Said Ibrahim of Grand Comore
Encyclopedia
Prince Said Ibrahim
Prince Said Ibrahim (1911-04-17, Antananarivo
, Madagascar
- 1975, France
) was a politician in the Comoros
islands of the western Indian Ocean
. He was the son of Sultan Said Ali, sultan of Grande Comore
.
Said Ibrahim was educated at the Myre de Villers School in Antananarivo
, Madagascar
, with the view that he would be part of the local administration of the Comoros. He initially became an interpreter, and in 1938, after several requests, he obtained the post as Head of Administration to Grande Comore, then later the High Commissioner to Madagascar.
After World War II
, in 1946 he was appointed Governor. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca
, remaining in Cairo
where he met King Farouk, and visiting Al-Azhar University
. In 1947/1948 he sought to organize an Arab League
struggle against Israel
. In 1951 he stood down, arguably to devote himself entirely to politics. He became the leader of the opposition Parti Blanc (White Party), later reconstituted as the Democratic Assembly of the Comoran People (Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Comorien-- RDPC), in league with the Comorienne Agreement Party (CEP) of his half brother Prince Said Houssein, and in agreement with the Party of General Charles de Gaulle
. He tried twice to become a member of the French National Assembly
: In 1951, his application was invalid, and in 1957 he lost. Finally, he was appointed Minister of Finance from 1957 to 1958. In 1959, Comoros got two seats in the French National Assembly, while remaining a single electoral district, and in 1962 and 1967, he teamed up with Mohamed Ahmed in elections. From 1958 to 1970 he was elected and reelected president of the Territorial Assembly and the Chamber of Deputies of the Comoros.
After the death of Sheikh Mohamed Said, he became for a time the strongest politician in the Comoros. He was elected President of the Governing Council on 2 April 1970, and was re-elected on 28 June 1971. Amid calls from all sides of the political elite demanding independence, he maintained that there was "no political independence without economic independence" which implied cooperation between the Comoros and France.
In 1971 the Legislature was hostile to him and he sought and obtained from France the dissolution of the Legislature, but the new assembly sought to overthrow the government in June 1972.
He died in 1975 in France, as a result of disease, after giving evidence about the coup of 3 August 1975.
He remained unmarried.
(IATA: HAH; ICAO: FMCH), the international airport serving Moroni
, capital of Comoros
.
The Prince Said Ibrahim Mosque
, named for him, is in Ngazidja, Comoros.
Prince Said Ibrahim (1911-04-17, Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
- 1975, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was a politician in the Comoros
Comoros
The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
islands of the western Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. He was the son of Sultan Said Ali, sultan of Grande Comore
Grande Comore
Grande Comore is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is the largest island in the Comoros nation. Most of its population is of the Comorian ethnic group. Its population as of 2006 is about 316,600. The island's capital is Moroni, which is also the national capital...
.
Said Ibrahim was educated at the Myre de Villers School in Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, with the view that he would be part of the local administration of the Comoros. He initially became an interpreter, and in 1938, after several requests, he obtained the post as Head of Administration to Grande Comore, then later the High Commissioner to Madagascar.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in 1946 he was appointed Governor. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, remaining in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
where he met King Farouk, and visiting Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
. In 1947/1948 he sought to organize an Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
struggle against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In 1951 he stood down, arguably to devote himself entirely to politics. He became the leader of the opposition Parti Blanc (White Party), later reconstituted as the Democratic Assembly of the Comoran People (Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Comorien-- RDPC), in league with the Comorienne Agreement Party (CEP) of his half brother Prince Said Houssein, and in agreement with the Party of General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. He tried twice to become a member of the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
: In 1951, his application was invalid, and in 1957 he lost. Finally, he was appointed Minister of Finance from 1957 to 1958. In 1959, Comoros got two seats in the French National Assembly, while remaining a single electoral district, and in 1962 and 1967, he teamed up with Mohamed Ahmed in elections. From 1958 to 1970 he was elected and reelected president of the Territorial Assembly and the Chamber of Deputies of the Comoros.
After the death of Sheikh Mohamed Said, he became for a time the strongest politician in the Comoros. He was elected President of the Governing Council on 2 April 1970, and was re-elected on 28 June 1971. Amid calls from all sides of the political elite demanding independence, he maintained that there was "no political independence without economic independence" which implied cooperation between the Comoros and France.
In 1971 the Legislature was hostile to him and he sought and obtained from France the dissolution of the Legislature, but the new assembly sought to overthrow the government in June 1972.
He died in 1975 in France, as a result of disease, after giving evidence about the coup of 3 August 1975.
He remained unmarried.
Legacy
Prince Said Ibrahim is commemorated by the Prince Said Ibrahim International AirportPrince Said Ibrahim International Airport
Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport is an international airport located in Moroni, Comoros.-Airlines and destinations:- Accidents and Incidents :...
(IATA: HAH; ICAO: FMCH), the international airport serving Moroni
Moroni, Comoros
-References:...
, capital of Comoros
Comoros
The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
.
The Prince Said Ibrahim Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, named for him, is in Ngazidja, Comoros.