The formal launch of the Syrian Communist Party in 1930.

‘Communist Party for the Whole of Syria Proclaimed’ by Mustafa Sadi from International Press Correspondence. Vol. 10 No. 41. September 4, 1930.

After long preparations the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Syria on the 1st of July proclaimed the existence of the Party as a political Party for the whole of Syria.

The Communists of Syria on this day flooded all the streets of Damascus, Beirut, Aleppo, Trablus, Said and other places with Communist proclamations, in which the Communist Party gives an estimation of the present political situation in Syria and of the position of the workers and peasants. The Party further stigmatises the ten years robber-policy of French imperialism and the complete bankruptcy and the betrayal of the Syrian bourgeoisie organised in the “National Block”, and calls upon the workers and peasants to enter the Party and to march under its leadership to further decisive struggle against French imperialism and its lackeys, for the Syrian workers’ and peasants’ government, for the complete liberation and independence of Syria.

The establishment of the Communist Party of Syria is a great step forward in the development of Communism in Arabia and an important event in the history of the Communist International. The new fighting Section, which is closely connected with the Arabian masses, is the only Party representing the aims and interests of the toilers of Syria, and today enters the arena of the struggle of the international proletariat.

The proclamation of the C.P. of Syria has very much disquieted the French imperialists and the Arab bourgeoisie. It was a serious blow to national reformism and its press, which reprints the proclamation of the C.P. in big headlines. The Damascus correspondent of the bourgeois national reformist paper “El Rassid” writes as follows regarding the proclamation of the Party:

“It is an unusually new ‘song’, the song of Communism and of Communist proclamations, which are being distributed in all streets and posted up on the houses of our cities.

These proclamations call upon the workers and peasants of Syria and of all Arab countries to revolt against imperialism and native capitalism. Struggle against the ‘National Block’ which has betrayed the Syrian revolution for the sake of its class interests.”

The correspondent writes further:

“Responsible circles are disturbed over the activity of the Communists in Syria, who certainly have connections with the Communist Party of Palestine. For the time being we shall wait for the results of the investigations on the part of the police, which will show whether in reality such a Party exists in the full sense of the word, or whether all this is the work of some adventurers who have created further difficulties at a time when we need peace and order and the removal of our economic crisis,”

The above-mentioned paper writes in another place:

“We very much regret that there are Communist propagandists among our Armenian guests. We advise all Communists to turn their attention to other countries, for Communism cannot thrive on our Syrian soil.”

It is evident that the uneasiness caused by the proclamation of the C.P. of Syria, has not only seized the Syrian bourgeoisie but also the bourgeoisie of Palestine and Egypt. Achram” (Egyptian bourgeois paper) which appears in Egypt, was confiscated in Syria for having published the proclamation of the C.P. of Syria; and the “Falestin”, an Arabian national-reformist paper, made the following truculent declaration:

“If the Communists of Palestine and Syria have begun to carry out the resolution of the Politbureau of the Comintern in regard to the Arabianisation of their Parties and the establishment of an Arab Communist Federation, if we are really confronted by this serious danger, then we hope that our government will be able to settle with the Communists in a very short time.”

That is how the Arab nationalists are writing; they are trembling with fear of Communism. They appeal to the British and French imperialists to get rid of the Communists. In connection with the proclamation of the Party, about 25 persons have up to now been arrested, charged with having conspired against the “Republic” and against “Islam”. A special court is to be set up to try these comrades, and they are almost certain to receive very cruel and savage sentences.

Our Syrian comrades are faced with serious and responsible tasks. They have to fight against powerful enemies who are well prepared and have all the means of pressure at their disposal.

But the Communist Party of Syria, the advance-guard of the Syrian proletariat, is not afraid of reaction and provocation, but will continue on the path prescribed by the Comintern. It will without vacillation purge its ranks of all opportunist elements, strengthen its connections with the Arabian working masses, consolidate its influence in the trade unions and fight for the Federation of the Communist Parties of the Arab countries, for the carrying out of the democratic workers’ and peasants revolution, for the annihilation of all clerical and feudal relations, for the defeat of imperialism and for the agrarian revolution.

International Press Correspondence, widely known as”Inprecorr” was published by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) regularly in German and English, occasionally in many other languages, beginning in 1921 and lasting in English until 1938. Inprecorr’s role was to supply translated articles to the English-speaking press of the International from the Comintern’s different sections, as well as news and statements from the ECCI. Many ‘Daily Worker’ and ‘Communist’ articles originated in Inprecorr, and it also published articles by American comrades for use in other countries. It was published at least weekly, and often thrice weekly. A major contributor to the Communist press in the U.S., Inprecorr is an invaluable English-language source on the history of the Communist International and its sections.

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