Rotary in Syria Syria, officially Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic: ? ,)?????? ? ??? ???? ???????? ?? is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest. The name Syria formerly comprised the entire region of the Levant, while the modern state encompasses the site of several ancient kingdoms and empires, including the Eblan civilization of the third millennium BC.
In the Islamic era, its capital city, Damascus, was the seat of the Umayyad Empire and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire. Damascus is widely regarded as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world1. Modern Syria was created as a French mandate and attained independence in April 1946, as a parliamentary republic. The post-independence period was rocky, and a large number of military coups and coup attempts shook the country in the period 1949-1970. Syria has been under Emergency Law since 1962.
Rotary clubs started in Syria in the late thirties of the twentieth century. In the year 1936/1937, Clare Martin Area manager of Shell Oil Company, first 2District Governor of District 83, later a Director of Rotary International was well involved in chartering a number of the Rotary Clubs the District. Members of Beirut Rotary club were interested to organizing clubs in Damascus and Aleppo3. In April, 19384 Rotary International president Maurice DuPerrey after attended the District 83 Conference in Beirut; He was honored with Lebanese Medal of Merit.
Then he went to Damascus and presented the Charter to the Rotary club of Damascus in Syria, the first Rotary Club in the world to conduct its meeting in the Arabic language. 5 He also contacted prospective Rotarians from Baghdad, but seems unsuccessful as the first club in Iraq was chartered after 18 years. In Syria, Rotary International president was honored with the Grand Cordon of the Syrian Order of Merit. Few names appear in the Rotarian magazine about Rotarians in Syria.
The most prominent founder member of Damascus Rotary club was Faris Khoury6 who later became an honorary member. He was a member of the Ottoman Parliament7, minister of finance, president of Syrian Parliament, Prime minister 1944 -1945 then 1954-1955 Another prominent member of Damascus club was Shukri Kuwatly the President of Syria 1943-1949 and again in 1955 to 1958 when he promoted the United Arab Republic united Syria with Egypt. 1 2 Neolithic Tell Ramad in the Damascus Basin of Syria.
Proceedings of the 27th annual convention page 406 3 Proceedings of the 26th annual convention page 95 4 Proceeding of the 29th Rotary Convention page 508 5 Proceedings of the 29th Rotary Convention page 28 6 Australia first Rotary Club page 78 7 All the area were ruled by the Ottoman Empire from Sami El Midani 1958/1959 PHD in law, a prominent lawyer, fluent in Arabic, English, French, German and Turkish languages. President of the Syrian Lawyer Bar 1945/1946. He was a Judge in the court of Foreign Cases.
