Daud as-Sayegh
Encyclopedia
Daud as-Sayegh was an Iraq
i communist politician. As-Sayegh was a Christian
lawyer from Baghdad
. He entered and left the Iraqi Communist Party
several times during the 1940s and 1950s.
As-Sayegh had sided with Iraqi Communist Party leader Fahd
in the 1942 split in the party. However, in Feberuary 1944 as-Sayegh broke away from the party and formed the League of Iraqi Communists
. As-Sayegh denounced Fahd's leadership in the Iraqi Communist Party, accusing him of adventurism
and undemocratic practices.
As-Sayegh was readmitted to the Iraqi Communist Party in 1957. In early 1958 as-Sayegh, then a Central Committee
member of the Iraqi Communist Party, was expelled from the party after disagreements with Salam Adil and Amir Abdullah. In 1959 as-Sayegh he founded his own newspaper al-Mabda'
. As-Sayegh organized his own Iraqi Communist Party, with a tiny fraction of the membership of the original party. As-Sayegh's party applied for registration as the 'Iraqi Communist Party' in January 1960 as did the original Iraqi Communist Party. As-Sayegh's party was accorded recognition whilst the original party was denied registration. As-Sayegh was a personal friend of Abd al-Karim Qasim and his party received support from the government. As-Sayegh became the subject of virulent attacks in the Iraqi and foreign communist press. The (original) Iraqi Communist Party press stated that as-Sayegh did not represent the working class
and that he suffered from megalomania. They stated that as-Sayegh had become a tool of the government in order to weaken the Iraqi Communist Party. As-Sayegh on his part rebuffed these accusations, stating that he represented the original party leadership formed in 1934.
Soon after its foundation, as-Sayegh's party whittered away.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i communist politician. As-Sayegh was a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
lawyer from Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. He entered and left the Iraqi Communist Party
Iraqi Communist Party
Since its foundation in 1934, the Iraqi Communist Party has dominated the left in Iraqi politics. It played a fundamental role in shaping the political history of Iraq between its foundation and the 1970s. The Party was involved in many of the most important national uprisings and demonstrations...
several times during the 1940s and 1950s.
As-Sayegh had sided with Iraqi Communist Party leader Fahd
Fahd
The name Fahd is an Arabic name:, also transliterated Fahad or Fahed, can refer to:* Fahd A royal name in Saudi Arabia that bears connotations of courage and fierceness...
in the 1942 split in the party. However, in Feberuary 1944 as-Sayegh broke away from the party and formed the League of Iraqi Communists
League of Iraqi Communists
League of Iraqi Communists was a communist organisation in Iraq, led by Daud as-Sayegh. The League was founded in February 1944, after a split in the Iraqi Communist Party. As-Sayegh had revolted against Fahd's leadership in the Iraqi Communist Party, accusing him of adventurism and undemocratic...
. As-Sayegh denounced Fahd's leadership in the Iraqi Communist Party, accusing him of adventurism
Adventurism
Adventurism is a criticism levelled at governments which pursue reckless policies, seemly for the sake of excitement. Countries pusuing foreign wars of dubious merit or which have little chance of success have often been accused of adventurism by opponenets....
and undemocratic practices.
As-Sayegh was readmitted to the Iraqi Communist Party in 1957. In early 1958 as-Sayegh, then a Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
member of the Iraqi Communist Party, was expelled from the party after disagreements with Salam Adil and Amir Abdullah. In 1959 as-Sayegh he founded his own newspaper al-Mabda'
Al-Mabda'
Al-Mabda' was a communist daily newspaper published from Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Mabda was founded by the dissident communist politician Daud as-Sayegh . The first issue of al-Mabda was published on November 21, 1959. The newspaper was allegedly supported by the government of Abd al-Karim Qasim...
. As-Sayegh organized his own Iraqi Communist Party, with a tiny fraction of the membership of the original party. As-Sayegh's party applied for registration as the 'Iraqi Communist Party' in January 1960 as did the original Iraqi Communist Party. As-Sayegh's party was accorded recognition whilst the original party was denied registration. As-Sayegh was a personal friend of Abd al-Karim Qasim and his party received support from the government. As-Sayegh became the subject of virulent attacks in the Iraqi and foreign communist press. The (original) Iraqi Communist Party press stated that as-Sayegh did not represent the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and that he suffered from megalomania. They stated that as-Sayegh had become a tool of the government in order to weaken the Iraqi Communist Party. As-Sayegh on his part rebuffed these accusations, stating that he represented the original party leadership formed in 1934.
Soon after its foundation, as-Sayegh's party whittered away.