Fazl-e-Umar — Page 367
Fazle Umar 367 to let them have it. ‘The time has now come for you to become independent and be counted among the independent nations of the world. Help us now and you will be completely independent when the war is over. ’ The people who had craved independence for so long once again poured onto the streets upon hear- ing this announcement. They began to destroy the roads, damage the railways and in this way cause rebellion in the country to help their cause. From the outside, the British joined forces with the Independent French detachments and within a few days took control of the areas that included Lebanon and Syria. When the war ended a representative of Independent France announced that now you are free. The Lebanese remained quiet for a while but in the end they thought about the nature of this independence. They said that no doubt you have announced that we are independent but how so? Your own army is in charge, the governors are French, your own police force is in charge and all the offices with any power are in your hands. How then are we independent? The result of this contention was that their committee decided that based on the govern- ment’s own admission of our independence, we will make our own laws. To this end a Bill was presented to Parliament. When this came before the French Independence Committee, they began to put pressure on them. They said who had given you the right to form your own laws! What right have you to discuss such issues? No doubt you are independent according to the announcement but the interpretation of what that independence meant was our job (and the ridiculous interpretation of this independence is) that the Lebanese ministers have been imprisoned. ’” (Al-Fazl, 20 Nov 1943). T H E I n d E P E n d E n C E OF I R AQ In 1941, the whole world was gripped by the terrible affliction of the Second World