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In 1907 British P.M. Henry Campbell-Bannerman formed a committee from some famous scholars from Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Italy -- Specialized in history, geography, economics, oil, agriculture and colonialism – to study possible ways to assure the continuity of European colonialist interests. In his directives to the committee members, he said: Empires grow in power to a certain extent, expand then gradually disintegrate and collapse. He asked them to find a way for delaying the fate of European colonialism which had reached its peak; at that time, when the sun never set on the British Empire.
After studying the establishment and fall of old empires, and the existing conditions early in the twentieth century, they drew up their suggestions in a report, which ended with a declaration stating that the dangers facing colonialist empires lay in the Arab land if and when they are liberated, united and progress. Thus they recommended to the seven colonialist powers to maintain the prevailing status quo in the region, divided and backward, and keep its people in their current status: disunited, backward, ignorant and quarrelling.
British P.M. Henry Campbell-Bannerman argued:
“There are people (Muslims) who control spacious territories teeming with manifest and hidden resources. They dominate the intersections of world routes. Their lands were the cradles of human civilizations and religions. These people have one faith, one language, one history and the same aspirations. No natural barriers can isolate these people from one another ... if, per chance, this nation were to be unified into one state, it would then take the fate of the world into its hands and would separate Europe from the rest of the world. Taking these considerations seriously, a foreign body should be planted in the heart of this nation to prevent the convergence of its wings in such a way that it could exhaust its powers in never-ending wars. It could also serve as a springboard for the West to gain its coveted objects.” [From the Campbell-Bannerman Report, 1907]
[Extracted from ‘The Arab Scene 100 years After Campbell-Bannerman’ by Awni Farsakh]
1 comment:
thank you for your reference to this too oft overlooked conference (1907 campbell-bannerman).
i have been looking for original text online for some time but without success. would you mind sharing with me the url source for your citation or the more complete bibliographical information?
thank you, and keep up the good work!
h.
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