Page 220 - Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History Vol I - Abraham to Coal

arab league 105

And mankind is naught but a single nation. • Quran

was the first of its kind in world history. Caliph al- countries. By 1932 leaders had made plans for the Pan-
Mamun (ruled 813–833) was one of the most distin- Arabian Conference, the purpose of which (according to
guished Abbasid caliphs. From different parts of the a 1932 New York Times article) was to “combat imperi-
region al-Mamun brought together scientists when he alism and to free Arabian States from mandatory con-
built Bait al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad. trol.” Calls for Arab unity increased, led by Egyptian
There Muhammad bin Musa Al-Khwarizmi (780–850) diplomat Abdul Rahman Azzam and Iraqi Prime Minis-
produced the new sciences of algebra and algorithm. In ter Nuri Sa’id, who is credited by some historians with
the scientific and liberal culture of Baghdad, new areas coining the name “Arab League.” By 1944, at a confer-
were covered in astronomy, geography, philosophy, math- ence in Alexandria, Egypt, the framework for the league
ematics, natural sciences, anatomy, and medicine. was created, and on 22 March 1945, the official charter
Under the Abbasids Muslim scholars and scientists was signed. The Arab League’s constitution declared
translated into Arabic ancient Greek masterpieces of phi- that one of the Arab League’s goals is “to promote coop-
losophy, arts, and sciences. These Arabic translations eration among member states, particularly in matters of
were further translated into the vernaculars of Europe, culture, trade, and communication” (New York Times
where this body of knowledge led to the rise of the 1945, 8). Seven countries were the founding members:
Renaissance and rationalist thinking. Some Arab scholars Egypt, Jordan (then called “Trans-Jordan”), Saudi Arabia,
dedicated their works to the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. The league’s first
who had provided them with the best of libraries in secretary-general was Abdul Rahman Azzam, whose pre-
world history. vious experience included serving as Egypt’s minister of
Arab affairs and undersecretary of foreign affairs. A
Abdul-Karim Khan
strong proponent of Arab nationalism, Azzam would
See also Islamic World; Muhammad become the Arab League’s liaison with Western govern-
ments as well as the league’s spokesperson at the United
Nations.
Further Reading During its first year the league advocated for greater
Arnold,T.W. (1965). The caliphate. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. autonomy for those Arab countries still under colonial
Esposito, J. L. (1999). The Oxford history of India. New York: Oxford Uni-
versity Press. rule or occupied by foreign troops.The league expressed
support for Libya (which had been under Italian rule until
World War II), and it also spoke out on behalf of Syria,
which, although an independent republic since 1941, still
had French troops on its soil. The Arab League also
Arab League wanted a solution to the problem of Palestine; members
were opposed to further Jewish immigration into the
he Arab League is an organization of twenty-two region.They joined to mount an attack against the newly
Tcountries whose purpose is to develop educational created state of Israel in 1948, but the attack was
and economic policies and programs to benefit the Arab unsuccessful.
world. Although the Arab League was organized in During the league’s early years it did not have much
1945, its roots go back several decades earlier. actual power, but it was able to speak with a unified voice
During the early 1900s most Arab countries were still on issues that mattered to the Arab world. Secretary-
under colonialism, but a growing number of Arab polit- General Azzam became well known for his diplomatic
ical leaders, especially those from Syria and Egypt, efforts at the United Nations; he served as secretary-
wanted more of a role in shaping the future of their general until he resigned in 1952. After Libya finally