Yusuf Yasin | |
---|---|
Born | 1888
Latakia, Syria |
Died | 19 April 1962 (aged 73–74)
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia |
Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
Alma mater | University of Jerusalem |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1920s–1958 |
Children | 8 |
Yusuf Yasin (also known as Yousuf Yassin; 1888 – 19 April 1962) was a Syrian journalist and politician who served in various capacities during the reign of King Abdulaziz and King Saud. [1] He was among the advisers of King Abdulaziz who were employed to improve the decision-making process of the state. [2] Yasin performed several roles in the Saudi government until his death in 1962.
Yusuf Yasin was born in Latakia, Syria, in 1888. [1] [3] His parents were Fatima bint Abdullah Jamal and Shaikh Mohammad Yasin, and his grandfather was Ali Al Masri, probably an Egyptian immigrant to Syria. [4]
Following religious education in Latakia Yasin graduated from the University of Jerusalem in 1911. [4] He was also educated in Cairo where one of his tutors was Rashid Rida. [5]
Yasin worked as a teacher in Jerusalem in the Ottoman period and supported the pan-Arab views during World War I. [6] He served in the court of Amir Faisal, son of Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz between 1917 and 1918. [6] In 1920 Yasin began to work for Hussein bin Ali in Mecca who sent him to his another son Abdullah, Amir of Transjordan. [6] However, he left Abdullah's service just six months after his appointment. [6] Yasin cofounded a weekly nationalist newspaper in Jerusalem in 1921. [7] His business associate was Mohammad Kamil Al Budari, and their paper was entitled Al Sabah. [7]
Yasin left Syria due to the French occupation of the region due to his strong adherence to the independence of Syria and was part of a group called the Istiqlali network which also included another journalist Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. [5] Yasin began to work for the House of Saud in 1923 or in 1924. [4] [8] Shukri Al Quwatli, future president of Syria, was instrumental in Yasin's new career. [9] [10] Yasin intended to work as a teacher for the sons of King Abdulaziz. [8] He first became the head of the political section of the royal court and private secretary to the King. [11]
Yasin contributed to the establishment of a weekly paper in Mecca, Umm Al Qura, in 1924 of which he became the first editor-in-chief. [4] [5] [12] The paper soon functioned as the official gazette of the country. [13] He was made the political secretary of King Abdulaziz in 1926 and then, appointed an adviser to him in the 1930s. [4] He was also head of the press bureau and accompanied the king in his meeting with Amir Faisal, King of Iraq, in February 1930. [14]
Yasin became a Saudi citizen on 29 December 1930. [4] He suggested the addition of the phrase al-Sa’udiyyah to the name of the country, Al-Mamlakah al-'Arabiyyah al-Sa’udiyyah, known as Saudi Arabia, in 1932. [3] In 1937 he was part of the Saudi delegation who visited London to attend the coronation of King George VI. [15] The same year while officially visiting Baghdad, Iraq, upon the request of King Abdulaziz Yasin attempted to contact with a German arms company owned by Otto Wolff to buy rifles. [16] There Yasin also met with Fritz Grobba, Nazi Germany's ambassador to Iraq. [17]
Yasin signed the extradition treaty between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on behalf of the latter that established the Saudi–Kuwaiti neutral zone in 1942. [11] The same year Yasin was the Saudi Arabian representative at the Arab League meeting in Alexandria, Kingdom of Egypt. [6] He accompanied King Abdulaziz in his meeting with Franklin D. Roosevelt on 14 February 1945. [18] Yasin signed a treaty of amity on behalf of Saudi Arabia with the Republic of China on 15 November 1946. [19]
Yasin replaced Fuad Hamza as deputy foreign minister in 1951 when Hamza died. [6] [20] Between 1952 and 1955 Yasin was responsible for Saudi activities in the Buraimi Oasis and was a member of the Buraimi Arbitration Tribunal. [21] [22] Following the death of King Abdulaziz, Yasin served as the state minister and the advisor to King Saud, successor of the king. [23] [24] It was Yusuf Yasin who made an inauguration speech at the meeting of the council of ministers in the Murabba Palace on 7 March 1954. [24] Yasin was removed from the post of deputy foreign minister by Crown Prince Faisal on 15 May 1958. [25] Yasin's role as an aide to King Saud continued until his death in April 1962. [26]
Yasin had a pan-Arab stance, [27] and one of his close companions was Rashid Rida, founder and editor of an influential conservative Egyptian publication, Al Manar. [28] As mentioned above Rida was one of Yasin's teachers. [29] Yasin was a major opponent of the close relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States, [30] and also, had an anti-British approaches.
Yasin married twice and had eight children, five sons and three daughters. [4] One of his sons, Anas Yasin, was Saudi ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Turkey. [4] His other son, Hassan Yasin, was the advisor to the former Saudi foreign minister Saud bin Faisal Al Saud. [4]
Yusuf Yasin died of cardiac arrest in Dhahran on 19 April 1962. [4] [31] However, an Egyptian newspaper Al Akhbar reported that Yasin was badly injured in an assassination attempt and died one day after the incident. [26]
Joseph A. Kechichian wrote a book about Yusuf Yasin: The Arab Nationalist Advisor. Shaykh Yusuf Yassin of Sa’udi Arabia, which was released in December 2021. [3]
Yusuf Yasin | |
---|---|
Born | 1888
Latakia, Syria |
Died | 19 April 1962 (aged 73–74)
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia |
Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
Alma mater | University of Jerusalem |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1920s–1958 |
Children | 8 |
Yusuf Yasin (also known as Yousuf Yassin; 1888 – 19 April 1962) was a Syrian journalist and politician who served in various capacities during the reign of King Abdulaziz and King Saud. [1] He was among the advisers of King Abdulaziz who were employed to improve the decision-making process of the state. [2] Yasin performed several roles in the Saudi government until his death in 1962.
