When
Antun Sa'adeh looked upon the condition of the Syrian nation at the dawn of the
twentieth century, he saw a tragic landscape—an exhausted people torn apart by
fragmentation, subjugation, disintegration, and a collapse of morale. Yet Sa’adeh
did not stop at diagnosing the disease. Instead, he launched a comprehensive
renaissance project embodied in the founding of the Syrian Social Nationalist
Party. This founding was not a mere reaction to an ailing reality; it was the
proclamation of a new history—the birth of a new era—the beginning of a
liberating march aimed at rebuilding the human being, society, and the state.
The
Founding: A Transformative Popular Movement
The
founding of the Party was not simply a political event—it was a sweeping
popular movement that gathered the energies of youth into a single crucible,
melting down disparate mentalities to forge a unified national consciousness.
It was not a quiet movement; it was, in Sa’adeh’s words, “an offensive movement
of struggle,” attacking with thought and action every manifestation of chaos,
selfishness, sectarianism, feudalism, predatory capitalism, and hardened
mentalities.
It
was the launching of a civilizational project aimed at restoring the nation’s
stolen personality and reclaiming its free will and sovereignty over its own
destiny.
Students:
Bearers of the Renaissance Project
Sa’adeh
understood that a renaissance requires new, upright souls. He therefore turned
to the students, building within them the foundations of national
consciousness. Out of this effort arose that remarkable solidarity which
distinguished the Party in its earliest days.
Students
played a decisive role in spreading the movement—they were the carriers of the
new awareness and the generation best equipped to confront the challenges of
the future. Sa’adeh spoke to them in the language of reason and conviction,
urging them to embrace the social nationalist culture as the basis for
progress. They became the backbone of the rising movement, its instrument of
change, and the torchbearers of knowledge—disseminating awareness across the
nation’s social landscape.
The
Founding: A Transformative Popular Movement
The
founding of the Party was not simply a political event—it was a sweeping
popular movement that gathered the energies of youth into a single crucible,
melting down disparate mentalities to forge a unified national consciousness.
It was not a quiet movement; it was, in Sa’adeh’s words, “an offensive movement
of struggle,” attacking with thought and action every manifestation of chaos,
selfishness, sectarianism, feudalism, predatory capitalism, and hardened
mentalities.
It
was the launching of a civilizational project that sought to return to the
nation its stolen personality and to restore to it its free will and
sovereignty over its own destiny.
Students:
Bearers of the Renaissance Project
Sa’adeh
understood that a renaissance requires new, upright souls. He therefore turned
to the students, building within them the foundations of national
consciousness. Out of this effort arose that remarkable solidarity which
distinguished the Party in its earliest days.
Students
played a decisive role in spreading the movement—they were the carriers of the new
awareness and the generation best equipped to confront the challenges of
the future. Sa’adeh spoke to them in the language of reason and conviction,
urging them to embrace the social nationalist culture as the basis for
progress. They became the backbone of the rising movement, its instrument of
change, and the torchbearers of knowledge—disseminating awareness across the
nation’s social landscape.
The
Pillars of the Integrated Renaissance
The
Renaissance project rested on interlocking foundations forming a comprehensive
vision for rebuilding the nation:
- A
national consciousness that forms generations
awakened by science, ethics, and noble sentiment—generations that grasp
the meaning of freedom, dignity, and independence.
- A
productive economy, grounded in science, labor,
and creativity.
- National
institutions capable of turning ideas into
tangible reality and embodying the collective will of the people.
- A
new moral order that educates the soul in true
love—the love of noble values: truth, justice, freedom, peace, and beauty;
the love of society and the readiness to sacrifice for it.
These are not mere ideals—they are the beating heart of the Renaissance. They transform the individual outlook into a national one and replant the lofty moral virtues within the souls of the people.
Founding
as a Continuing Act: From Idea to Practice
The
founding was not confined to a single historical moment; it became an ongoing
process carried forward by the adherents of the national social creed,
generation after generation. This process manifests in:
- Reaffirming
the idea of the nation as an alternative to the fragmented
sub-identities that tear society apart. Without establishing the national
idea, all reform efforts remain incomplete.
