Opening Remarks and Introduction
Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi

The Arabs - being united in their history, heritage, culture, language, and aspirations, as well as in their common destiny - comprise one nation, established in one great homeland. The leaders of the Arab National Movement in the early years of the nineteenth century attempted to lead their people to freedom, independence and Arab sovereignty on Arab soil, and Arab progressive thoughts can be traced back through the writings of Mahmoud Sami Baroudy, Mohammed Abdo, Abdallah Nadim, Ahmad Rida, Abdul Al-Rahman Kaqakiby, and Rashid Azoury. The latter published a book titled The Awakening of Arab Nations in l904 in Paris. He said: "Those who became aware that they form one united Arab nation, united in their history and national aspirations, wish to separate from the Turks and demand to establish an independent Arab state on Arab territory governed by a ruler who is, at the same time, to be the Caliph of Muslims. By this we would achieve the separation between religion and state as well as freeing Arabs from Turkish rule."

The major challenges that faced the Arabs in their struggle for freedom, independence and unity were the following:

The conflict between Ottomanization, which was overwhelmed by the Islamic dimension, and Arabization.
The conflict between Arabs and their allies, who were committed to three different parties as seen in three historical documents: The McMahon Paper of l915, the Sykes-Picot Agreement of l916, and the Balfour Declaration of l917.
The rapid deterioration of relations between the Arab nationalists (kawmeen) - who supported the idea of one Arab nation - and the local nationalists - who wished to see separate entities in the independent Arab states, as a result of the above.

Having said that, the question of Arab leadership is another element to be discussed and studied in order to understand the unfolding history of the Arab National Movement and its struggle for independence and unity. There are several important questions that need to be dealt with. For example, what makes a leader in an Arab society? For how long can a leader maintain his role? How do regional, international and local elements affect leaders? Is there a special category that people can refer to in order to identify leaders? So many other questions could also be raised in this context.

I believe that in an Arab Islamic society, traditionally, i.e., between l900 and the l950s, five major conditions emerged which all leaders were required to fulfill. If one or more of these elements apply to a certain individual, then we are in the process of reading the makings of a leader.

The first element to be identified in the Arab World is Islam. Traditionally, this element was sought amongst the clergy, to be found in an imam or religious scholar, who could answer and respond to questions and problems on Islamic issues and whose status ensured he was respected and accepted. The Islamic context still exists, but nowadays, any Muslim who abides by Islamic law, prays, fasts, and has no vices is as likely to be considered a prospective leadership candidate as a member of the clergy.

The second element is wealth. In the old days, wealth stood for land ownership, property, and generosity. Today, wealth is interpreted differently; people are considered as well to do if they do not need to lose face for financial reasons, or are not obliged to do favors for the sake of money.

The third element in traditional society was family. Carrying the name of a well-known and widely respected family was generally enough to provide a social status recognized in society. In recent years, the advantage of family ties has been replaced by institutional affiliation. A person holding a certain post - in a municipality, organization, society, council, etc. - that gives him/her some authority can build on this and develop relationships within the society. If his/her performance is convincing, such relationships with his/her associates or others who are affiliated with the institution (colleagues, employees, partners, followers) can constitute the foundation of a constituency.

The fourth element is the matter of connections, either regarding members of government or those who are influencing decision-makers, irrespective of their own professional background. People who have established good connections are often well-informed, knowledgeable, and able to judge and assess issues from an objective perspective, which can strengthen their social status since connections lead to information on which individuals base their judgment.

The fifth element is credibility, implying that a leader is able to deliver according to people’s needs and that he has not misused any of the previous four elements for his own personal gain, nor failed in his judgment. Such a person must behave in the manner that is expected of him, and clean hands and a soft heart are vital.

Several if not all of the above-mentioned elements might be found in one person, making him a potential, though not de facto, leader in an Arab Islamic context. At the time of the British mandate in Palestine, the Grand Mufti, Hajj Amin Al-Husseini and King Abdallah of Jordan both possessed the five attributes mentioned above, only to lose them during certain confrontations with each other or with their common ally (Great Britain); the general performance of the two leaders, according to some historians, was indeed a clear indication that they had gradually ceased to fulfill the accepted requirements of a leader. In spite of their performance, however, they succeeded in maintaining their authority and leadership.

This analysis was applicable from l900 until the early 50s, when a new interpretation of the five elements evolved.