It was my first meeting with the man. I still remember the feelings I got on meeting him and listening to his views. I saw myself in front of an extra ordinary man. He possessed charismatic character. Anyone who listens to him would be engulfed in his humanistic approach and purity of thought.
He also liked a good joke. At our meeting Saadeh asked Baalbaki about the government that was to be formed and who will take part in it. Baalbaki mentioned such and such from the Maronites, such from the orthodox, and Muhi al Din al Nasuli from the Sunnis. Muhi al Din was not a favorite guy at the time because he had carried the “The Carpet of Mercy” during the burial procession of the Maronite president Emile Eddeh. So I jokingly asked Baalbaki why he is not considering al Nasuli from the Maronites. Saadeh started to laugh loudly for my joke. His face was so beautiful when he used to laugh.
I Swore Allegiance
On the next day I gave my oath and swore allegiance to the party in the offices of Adib Qaddura and in the presence of the party's chief for Internal Affairs, Mustafa Ezzeddin. Abdallah al Qubersi, Tariq al Yafi, George Salibi and Fu'ad Abi Ajram were also present. This happened in 1949, just months before Saadeh's execution.
I learned later that Saadeh would ask Muhammad and Adib: “Do not leave this young journalist, Ahmad Shuman, away from the party. I think that was why Baalbaki kept insisting to me that I had to join the party.
The new leader Jubran Jarih wrote about my joining the party in his book “With Antoine Saadeh: From 1932 to 1959. On page 56 he says:
“The Egyptian journalist Ahmad Shuman was one of those who followed the party's path and the lectures and writings of its leader. He had very good and personal relations with several Qawmi members. From this viewpoint he was considered an insider to the party, its leadership, and its politics...
“…Finally, Shuman decided that it was time to join the party However, the question was how he could join if he was not a Syrian to begin with. He applied anyway. We were surprised that the leader accepted the offer and issued an exception order, which was the equivalent of granting him, Shuman, an honorary SSNP citizenship for him.”
THE Model Party
The SSNP was never a regular political, ideological party. It was something different. The leader wanted it to be a new school, which was destined to graduate a new generation of youth for whom organization and rules were sacred. These members would be the vanguards with their simple and pure way of life and submission to party rules and general civility. Being a person of clean and virtuous character was on the top of the list for Saadeh. He ruled by example and also solved issues between party members.
He was adamant that SSNP members would always keep their reputations unblemished. He was very forceful regarding the party's rules. He would not refrain from ousting the nearest to him if that was necessary. High ranking party members were no exception to him. The rules were to be followed by all.
These characteristics were the cornerstone upon which Saadeh built his party. SNNP members thought that they were always being watched if not by the government then by their own peers. The SSNP member would not lie, would not gamble, would not endanger people's fortitude, would not use the party for personal reasons, and would not spy for anyone. Members followed these rules not because they were afraid to be caught red handed, but rather out of love and respect for their leader and his principles that they had internalized.
The SSNP then was not a regular party but rather a school for men. It thought its members to obey and to be at the highest level of integrity.
For Saadeh these characteristics of himself and his comrades were the basis upon which the party was constructed. He firmly believed that if these characteristics were absent, any movement or political organization was destined to fail. For this reason he was very frank and very forceful toward his party members, because he wanted them to be as models for others to follow.
There was another important basis upon which Saadeh's party was built. It was the basis of negating all aspects of sectarianism and purifying his members' souls from it. SSNP members lived together without feeling the dividing forces of sectarian strife. A strife that was squeezing the country and separating its children from one another. Colonization was its biggest asset. It purred oil on the fire of sectarianism for its own purposes. This was the “divide and rule” policy that the French colonialists utilized. It wanted the Lebanese to be divided in to religious sects and political parties. It wanted them to fight against each other.
