Syria not Lebanon is the
Creation of the Sikes-Picot Agreement
By: Elias Bejjani*
October 22/09
Lebanon has been hit by an
actual devastating curse since it became an independent country within its
current borders in 1920. This curse is embodied in the avarice, envy, detachment
from reality and hatred arising from neighboring, Syria, many of whose
politicians, rulers and intellectuals have failed to date to accept the solid
reality of Lebanon’s entity, distinguishable identity sovereignty and
independence.
They have angrily and vengefully alleged for years - without any actual
historical or geographical facts - that Lebanon is a part of their country. All
Lebanon’s major and shocking problems during the last 70 years have invariably
stemmed from this Syrian falsehood, a delusion which they concocted. Syrian
officials and politicians seek every opportunity to loudly and brazenly proclaim
this false allegation.
The latest mockery in this ongoing Syrian soap opera appeared in the contents of
a very sinister op-ed that was published in the Saudi daily, Al Riyadh, on
12/10/09 and then reproduced on 14/10/09 in the Syrian government-run
mouthpiece, Al Wattan, in which the argument was made for re-uniting Syria and
Lebanon into the romantic entity that many Arab nationalists have salivated over
for decades.
The Saudi journalist apologized two days after the publication of his opinion in
Al Wattan on the basis that he was mistaken in both perception and expression.
Al Wattan did not publish his apology. In his opinion he had uttered what the
Syrians have been rhetorically parroting since 1916: “that Lebanon was the
creation of the Sikes-Picot Agreement of 1916 through which France and the UK
with the assent of Russia stripped it from Syria.”
It is really annoying and boring that we the Lebanese should live with this
ongoing, shameful and deliberate Syrian twisting of the facts. They gave
themselves a political historical identity that does not in reality exist and
endeavor to impose their mockeries through propaganda that intends to stir
emotions, but is devoid of all the required actual historical and geographical
basis and facts.
A thorough review of the Sikes-Picot Agreement of 1916 that was reached between
France and the UK with the approval of Russia negates all the Syrian
allegations and unveils their lies. France and the UK which occupied most of the
Middle Eastern countries in World War I divided among themselves the
responsibilities and influence in these countries. Syria and Lebanon were among
these countries. Their deal was known as the Sikes-Picot Agreement. Meanwhile,
the League of Nations acknowledged the contents of this agreement in April 1922.
For the Syrians to reject the Sikes-Picot Agreement simply shows that they are
actually rejecting the existence of their own state. One might comprehend from
such a naive stance of rejection that the Syrians would prefer to go back to the
Ottoman era and its provincial system.
That obsolete system offered as its top position a wali (local governor) instead
of an Ottoman ruler. It also indicated that France and the UK dismantled certain
existing Arab states to establish artificial ones, like the current Republic of
Syria.
In fact, there was an Arabic plan to establish one big strong Arab State, but it
did not take place for many reasons stemming from the will of both ruling powers
at that time, France and the UK. This fact was taken into consideration when the
borders of the current Middle East countries were decided on and demarcated.
The best response to the nonsensical false Syrian allegation would be through
displaying historical facts according to their chronology in a bid to put an end
to this bold Syrian forgery of history.
First fact: Lebanon, both the distinguishable political identity and people, has
expressed itself in many forms. Without dwelling deeply into Lebanon’s remote
history, we know that it was an independent entity at least at the beginning of
this century, more specifically, in 1517 at the beginning of the Ottoman era.
During that era, Prince Faker Eddine, known as Sultan Al-Baer (the master of
the land), established the well-known Lebanese Maani Emirate.
Second fact: The Maani Emirate enjoyed self-autonomy, had its own army, as well
as its own foreign independent relations. This Lebanese prince cut numerous
accords with foreign countries and fought the Ottoman authorities to maintain a
kind of independence. Meanwhile, the entire surrounding area, including the
current state of Syria, were divided into provinces ruled directly by an Ottoman
governor (wali).
Third fact: Syria as it is known today has never been a politically independent
entity. The name Syria was given by the Greeks to a geographical area located
between the Dejla and Euphrates rivers and Phoenicia. Syria was not a name for
a separate state.
Fourth fact: In year 1920 the Lebanese entity was recognized as an existing
state, and not as a newly established one. At that time the existing borders of
the Lebanese Emirate were taken into consideration when the current Lebanese
State borders were demarcated. The Lebanese regions that were annexed to the
neighboring provinces were returned to the State of Lebanon.
Fifth fact: During that era the current geographical Syria was divided into four
small provinces: the Alawi province, the Druze province, the Damascus province
and the province of Aleppo. The same status prevailed until 1925 when the
province of Damascus was integrated with that of Aleppo and both were given the
name of the State of Syria. The four provinces were joined together in 1939 and
called the Syrian Republic. The UN recognized this newly established republic in
1941 after it was liberated from the French Vichy troops.
Sixth fact: The current Syrian Republic is a product of the Sikes-Picot
Agreement, and with the French occupation and the League of Nations the current
Syria would have remained divided into four provinces fighting each other.
Seventh fact: One doubts very much that Syrian Alawi Baathist officials are not
fully aware of the French documents that exhibit plainly the Alawi's stance in
calling for an independent Alawi State. These officials are definitely fully
aware of the names of the Alawi leaders who signed the documents.
Accordingly, based on these facts we can conclude that Syria and not Lebanon is
a fake country created by the Sikes-Picot Agreement. Meanwhile, Lebanon is a
country deeply rooted in ancient history, the earliest documented records dating
back at least 7000 years.
Three quotations from the Bible (Old Testament) show with no shred of a doubt
that Lebanon was throughout all historical eras recognized as a distinguishable
entity. Even its borders are mentioned:
*Judges 3:3: “…the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites,
and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal
Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.”
*Song of Solomon 4/7 &8: “You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot in
you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon. Look from the
top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the
mountains of the leopards.”
*Joshua 13/5-7 “…and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the
sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath; all the
inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the
Sidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only
allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore
divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of
Manasseh.”
The Syrians’ objection and rejection of the outcome of the Sikes-Picot Agreement
is a mere empty propaganda tactic, and in case they are not happy with it, the
Syrian Baathist regime will have to revert to its previous system of four
provinces and dismantle the current Syrian state.
The core of the problem with Syria lies in the fact that its Baathist regime is
oppressing and impoverishing its own people and depriving them of democracy and
all kinds of freedoms. By publicly airing such baseless emotional strife with
its neighbors, this regime strives to cover up all its hardships and failures
and attribute to the Sikes-Picot Agreement, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, etc... It
blames everyone else, but never recognizes its disastrous self-inflicted
failures in all domains.
The Syrian regime has drifted towards dictatorial rule and has been
camouflaging its evil axis of conduct and practices with a fake national
ideology which in reality is no more than a set of empty, deceptive rhetorical
slogans, and the allegation that Lebanon is a part of Syria is one of them.
Click Here to read the
Sikes-Picot Agreement
http://www.clhrf.com/unresagreements/sykes-picot1916.htm
*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political
commentator
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phoenicia@hotmail.com
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http://www.clhrf.com
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