Atassi

Atassi, also sometimes spelled Atasi, ( _ar. الأتاسي) is the name of a prominent family in Homs, Syria dating back to the 16th century AD.

Background

Many leading family members assumed prominent religious and political positions in Ottoman, French, and Independent Syria. Family traditions and documents tell us that the name Al-Atassi had evolved from the word "العطاسي " (from "عطاس," meaning "sneezer" in Arabic) which later changed to "الأطاسي" then to "الأتاسي" or Atassi. The family is of a Hashemite-Husseini origin, and its members were recognized as "Ashraf", descendents of the prophet, inheriting the formal address of this class in legal court documents. The ancestor of the family had moved between Yemen, Hijaz and Turkey before eventually establishing his presence in Homs sometime in the 16th century AD.

There are many family branches, but only two assumed new surnames: Al-Sayed Suleiman and Majaj, whereas the other branches continue to have the "Atassi" surname. The number of the family members had exceeded 2000 Atassis scattered all over the world.

Religious authority as Muftis of Homs, along with large land holdings in Homs formed the basis of the family's wealth and influence.

Atassi Muftis of Homs and Tripoli

(Dates represent period served in that position)

1) Al-Shihab Ahmad Sham Al-Deen ibn Khalil Al-Atassi, the first. 1533-1596.

2) Mahmood ibn Ahmad Al-Atassi. Held position starting in 1596.

3)Ahmad ibn Mahmood Al-Atassi, the second. Held position until death in 1653.

4) Hasan ibn Mahmood Al-Atassi. Held position starting in 1653.

5) Mohammad ibn Ahmad Al-Atassi, the first. Held position until death in 1698.

6) Ali ibn Hasan Al-Atassi. Held position starting in 1703.

7) Abdul-Wahhab ibn Ali Al-Atassi. Mid 18th century, period not exactly known.

8) Burhan Al-Deen Ibraheem ibn Ali Al-Atassi. Late 18th century, period in Homs not known, Mufti of Homs, later of Tripoli.

9) Yaseen ibn Ibraheem al-Atassi, Mufti of Tripoli.

10) Abdul-Sattar ibn Ibraheem Al-Atassi. 1805-1829.

11) Saeed ibn Abdul-Sattar Al-Atassi. 1830-1854.

12) Mohammad Abu-Al-Fath ibn Abdul-Sattar Al-Atassi, the second. 1852-1882.

13) Mohammad Khaled ibn Mohammad Al-Atassi. 1885-1894.

14) Abdul-Lateef ibn Mohammad Al-Atassi. 1894-1914

15) Mohammad Taher ibn M. Khaled Al-Atassi. 1914-1940.

16) Mohammad Tawfeeq ibn Abdul-Lateef Al-Atassi. 1940-1965.

17) Badr Al-Deen ibn Mahmood Al-Atassi. 1965-1966.

18) Mohammad Tayyeb ibn Abdul-Fattah Al-Atassi. 1966-1984.

Other members served as religious scholars in other capacities such as Judges, Chief Clerks, and Imams. One Mufti, Sayed Ibraheem Efendi Al-Atassi, also served as Mufti of Tripoli in the late 18th century. Taher Al-Atassi served as the supreme judge of Basrah of Iraq, Nablus and Jerusalem in Palestine in the late Ottoman period.

Although members of Atassi family were naturally involved in the politics of the city of Homs by virtue of holding the Mufti position and by belonging to the class of notables and Ashraf, it was not until the late 1800s that they started holding non-religious governmental offices. Two scholars who held the position of Mufti also held political offices: Khaled Al-Atassi (1837-1908), and his son, Taher Al-Atassi (1860-1940). Sayed Khaled Efendi Al-Atassi was elected as a deputy of Homs and Hama in 1876 to the first Parliament of the Ottoman Empire. In 1922, Sayed Taher Efendi was elected to the membership of the Council of the Syrian Union as a representative of Homs in the state of Damascus. Other Atassis followed suit.

Further influence through education was achieved by a tradition of sending the young men of the family to be educated at the Imperial capital of Istanbul during the Ottoman administration, and then to the Sorbonne and other European centers of learning during the French Mandate.

Atassi Heads of State

1) Hashem Al-Atassi, President of Syria: 1936-1939, December, 1949-September, 1950, September, 1950-December, 1951, February, 1954-September, 1955

2) General Louay bin Ahmad Sami al-Atassi, President of the Revolutionary Council, vested with presidential powers, 1963

3) Dr. Nour al-Deen al-Atassi, President of Syria, 1966-1970

Atassi members elected to the parliament and ruling Councils

(dates represent year elected)

1) Khaled Al-Atassi, elected to the Ottoman parliament, 1876.