Yusuf Yasin was born in Latakia, Syria, in 1888. [1] [3] His parents were Fatima bint Abdullah Jamal and Shaikh Mohammad Yasin, and his grandfather was Ali Al Masri, probably an Egyptian immigrant to Syria. [4]
Following religious education in Latakia Yasin graduated from the University of Jerusalem in 1911. [4] He was also educated in Cairo where one of his tutors was Rashid Rida. [5]
Yasin worked as a teacher in Jerusalem in the Ottoman period and supported the pan-Arab views during World War I. [6] He served in the court of Amir Faisal, son of Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz between 1917 and 1918. [6] In 1920 Yasin began to work for Hussein bin Ali in Mecca who sent him to his another son Abdullah, Amir of Transjordan. [6] However, he left Abdullah's service just six months after his appointment. [6] Yasin cofounded a weekly nationalist newspaper in Jerusalem in 1921. [7] His business associate was Mohammad Kamil Al Budari, and their paper was entitled Al Sabah. [7]
Yasin left Syria due to the French occupation of the region due to his strong adherence to the independence of Syria and was part of a group called the Istiqlali network which also included another journalist Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli. [5] Yasin began to work for the House of Saud in 1923 or in 1924. [4] [8] Shukri Al Quwatli, future president of Syria, was instrumental in Yasin's new career. [9] [10] Yasin intended to work as a teacher for the sons of King Abdulaziz. [8] He first became the head of the political section of the royal court and private secretary to the King. [11]
Yasin contributed to the establishment of a weekly paper in Mecca, Umm Al Qura, in 1924 of which he became the first editor-in-chief. [4] [5] [12] The paper soon functioned as the official gazette of the country. [13] He was made the political secretary of King Abdulaziz in 1926 and then, appointed an adviser to him in the 1930s. [4] He was also head of the press bureau and accompanied the king in his meeting with Amir Faisal, King of Iraq, in February 1930. [14]
Yasin became a Saudi citizen on 29 December 1930. [4] He suggested the addition of the phrase al-Sa’udiyyah to the name of the country, Al-Mamlakah al-'Arabiyyah al-Sa’udiyyah, known as Saudi Arabia, in 1932. [3] In 1937 he was part of the Saudi delegation who visited London to attend the coronation of King George VI. [15] The same year while officially visiting Baghdad, Iraq, upon the request of King Abdulaziz Yasin attempted to contact with a German arms company owned by Otto Wolff to buy rifles. [16] There Yasin also met with Fritz Grobba, Nazi Germany's ambassador to Iraq. [17]
Yasin signed the extradition treaty between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on behalf of the latter that established the Saudi–Kuwaiti neutral zone in 1942. [11] The same year Yasin was the Saudi Arabian representative at the Arab League meeting in Alexandria, Kingdom of Egypt. [6] He accompanied King Abdulaziz in his meeting with Franklin D. Roosevelt on 14 February 1945. [18] Yasin signed a treaty of amity on behalf of Saudi Arabia with the Republic of China on 15 November 1946. [19]
Yasin replaced Fuad Hamza as deputy foreign minister in 1951 when Hamza died. [6] [20] Between 1952 and 1955 Yasin was responsible for Saudi activities in the Buraimi Oasis and was a member of the Buraimi Arbitration Tribunal. [21] [22] Following the death of King Abdulaziz, Yasin served as the state minister and the advisor to King Saud, successor of the king. [23] [24] It was Yusuf Yasin who made an inauguration speech at the meeting of the council of ministers in the Murabba Palace on 7 March 1954. [24] Yasin was removed from the post of deputy foreign minister by Crown Prince Faisal on 15 May 1958. [25] Yasin's role as an aide to King Saud continued until his death in April 1962. [26]
Yasin had a pan-Arab stance, [27] and one of his close companions was Rashid Rida, founder and editor of an influential conservative Egyptian publication, Al Manar. [28] As mentioned above Rida was one of Yasin's teachers. [29] Yasin was a major opponent of the close relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States, [30] and also, had an anti-British approaches.
Yasin married twice and had eight children, five sons and three daughters. [4] One of his sons, Anas Yasin, was Saudi ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Turkey. [4] His other son, Hassan Yasin, was the advisor to the former Saudi foreign minister Saud bin Faisal Al Saud. [4]
Yusuf Yasin died of cardiac arrest in Dhahran on 19 April 1962. [4] [31] However, an Egyptian newspaper Al Akhbar reported that Yasin was badly injured in an assassination attempt and died one day after the incident. [26]
Joseph A. Kechichian wrote a book about Yusuf Yasin: The Arab Nationalist Advisor. Shaykh Yusuf Yassin of Sa’udi Arabia, which was released in December 2021. [3]