المؤتمر العربي بباريس

The Arab Congress in Paris was held by the Young Arab Society in Paris in 1332 AH / 1913 CE, under the presidency of Abd al-Hamid al-Zahrawi, in response to the Unionists' repression of members of the Arab societies. ²

The delegates resolved that reform must be carried out quickly; that the Arabs should take part in central administration; that Arabic should be the official language in the Arab provinces; that military service for Arabs should be local except when necessary; and that sympathy should be shown for the demands of the Armenians. ³

The members affirmed that their movement was non-religious, and that the number of Christians at the congress equalled the number of Muslims. France placed great hopes in it and published its resolutions. ⁴

In the same context, the Decentralisation Party formed, along with the Qahtaniyya Society under Abd al-Karim al-Khalil and Aziz Ali al-Misri, the Young Arab Society formed in Paris in 1329 AH, and the Islahi Society in Beirut in 1331 AH. ⁴

• The entry is based on al-Sallabi's summary of his book. We have not yet returned to the minutes of the congress or to what the French press published about it.
• The delegates' claim that their movement was "non-religious" appears as al-Sallabi reports it. We have not judged it.