Ba'ath Party flag

The Ba'ath Parties (also spelled Baath or Ba'th; Arabic: اﻟﺒﻌﺚ) comprise political parties representing the political face of the Ba'ath movement. The original Ba'ath Party functioned as a pan-Arab party with branches in different Arab countries. In 1966 the Party split into two, one branch based in Syria and the other in Iraq. Both Ba'ath parties maintain parallel structures in the Arab world. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Arabic (العربية) is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by... Pan-Arabism is a movement for unification among the Arab peoples and nations of the Middle East. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

The Ba'ath Party came to power in Syria on 8 March 1963 and has remained influential ever since; the Ba'athists ruled Iraq from February 1963 until 2003. After the de facto deposition of President Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime in the course of the 2003 Iraq war, the occupying authorities banned the Iraqi Ba'ath Party in June 2003. March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Saddam Hussein Saddām Hussein ʻAbd al-Majīd al-Tikrīt, spelled Husayn or Hussain; (Arabic صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي; born April 28, 1937 ) was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal by coalition forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... The 2003 invasion of Iraq was launched by the United States and the United Kingdom on March 20, 2003, with support from 48 other governments, making up what was described as the coalition of the willing. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Arabic word Ba'th means "resurrection" as in the party's founder Michel Aflaq's published works "On The Way Of Resurrection". Ba'athist beliefs combine Arab Socialism, militarism, nationalism, and Pan-Arabism. The mostly secular ideology often contrasts with that of other Arab governments in the Middle East, which sometimes tend to have leanings towards Islamism and theocracy. Arabic (العربية) is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Arab Socialism (ar. ... Militarism (military+-ism) is an ideology which claims that the military is the foundation of a societys security, and thereby claims to be its most important aspect. ... // Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the nation, ethnicity or national identity is a fundamental unit of human social life, and makes certain political claims based on that belief, above all the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each nation is... Pan-Arabism is a movement for unification among the Arab peoples and nations of the Middle East. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Islamism is a neologism of Western etymological origins referring to a set of political ideologies derived from conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism which hold that Islam is not only a religion, but also a political system that governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state. ... The term theocracy is used to describe a form of government in which a religion or faith plays a dominant role. ...

The motto of the Party is Wahda, Hurriya, Ishtirakiya means "Unity, Freedom, Socialism". "Unity" refers to pan-Arab unity, "Freedom'" emphasizes freedom from Western interests in particular, and "Socialism" specifically references Arab Socialism. The term Western world can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... Arab Socialism (ar. ...

Origins

Ba'ath Party symbol

Both the Syrian and the Iraqi Ba'ath parties originated in the Ba'ath movement, an Arab political movement which started in the early 20th century, founded by Syrian thinkers: most notably Michel Aflaq. Three other major proponents of early Ba'athist ideology, Shakeeb Dallal, Zaki al-Arsuzi and Salah al-Din al-Bitar, like Michel Aflaq, had careers as middle-class educators, influenced in their political thought by Western education. Many early Ba'athists also professed Christianity. The movement also found support among the more republican wing of Iraqi soldiers in the British and later in the Hashemite services. Baath Party symbol This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are an originally Arabian ethnicity widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Michel ‘Aflaq (1910 - June 23, 1989) was the ideological founder of Ba’athism, a form of Arab nationalism. ... Shakeeb Dallal was born in Palestine in 1922. ... Zaki al-Arsuzi is a Syrian philosopher, and founder of the Baath Party. ... Salah al-Din al-Bitar ( 1911), a Sunni Muslim, co-founder of the Bath Party in Syria. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... Hashemite traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or clan of Hashim, a clan within the larger Quraish tribe. ...

The Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party was officially founded at its first party congress, held in Damascus, April 7, 1947. Damascus by night, pictured from Jabal Qasioun; the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria and is the oldest inhabited city in the world. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The early party formed in opposition to both French colonial rule and to the older generation of Syrian Arab nationalists, and advocated instead Pan-Arab unity and Arab nationalism. Its constitution blended non-Marxist socialism and nationalism. The early Syrian Ba'athists opposed the influence of Europe in their country's affairs, and used nationalism and the notion of unifying the Arab world as a platform. Ba'athists always claimed to speak for the entire Arab nation and the progress of the masses, though the party remained extremely small, factional and often reliant on nationalist radicals in the militaries. However, its influence quickly spread to other Arab countries by 1954-58, and branches formed in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. Pan-Arabism is a movement for unification among the Arab peoples and nations of the Middle East. ... Arab nationalism refers to a common nationalist ideology in wider Arab world. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ...

