Bahij al-Khatib | |
|---|---|
بهيج الخطيب | |
 | |
| Head of State of Syria | |
| In office 8 July 1939 – 4 April 1941 | |
| Preceded by | Hashim al-Atassi |
| Succeeded by | Khalid al-Azm |
| Governor of Damascus | |
| In office 6 February 1936 – 2 March 1936 | |
| Preceded by | Aref al-Khatib |
| Succeeded by | Tawfiq al-Hayani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1895 |
| Died | 1981 (aged 85–86) |
Bahij al-Khatib (Arabic:بهيج الخطيب,romanized: Bahīj al-Khaṭīb; 1895–1981) was aFrench-appointedSyrian Head of State from July 8, 1939 to April 4, 1941.
Al-Khatib was born in 1895 inShheem,Chouf District,Ottoman Empire (modern-day Lebanon). He was educated at theSyria Protestant College and was an oil merchant inBeirut before entering politics.[1]
Al-Khatib was staunchly loyal to the continued French administration of Syria and opposed all aspirations for independence. He began his political career when he joined the civil service inDamascus after France imposed itsLeague of Nations mandate over Syria and Lebanon in July 1920. Due to his loyalty to the French administration, he rose to be Director of Police and Public Security, and lead a campaign of intimidation and harassment of nationalist leaders and organizations. When the NationalistHashim al-Atassi, the first president of the newly declared Syrian Republic, resigned in protest over continued French prevarication against full independence, al-Khatib was appointed in his stead by the French authorities.
Due to his extreme unpopularity, he was eventually asked to resign by French presidentCharles de Gaulle in 1941.[2]
Later on, Al-Khatib served as theMinister of Interior twice, and as the Governor of Damascus in 1943. He left Syria back to Lebanon after theBa'ath Party took power in Syria. He died in 1981.[3]
| French mandate (1922–1930) |  |
|---|---|
| First Syrian Republic (1930–1950) | |
| Second Syrian Republic (1950–1958) | .svg) |
| United Arab Republic (1958–1961) | %2c_Flag_of_Syria_(1980%25E2%2580%25932024).svg) |
| Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963) | |
| Ba'athist Syria (1963–2024) | |
| Transitional period (2024–present) | .svg)
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* acting | |
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