On its centenary, Maysaloun battle represents inexhaustible source of inspiration for resistance and defending homeland

Headed by the  then minister of defence Yousef al-Azmeh on July 24th, Maysaloun battle represents a turning point in the history of Syria and the Arab nation as it paved the way for the culture of resistance and confronting the occupation until the attainment of independence.

The centenary of Maysaloun battle comes to  remind us of the honorable and brave stand of al-Azmeh and his colleagues in confrontation of the invading French forces which entered Syria from Lebanon but were forced to stop at Maysaloun   to face the national Syrian army headed by al-Azmeh.

The Syrian fighters, led by al-Azmeh, gathered at Maysaloun to repel the French invading forces. Knowing beforehand that he would not be able to face the armed to the teeth French army, and despite the acceptance of King Faisal of the Guru Ultimatum,  al-Azmeh insisted on facing the French at Maysaloun to tell them that their stay in Syria would not be as easy as they thought. 

Al-Azmeh and his friends confronted the French occupiers with their simple weapons in comparison with the highly sophisticated weapons of the French invading army.

 Al-Azmeh fell martyr along with scores of his friends igniting the spark of unceasing struggle. Revolts and upheavals flared up all over the country. In the coast, Sheikh Saleh al-Ali led the revolt which was one of the first acts of resistance against the French forces, and it allied itself with other revolts in the country.

 On its centenary, Maysaloun battle has been the lighthouse  guiding the way for the heroic Syrian Arab army in confrontation of terrorism which has been striking Syria for the past nine years supported by Western colonialist forces and the Zionist entity to implement an old renewable conspiracy that targets Syria’s unity, sovereignty and independent decision. But the Syrians’ strong will, which achieved victory in Maysaloun, will inevitably  defeat conspiracy and achieve a landslide victory once again.

K.Q.