- Strengthening
national consciousness that transforms isolated individuals into a
unified people capable of confronting challenges.
- Instilling
a culture of giving in the face of growing individualistic
tendencies—for a nation that does not know sacrifice cannot know freedom.
- Building
the national state founded on democracy, the separation of religion
and state, social justice, and equality—a state that is truly “the great
institution of the people.”
- Adopting a scientific
approach to analyzing reality and solving problems, for true
renaissance is achieved only through knowledge.
Together,
these pathways form a continuous, daring experience aimed at transforming
society from a fluid, directionless mass into a nation united in will—engaged
in an ongoing battle against the corrupt environment inherited through
generations.
The
Party as a Project of Salvation in Times of Crisis
Amid
the tragic conditions afflicting our people—economic, social, and political
collapse—the Party stands out as a movement of salvation and a sole path to
deliverance. For the Party, as Sa’adeh envisioned it, is not an accidental
organization; it is the expression of the nation’s truth—strong in its sound
doctrine, enriched by the virtues and sacrifices of its members, fortified by
the spiritual unity that binds social nationalists in every thought and every
act, connecting them as one band.
It
is the only project capable of transcending the crisis and leading the process
of renewal and reconstruction.
A
Call to Social Nationalists: The Responsibility of History and Existence
Social
Nationalists,
On
this anniversary of the founding, as we face existential challenges threatening
the very life of our nation—foremost among them an aggressive enemy coveting
our land and wealth—we remind you that the responsibility of history and
existence rests upon your shoulders. The national duty commands us to confront
all these dangers, not to be distracted by trivial concerns.
The
time has come for all of us to engage in national work—to rescue our country,
uplift it, and open before it the path of life and advancement; to stand as a
great support to our suffering people in their poverty, pain, and trials.
· The
time has come for all of us to engage in national work—to rescue our country,
uplift it, and open before it the path of life and advancement; to stand as a
great support to our suffering people in their poverty, pain, and trials.
·
Return to the
sound principles of life and elevation that Sa’adeh laid down as a method of
work and living.
· Practice
the heroism upheld by the truth of the doctrine when confronting challenges.
Let us remember that hundreds of martyrs answered the call of national duty,
defending the land, the honour, the dignity, and the existence of the nation.
These heroes refused humiliation and stagnation; they rose to the practice of
heroic action, not seeking personal gain or heavenly reward, but driven by
national sentiment—the love of society and land, the love of freedom and honourable
life—which taught them that “all of life is one courageous stand of honour.”
· Sharpen
your resolve before the dangers that surround us.
· Unite
your ranks in the face of projects of fragmentation and erasure.
· Perform
great deeds relying on the principle of “organized power” in defending our
sovereignty, rights, and national cause—for power, Sa’adeh reminds us, “is the
decisive word in affirming or denying the national right.”
· Spread
awareness everywhere and at all times, remembering that we are in a perpetual
struggle against a corrupt environment inherited from past generations—where
“individual selfishness” sometimes disguises itself in “the cloak of virtue.”
The victory of the project depends on your steadfastness and adherence to
national ethics.
· Be
examples of giving, sacrifice, and loyalty.
The
nation is looking to you—to your faith, your commitment, your sacrifices. Do
not fail it in its decisive hour.
Let
your banner be a struggle until a comprehensive renaissance worthy of our great
nation is achieved.
In
times of peril, there is no room for hesitation or retreat.
Only those who carry the true doctrine and face the storm with conviction and
certainty have value.
The
hope of the nation lies in you—in your devotion to the ethics of the Renaissance,
the ethics of steadfast trust, faith, and perseverance—against the ethics of
doubt and hesitation that embody the corruption of the old environment.
Toward
a Noble Aim
The
renaissance launched by Sa’adeh is a comprehensive project that “takes up
national life from its very foundations.” Independence has no meaning without a
dignified life, and movement has no value without a new ethical order. Ethics
are what turn principles into lived reality, and the beautiful life is the
destiny worthy of a great nation seeking its place under the sun.
Forward
always—toward the complete renaissance, toward freedom and dignity.
