Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 January 2010
In February 1939, the Syrian government received two documents from ʿulamaʾ protesting two decrees of the French High Commission that were intended to reform personal status law in Syria: decree 60/L.R. of 13 March 1936 and decree 146/L.R. of 18 November 1938. The first was a petition signed by Muslims from Homs to the Syrian prime minister (pictured); the second was a letter from the Damascus Association of ʿUlamaʾ to the Syrian interior minister.
1 Governor of Homs to Syrian Interior Ministry (11 February 1939). Petition enclosed with Wathaʾiq al-Dawla, sijill 2, Wizarat al-Dakhiliyya, 16/5381, Historical Documents Centre, Damascus, Syria.
2 Al-Qassab to Syrian minister of interior (8 February 1939), Wathaʾiq al-Dawla, sijill 2, Wizarat al-Dakhiliyya, 74, Historical Documents Centre, Damascus, Syria. Al-Qassab, a former student of Muhammad ʿAbduh, had been active in Arabist circles for forty years. He had only just been allowed to return to Syria after a decade-long exile following his participation in the 1925–27 revolt against French rule.