2) Hashem Al-Atassi, 1919, 1928, 1932, 1936.

3) Wasfi Beik Al-Atassi, 1919.

4) Taher Efendi Al-Atassi, 1922, member of the 15-membered Ruling Council of the Tri-State Union.

5) Mukarram Al-Atassi, 1936, 1946.

6) Dr. Adnan Al-Atassi, 1943, 1947, 1954.

7) Hilmi Al-atassi, 1943, 1946.

8) Feidy Beik Al-Atassi, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1961.

9) Dr. S. Al-Atassi, elected to the parliament of the United Arab Republic, 1960.

10) Ibtisam Al-Sayed Suleiman Al-Atassi, 2003.

Atassi Ministers in various Cabinets

1) Hashem Al-Atassi

2) Faydi beik al-Atassi

3) Dr. Adnan al-Atassi

4) Mukarram al-Atassi

5) Dr. Jamal al-Atassi

6) Dr. Noor al-Deen al-Atassi

Ambassadors

1) Dr. Adnan bin Hashem Beik al-Atasi, Paris (1945)

2) Abdel-Kareem al-Atassi,

3) Brigadier General Jawdat bin Abdel Jawad al-Atassi

4) Dr. Ma'moon al-Atassi

5) Abdel-Wadood al-Atassi

Atassi Mayors of Homs

1) Hasan Al-Atassi, late 1800s.

2) Najeeb Atassi, 1879.

3) Omar Beik Al-Atassi, 1912.

4) Mohammad Al-Atassi, 1920-1930.

5) Feidy Beik Al-Atassi, 1931-1945.

6) Mukarram Al-Atassi, 1950s.

7) Qasem Al-Atassi, 1954-1957.

Ranking Officers in the Syrian Military

In order of highest rank:

1) General Louay ibn Ahmad Sami al-Atassi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Armed Forces, 1963.

2) Major General Dr. Sabah al-Deen bin Husam al-Deel al-Atassi, former High Commissioner of the Syrian Army

3) Major General Dr. Ziad bin Abu al-Sood al-Sayed Suleiman al-Atassi

4) Major General Iklil bin Fahmi al-Atassi

5) Major General Tamer bin Haqqi al-Atassi.

6) Brigadier General his Excellency Ambassador Jawdat bin Abdel-Jawad al-Atassi, former president of the Syrian Military School

7) Brigadier General Dr. Abdel-Zaher bin Abdel Majeed al-Sayed Suleiman al-Atassi

8) Colonel Ziad bin khalil al-Atassi, former Secretary General of the Syrian Veteran Society.

9) Colonel Faisal bin Mazhar al-Atassi, leader of the 1954 coup.

10) Colonel Mohammad bin Ibrahim al-Atassi, former Commissioner of the Syrian Army, former head of the Allepo Military Police.

11) Colonel Shahood bin Rafeeq al-Atassi, former head of the Syrian Desert Forces.

12) Colonel Mazyad bin Tawfeeq al-Atassi, former head of the Civilian Police in Homs, former Director General of the Prisons of Allepo.

13) Lieutenant Colonel Salem bin Suleiman al-Atassi.

Members of the family lead the national movement against the French mandate. The power and prestige of the family reached an apex at the formation of the modern Republic of Syria in 1936, when its second Head of State, Hashim al-Atassi was elected president. Two out of the seven members of the constitutional assembly who drafted the first constitution of Syria in 1919 included two prominent Atassis: Wasfi Beik and Hashem Beik Al-Atassi. Two more scions, Luai al-Atassi and Nureddin al-Atassi, were in turn installed as heads of state in the 1960s. There were also several magistrates, governors, ambassadors, heads of political parties, military officers and other public officials in the ranks of the family throughout Ottoman and modern times.

References

1) Atasi, B.H. "Bughyat Al-Nasi" the History of the Atassi Family-Bassel Atasi."

2) Islamic Court Registers of city of Homs.

3) al-Muradi, Khalil. "Silk Al-Durar fi 'ayan al-Qarn al-thani sshar."

4) al-Bitar, Abdul-Razzaq. "Hilyat al-bashar fi tarikh al-qarn al-thalith 'ashar."

5) As'ad, Munir. "Tarikh Hims."

6) Moubayed, Sami M., "Steel and Silk: man and Men Who Shaped Syria 1900-2000." Cune Press, 2006.

7) http://www.alatassi.net