The Syria-based Ba'ath Party

The Ba'ath party from the beginning intended to win power through peaceful means. The first success came in Syria, where the party became an important force, but dissolved itself upon the formation of the United Arab Republic (1958) in support of the new Nasserist government. After the break up of the United Arab Republic in 1961 the party and its ideology came under the wing of a group of military figures who plotted to overthrow the government and used some Ba'athist ideology to justify their military rule. Capital Cairo Created 1958 Dissolved 1961 Demonym Arab The United Arab Republic (Arabic: Al Džumhuriya Al Arabia Al Mutahiba) (UAR) was a country that existed as a union between the republics of Egypt and Syria between 1958 and 1961; though Egypt continued to be known as the UAR until 1970. ... Nasser on Time magazine, 1958 Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) ‎ (January 15, 1918 – September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ...

The military coup came in 1963, and it brought the Ba'ath Party to power in Syria. The new government promptly began a course of large-scale nationalization. From 1963, the Ba'ath functioned as the only legal Syrian political party, but factionalism and splintering within the party led to a succession of governments and new constitutions. In 1966 a military junta representing the more radical elements in the party displaced the more moderate wing in power, purging from the party its original founders, Michel Aflaq and Bitar. A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... Junta may refer to: The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a junta as a body of persons acting towards a common aim, especially political clique or faction after revolution or coupe détat. ...

At this juncture the Syrian Ba'ath party split into two factions: the "progressive" faction, led by Nureddin Atassi, which gave priority to neo-Marxist economic reform, and the so-called nationalist group, led by General Hafez al-Assad. Assad's following had less interest in socialism, favoring a militant posture on the Arab union and hostility toward Israel. Despite constant maneuvering and government changes, the two factions remained in an uneasy coalition of power until 1970, when, in another coup, Assad succeeded in ousting Atassi as prime minister. Assad, one of the longest-ruling leaders of the modern Middle East, remained at Syria's political helm until his death in 2000, when his son Bashar al Assad succeeded him as President. Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (October 6, 1930 - June 10, 2000) was the President of Syria from 1971 to 2000. ... The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Bashar al_Assad Bashar al_Assad (بشار الاسد) (born September 11, 1965) is the current President of Syria and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad. ...

Today the Ba'ath Party in Syria has little to do with its founding ideology. It has made little progress towards Arab unity, and has all but abandoned its commitment to socialism. For decades, Ba'athism has served merely as a justification for the military dictatorship in that country.

The Syria-based Ba'ath Party has branches in Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, Sudan, Iraq (currently split into two factions), etc., although none of the non-Syrian branches have any major strength. Palestinians know their local Syria-based Ba'ath Party as as-Saiqa (the Thunderbolt). The Palestinians are a mainly Arabic-speaking people with family origins in Palestine. ...

The Iraq-based Ba'ath Party

Iraqi and Syrian Ba'athism today differ widely and partially oppose each other, though they only split a long time after their creation. They share one common feature in that under Saddam Hussein Iraq also moved away from Ba'athist principles.

History

In Iraq the Ba'ath party remained a civilian group and lacked strong support within the military. The party had little impact, and the movement split into several factions after 1958 and again in 1966. It lacked strong popular support, but through the construction of a strong party apparatus the party succeeded in gaining power.

The Ba'athists first came to power in the coup of February, 1963, when Abdul Salam Arif became president. Interference from the Syrian Ba'athists and disputes between the moderates and extremists, culminating in an attempted coup by the latter in November, 1963, served to discredit the extremists. However, the moderates continued to play a major role in the succeeding non-Ba'athist governments. Abdul Salam Arif (1921, Baghdad - April 13, 1966), president of Iraq (1963-1966). ...

