Wasfi al-Atassi was a Syrian nationalist, statesman and one of the original writers of the Syrian constitution.

Life

Born in Homs

Homs

Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...

 to the Atassi

Atassi

Atassi, also spelled Atasi is the name of a prominent family of city Notables in Homs, Syria dating back to the 16th century AD. Members of the family lead the national movement against the French mandate...

 family in 1888, he was educated locally. His father, Najeeb Efendi al-Atassi was an islamic scholar and a notable, having headed the municipality of the city of Homs

Homs

Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...

 in 1879. Wasfi Atassi attended the Imperial Law School of Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, the capital of the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. Upon graduation he returned to his home town and established a career as a lawyer.

In 1919, after the defeat of the Turks and their withdrawal from Syria, Atassi was elected to the Syrian National Congress, the first Syrian parliament. His cousin, Hashim al-Atassi

Hashim al-Atassi

Hashim Bay Khalid al-Atassi was a Syrian nationalist, statesman and its President from 1936 to 1939, 1949 to 1951, and 1954 to 1955.- Background and early career :...

, the other deputy from Homs, was chosen as chairman. On March 10, 1920 both Wasfi and Hashim al-Atassi were elected to the seven-membered constitutional committee that was charged with drafting the first Syrian constitution. Within a few days, the members of this committee were able to review several existing constitutional documents from other countries, formulate a draft, debate the articles, and present the new constitution to the congress for ratification. The constitution declared Syria an independent constitutional monarchy under King Faisal

Faisal I of Iraq

Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...

, and recognized no foreign claims in the country or international treaties that would jeopardize its independence. Wasfi Atassi was also a member of the three-membered congressional committee which chose the current building that housed the parliament in Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

. In 1920 he was installed governor of Hama

Hama

Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...

 by King Faisal.

Atassi took part in the struggle for independence and became a member of national movements which opposed Turkish dominance and then the French mandate. In early 1919, he founded the Arab Club in Homs, similar to the one established in Damascus by the nationalists. Atassi was chosen head of the Club and supervised its activities, which included hosting a range of meetings, discussions, and lectures on nationalism. It also staged several plays, all of which were in frank opposition to the French influence and targeted its mandate. The French authorities closed the club down in July, 1920.

In May, 1920, he was named a founding member of the Young Arab  via an amendment made by the original founders to the party constitution. The Young Arab was the largest and most influential Arab party in the late Ottoman period and early independent era. He became an influential figure in the Syrian revolts against the French. In 1920 Atassi took part in establishing The Homs Defense Committee, headed by his cousin Omar al-Atassi. The committee organized armed clashes between the people of Homs and the French troops. He was charged with providing the necessary financial support through donations from both public and governmental agencies. Between 1919 and 1925 he was delegated by the nationalists of Homs to represent them in meetings with the influential families and tribes of the area, such as the Azms, Keilanis and Barazis of Hama, the Suweidans of Hasiyah, the Dandachis of Telkalakh, and the Ahsenah tribe. These meetings were held to discuss the struggle for independence and were a prelude to the Syrian Revolution of 1925. He became one of the brains behind the uprisings of the two sister cities of Homs

Homs

Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...

 and Hama

Hama

Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...

. In 1925 he joined the Peoples' Party of Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar

Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar

Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar was a prominent Syrian nationalist during the French Mandate of Syria and a leading opponent of compromise with French authority. His devotion to Arab nationalism dated to the days of the Committee of Union and Progress and its "Turkification" policies...

, along with Shukri al-Jundi, Mazhar Raslan, Sahfeeq al-Husseini, and Abdul-Kareem al-Droubi, and established a chapter in Homs.

The French struck back. In 1926 Atassi was one of the national leaders exiled to the Island of Arwad

Arwad

Arwad – formerly known as Arado , Arados , Arvad, Arpad, Arphad, and Antiochia in Pieria , also called Ruad Island – located in the Mediterranean Sea, is the only inhabited island in Syria. The town of Arwad takes up the entire island...

 for two months (January 23-March 26), along with his cousins Hashim al-Atassi

Hashim al-Atassi

Hashim Bay Khalid al-Atassi was a Syrian nationalist, statesman and its President from 1936 to 1939, 1949 to 1951, and 1954 to 1955.- Background and early career :...

, Mazhar al-Atassi, as well as Faris al-Khoury, Saadallah al-Jabiri

Saadallah al-Jabiri

Saadallah al-Jabiri , is a Syrian politician and a two-time prime minister of Syria. He was born in Aleppo, and became the leader of the National Bloc during the French mandate era. He also served as foreign minister in a number of cabinets....

, Mazhar Raslan, Shukry Al-Jindi, and others. Returning from exile, Atassi joined the National Bloc

National Bloc (Syria)

The National Bloc was a Syrian political party that emerged to fight for Syrian independence during the French Mandate of Syria period.The party was created after a national conference in 1928, by Ibrahim Hananu....

that was formed by the major political figures of Syria and Lebanon at that time, and lead the struggle against the French for the next two decades until establishing independence in 1946. In 1928 he was one of the members of the National Block who signed a pact announcing their participation in congressional elections; however, he stepped down in favor of his cousin, Hashem al-Atassi, to ensure unity.

Wasfi al-Atassi died in 1933. He was unable to see the final struggle for independence reap its fruits.