Author: Khalid Yaghi Zahi
The Fiery Spark of Determination and Epic Valor of “Abd al-Aziz Tha’alibi” (Part Two)
The Most Important Activities of Tha’alibi
1. Revealing the Conspiracies of the French
He was always a significant obstacle to the annexation of Tunisia by France after World War I and wrote articles on this subject in Egyptian newspapers and those of other countries. Tha’alibi was able to clearly prove in his articles that Tunisia had all the pillars of the movement and uprising before the French occupation and had taken important steps in this regard; but with the arrival of the French, all the pillars of the movement were destroyed, contrary to French claims. He exposed the conspiracies of the French and denied their assertion that the Muslims of North Africa were originally Christians, as well as their baseless claim that the people of North Africa are of European origin and race.
He explained the French control over all the resources of Tunisia, stating: “The area of Tunisia is 9 million hectares, of which one million are covered by mountains, one and a half million are forests, one million are not suitable for agriculture, and five and a half million are under cultivation. The French have gained control over most of it, as well as the phosphorus, copper, iron, and coal mines.” The French were attempting to compile the history of Tunisia in vernacular Arabic and introduce it as the official language of Tunisia, as well as print and publish a dictionary of Tunisian vernacular; but they did not succeed. The reason for the failure of their plan was the relentless efforts of Tha’alibi. He made great efforts to refute the French educational policy in Tunisia and proved that the French educational system aimed only to create a labor force rather than to train masterminds. He also demonstrated how France was fighting the Arabic language and Islamic sciences day and night, which caused the French authorities to take notice of him. He explained all this in detail in the book “Tunisia al-Shahida,” which was published in French and later translated into Arabic, and the French government banned the sale of this book.
2. Considering the Situation of Muslims in Different Countries
Tha’alibi always took advantage of opportunities to travel to Islamic countries and became closely acquainted with the situation of Muslims, documenting all his impressions in a detailed book. However, it is surprising why the cultural elite did not pay attention to these writings and did not introduce them to future generations. During his travels, he met with many Muslim leaders and intellectuals, discussing the situation of Muslims and suggesting solutions to help them overcome their current circumstances. Among those he met were King Abdul Aziz, Imam Yahya, and Nahas Pasha in Egypt.
He examined the situation of the Gulf countries, including Muscat, Dubai, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and noted: “The pearl trade can be a good source of income for the residents of the Gulf. However, the people of these countries have not properly utilized this blessing from Allah and only save the income from it in Indian banks.” In his book, he described the situation of Yemen and its people in detail.
Tha’alibi discussed how Islam spread without political or economic goals, through the efforts of sincere preachers and solely for the purpose of spreading guidance. He also submitted a report on the “Shudra,” the lowest social class in India, to the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Muhammad Amin Hosseini, discussing the interest of the Shudras in accepting Islam. He revealed a truth in this report that many Muslims may not have known namely that the Indian independence movement was initiated by Muslims until it was co-opted by the leftist Indian party led by Gandhi. He detailed the political, economic, and cultural situations of Muslims in various parts of the world; unfortunately, this significant research has received little attention from scientific institutions and researchers.
3. His Political Efforts in the Islamic World
Tha’alibi was not limited to political activities in Tunisia; his efforts also extended to other Islamic countries. He represented Iraq at the Islamic Caliphate Conference held in Cairo in 1925 and was elected as one of the main members of the Islamic Conference held in Jerusalem in 1931 at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. There, he was introduced as the head of the propaganda office and as a permanent member of the council of this conference.
4. His Political Efforts in Tunisia
Tha’alibi possessed both a religious and a political awareness of Islamic culture, which rendered him a formidable obstacle to France and its puppets in Tunisia. His political efforts were manifest in various areas, which are detailed below:
– Membership in “Young Tunisia” Party: Tha’alabi was a member of the “Young Tunisia” party, established to advocate for the Islamic Caliphate, criticize French colonization, and defend Islamic civilization in Tunisia.
– Participation in the Versailles Peace Conference: After World War I, Tha’alibi traveled to Paris to participate in the Versailles Peace Conference, attended by US President Wilson. Wilson proposed a legal peace with 14 points, one of which was the “right of nations to determine their own destiny.” Tha’alibi seized this opportunity to raise the issue of Tunisia and defend the rights of Muslims at the conference, establishing contacts with many freedom-seeking movements around the world. Meanwhile, he wrote the book “Tunisia al-Shahida.” He delivered documents to the French representative in Paris, calling for the lifting of the ban on printing and on freedom of expression in the press, resulting in the lifting of the ban on printing.
– Meetings with Leaders: He met with US President Wilson and established contact with the French Socialist Party, strongly opposing the granting of financial loans to Tunisia in Paris. These activities ultimately led to his arrest and imprisonment in Paris and subsequently in Tunisia.
– Establishment of the Qanoun (Law) Party: Tha’alibi founded the Qanoun Party, but when internal strife arose, he left Tunisia in 1923. Events led to the party splitting into two factions: Hassan Qalati founded the Islah (Reform) Party, which maintained good relations with the French. Both factions sent Tha’alibi 150 letters explaining the reasons for their internal disagreements. When Tha’alabi returned to Tunisia, he attempted to reclaim leadership of the Law Party and intervene in the country’s political affairs, but he was unsuccessful. Perhaps his long absence from the public contributed to this, but when he returned, 30,000 people attended his welcoming ceremony at the port of the capital. Despite this impressive turnout, it was not enough to restore his political leadership in Tunisia. During his travels across the cities of Tunisia, he survived two assassination attempts.
Continues…
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