In July, 1968, a bloodless coup brought to power the Ba'athist general Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr. Wranglings within the party continued, and the government periodically purged its dissident members. Saddam Hussein eventually succeeded al-Bakr in 1979 and ruled Iraq until 2003. Although almost all the Ba'athist leadership had no military background, under Hussein the party changed dramatically and became heavily militarized, with its leading members frequently appearing in uniform. General Ahmed Hassan al_Bakr (July 1, 1914 _ October 4, 1982) was President of Iraq from 1968 to 1979. ... In history and political science, to purge is to remove undesirable people from a government, political party, profession, or from community/society as a whole, usually by violent means. ... Saddam Hussein Saddām Hussein ʻAbd al-Majīd al-Tikrīt, spelled Husayn or Hussain; (Arabic صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي; born April 28, 1937 ) was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal by coalition forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

Structure

The Party cell or circle, composed of three to seven members, constitutes the basic organisational unit of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party. Cells functioned at the neighborhood or village level, where members would meet to discuss and execute party directives introduced from above. Since individual cells had little contact with one another, those higher up could vigorously enforce party loyalties from the top down. As the U.S. and its allies discovered in Iraq in 2003, cell organization also made the Party highly resilient.

A Party division comprised two to seven cells, controlled by a division commander. Such Ba'athist cells occurred throughout the bureaucracy and the military, where they functioned as the Party's watchdog, an effective form of covert surveillance within a public administration.

A Party section, which comprised two to five divisions, functioned at the level of a large city quarter, a town, or a rural district.

The branch came above the sections; it comprised at least two sections, and operated at the provincial level.

The Party congress, which combined all the branches, elected the regional command as the core of the Party leadership and top decision-making mechanism.

The national command of the Ba'ath Party ranked over the regional command. It formed the highest policy-making and coordinating council for the Ba'ath movement throughout the Arab world at large.

Post-Saddam

In June 2003, the US-led occupying forces in Iraq banned the Ba'ath party. Some criticize the additional step the US took -- of banning all members of the Ba'ath party from the new government, as well as from public schools and colleges -- as blocking too many skilled people from participation in the new government. Several teachers have lost their jobs, causing protests and demonstrations at schools and universities. Under the previous rule of the Ba'ath party, one could not reach high positions in the government or in the schools without becoming a party member. This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... The term public school has different meanings: In England and Wales, one of a small number of prestigious historic schools open to the public which normally charge fees and are financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts; here the word public is used much as... A college (Latin collegium) can be the name of any group of colleagues; originally it meant a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con-, together + leg-, law). As a consequence members of colleges were originally styled fellows and still are in some places. ... Japanese secondary school students in uniform. ... A professor giving a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ...

The party outside of Iraq

The Iraq-based Ba'ath Party had branches in various Arab countries, such as Lebanon and Jordan. After the fall of the Saddam government, many branches have distanced themselves from the central party, such as the branches in Yemen and Sudan.

The branch amongst the Palestinians bears the name of Jabhat al-Tahrir al-'Arabiyah (the Arab Liberation Front, or ALF). ALF formed the major Palestian political faction in Iraq during the Saddam years.

In Bahrain, Rasul al-Jaishy leads the local pro-Saddam faction of the Ba'ath Party, the Nationalist Democratic Rally Society (Jami'at al-Tajammu' al-Qawmi al-Dimuqrati), which in an alliance with radical Islamists opposes the Bahrain government's political reforms. Nationalist Democratic Rally Society (in Arabic: Jamiat al-Tajammu al-Qawmi al-Dimuqrati), a political group attached to the Iraqi-based Baath Party of Saddam Hussein in Bahrain. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ...

An Iraq-oriented Ba'ath Party branch formerly existed in Syria, which the Syrian government severely repressed.

External links

• The five volumes of Michel Aflaq's "On The Way Of Resurrection" (Fi Sabil al Ba'ath)in Arabic
• Brief Syrian-focused official description
• Death of the dragon - from a bitter opponent of the Ba'ath
• The Constitution of the Arab Socialist Ba'th Party
• Ba'th Party.org (in Arabic)
• Ba'th Party.org (in English)
• Sudanese Ba'th Party (in Arabic)