His Majesty the late King Faisal I bin Hussein Al-Mu'azzam
King Faisal I, may God have mercy on his soul, was born on May 20, 1883. He was one of the most famous Arab politicians of the modern era. He was elected as a deputy for the city of Jeddah in the Ottoman Council of Representative in 1913, completed his studies in Istanbul, and was taught the Holy Quran by his father.
Faisal I, son of Hussein, was a courageous leader with a civilizational thought; he ascended to both the Syrian and Iraqi thrones.
During the launch of the Great Arab Revolt in 1916, Prince Faisal led the Northern Army, later becoming the General Commander of the Arab Army. He entered Syria in 1918 after the withdrawal of the Turks and was welcomed as a liberator. He then declared the establishment of an Arab government in Damascus.
On March 8, 1920, the General Congress declared Syria's independence, and Prince Faisal was proclaimed King of Syria. He announced a general amnesty, the government Arabized military ranks, state bureaucracies, schools, and all textbooks, and established the Syrian University.
The French forces, led by General Gouraud, issued an ultimatum to King Faisal on July 14, 1920, followed by the Battle of Maysalun on July 24. As a result, the French army occupied Syria.
After the French occupation, Faisal left Syria and started diplomatic tours to claim Arab rights. In early 1921, Britain responded to some Arab demands, leading to the establishment of two Arab states under British mandate in Iraq and Transjordan. A referendum in Iraq in the summer of 1921 resulted in the proclamation of Faisal as the King of the country.
King Faisal pursued a policy of moderation and balance in the development of Iraq and sought its stability and independence from the mandate. He succeeded in 1932, when the mandate was abolished, and Iraq joined the League of Nations. However, King Faisal did not live long enough to continue serving the Arabs; he died of a heart attack on September 8, 1933, while undergoing treatment in Switzerland. His body was transferred to Baghdad, where he was buried. His son, King Ghazi, succeeded him.
