formulated as “The right to struggle is the right to advance. Once again the party grew in numbers, while the incumbent governments tried to stop its advance and popularity, since the French had already given up on taming Saadeh and his youth. The Kata'ib (Phalange) Party was started in 1936 for the specific reason of fighting the SSNP. The French gave the Phalangists money and weapons, as well as their marine forces base as a headquarters for the new party. It was not a secret that the Kata'ib party was a pro French organization. It was hence comical for such a party that was in the pay of the French to come up with such rubrics as “the creation of a Lebanese nation,” and “a Lebanese identity,” as if nations and peoples are formed instantaneously rather than undergoing historical periods of formation.
In this regard Saadeh says:
“…there are neo-reactionary forces that try to destroy the reality. These are the French made Lebanese who believe in the “Lebanese Identity”, which tries to separate the Christians and the non- Christians from the rest of the Syrians. By creating such non-existent realities they not only marginalize a section of the people from its real identity, but even antagonize against the real identity and its continuation…
The Lebanese isolationist ideology, i.e. spiritual and social isolation, and the idea of establishing a separate Lebanese identity and nationality based on this isolationist idea shows, if anything, the sickness of those who advocate it. The Syrian mind feels this psychological rift because it is an ideology that is against social logic and truth.”
It was logical that such newly formed parties would use the situation to fight the SSNP and its ideology. However, the party did not care much about such actions, because it was on a different level then those around it.
The Teacher and the Students
I was not surprised that the secrecy of the party was unveiled and everybody knew who those few SSPN members were.
I was not surprised to know that a party such as the SSNP existed. That it advocated a Pan-Syrian nationality. I had been acquainted to these notions through the lectures that my teacher, Zaki al Naqqash, delivered at the Maqasid College during the 1930's. He thought us History and Geography and I used to feel this Pan-Syrian belongingness throughout his lectures. Zaki al Naqqash would become a radiant sun every time he used to speak to us about Pan-Syrianess, its history, its geography, its ruins, and its civilizations.
He would stand in front of the class every morning and would say to us: “O children of life. Who is life for?” And we would answer: “To us.” Then he would continue: “And for whom are we.” And we would answer: “We are for Syria. At this point Naqqash would jump into the air by stating “Long Live Syria.” And we would follow: “Long live, long live, Long Live…”
We would then go to our classes with the “Long Live” salutation still echoing in our ears.
At the time we did not know that there was a secret party and that our teacher, al Naqqash was one of its first members. He was a first generation party member who believed in Saadeh's principles. So were his friends George Abd al Masih, Fakhri al Maaluf, Abdallah al Qubersi.
In the beginning Zaki al Naqqash was a history teacher in a school in Nablus. In 1928 he wrote an article to the al Kashshaf [Scouting] magazine where he stated that despite the ups and down that Syria had lived the Syrian nationality or identity was and still is a very clear idea through Syria's history. Saadeh had read this article. So when he formed the party in 1932 and Abd al Masih and al Qubersi became his disciples, he remembered al Naqqash's article and asked al Qubersi about the author. When he was told that the author, Al Naqqash, was in Beirut, Saadeh send al Qubersi to him. Qubersi talked to al Naqqash about Saadeh and the party and al Naqqash went to Saadeh's house where he took his oath and joined the party with open arms.
