In 1936, the negotiating delegation led by Hashim al-Atassi returned from Paris, carrying with them the independence treaty and an amnesty for the fighters of the Great Syrian Revolt who had been exiled.
A delegation from the people of Jabal al-Arab was formed to congratulate and greet the members of the negotiating delegation, whose names are listed in the picture.
The fighter Mahmoud Kaywan said, addressing the head of the delegation:
Mr. President, the people of the Mountain have a grievance against you. Why did none of the sons of Jabal al-Arab participate in the independence negotiations, even though you know what we sacrificed during the days of the Syrian Revolt?
President Hashim al-Atassi replied: No one can forget the martyrs and the great sacrifices you have made, but this is politics and thorny negotiations in the French capital.
In the midst of this discussion, Faris al-Khoury stood up and said:
Mahmoud Bey, you are the original people of the Mountain, and we are your representatives in Paris. If we succeeded in signing a treaty written in ink, you signed the treaty in blood, and were it not for the blood, the ink would not exist.
What did Faris al-Khoury say to Mahmoud Kaywan after the signing of the independence treaty?
