Syria marks Martyrs' Day
Syria, Culture, 5/6/1998

On May 6, the Syrian people celebrate Martyrs' Day, the day when the Ottomans through Jamal Pasha ordered the hanging of Syrian national fighters who called for the independence of the Arab states from the Ottoman Empire occupation.

Several oppressive measures were taken against the Arab people by the Turkish Sultan with the aim of putting an end to the Arab struggle and curbing the national awareness campaign masterminded by the Arab intellectuals and national thinkers.

Arab intellectuals held a conference in Paris with the participation of outstanding thinkers from different Arab states. It was an important step in the struggle which irritated the Turkish rulers, as the Arab thinkers called for the independence of the Arab states.

In an attempt to put an end to this wave of national awareness, Sultan Abdul Hamid appointed the Jamal Pasha governor of Damascus. Upon his arrival, the Turkish governor, who was renowned for his oppression, launched a wide-scale arrest campaign against the Arab fighters and intellectuals.

On May 6, 1916, those heroes who refused to concede their national and pan-Arab rights were hanged in Damascus and Beirut. Their execution paved the way for unabated struggle for the achievement of national and pan-Arab objectives.

Since then, al-Marja (the square in Damascus where the patriots were hanged) has been a symbol of honor and dignity and martyrdom, and May 6 turned into Martyrs' Day in honor of the Arab intellectuals who were hanged, sacrificing their lives for their people and homeland.

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