Yusuf Salman Yusuf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yusuf Salman Yusuf
General Secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party
In office 1943–1949
Preceded by	Position created, Abdullah Mas'ud (previous leader)
Succeeded by	Baha' al-Din Nuri
Personal details
Born	Yusuf Salman Yusuf 19 July 1901 Baghdad, Ottoman Empire
Died	14 February 1949(1949-02-14) (aged 47) Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq
Nationality	Iraqi
Political party	Iraqi Communist Party
Spouse	Irina Georgivna (m. 1935)
Children	Susan
Profession	Politician

Yusuf Salman Yusuf (Arabic: يوسف سلمان يوسف; born July 19, 1901 – died February 14, 1949) was a very important figure in Iraq's history. He was also known by his special nickname, Comrade Fahd (Arabic: فهد). He was one of the first people in Iraq to believe in and work for communism. From 1941 until he died in 1949, he was the main leader of the Iraqi Communist Party. Many people say he helped the party grow very quickly in the 1940s. Even when he was in prison for the last two years of his life, he still led the party.

Early Life of Yusuf Salman Yusuf

Yusuf Salman Yusuf was born in Baghdad in 1901. His family was not rich; his father sold cakes and sweets to make a living. In 1907, his family moved to Basra in southern Iraq. They hoped to find a better life there.

Yusuf was from the Assyrian group and followed the Chaldean Catholic faith. He went to the Syriac Christian School in Basra from 1908 to 1914. Then, he attended the American Mission School from 1914 to 1916. His schooling stopped because his father got sick. Yusuf had to find work to help his family. He first worked as a translator for the British Army in Basra. Later, in 1919, he moved to Nasiriyah to help his brother with a mill. In 1924, he went back to Basra. He got a job as a clerk at the Electricity Supply Authority.

Early Political Steps

In 1927, Yusuf met a man named Piotr Vasili. Piotr was also Assyrian and secretly worked for the Comintern, a group that helped communist parties worldwide. Piotr taught Yusuf about socialism and communism. Yusuf then joined the first communist group in al-Nasiriyya that same year.

Two years later, in 1929, Yusuf left his job. He wanted to travel abroad. He was not allowed to get a passport because he didn't have much money. But he still left Iraq. He traveled through places like Khuzestan, Kuwait, Syria, and Palestine. During this trip, he tried to connect with the Comintern. He also asked the Palestine Communist Party for money. He wanted to use it to help with political work back in Iraq.

Learning Abroad

In 1930, the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty was signed. This made many people in Iraq very angry. Yusuf returned home. A year later, in July 1931, he helped organize strikes. These strikes were against a new city tax. He continued his political work in al-Nasiriyya until February 1935. Then, he left Iraq again. This time, he went to Moscow in the Soviet Union. He was going to study at the Communist University of the Toilers of the East (KUTV). This training would help him become a future leader of communist activities. He traveled through Syria, France, and Italy to get there. He stayed in the Soviet Union as a student until the summer of 1937. Before he returned to Iraq in January 1938, he might have had a special mission in Western Europe. He seemed to spend the winter of 1938 in France and Belgium.

Becoming a Party Leader

When Yusuf returned to Iraq, he used the party name Sa'id. He met Abdullah Mas'ud, who was forming a communist group in Baghdad. Yusuf traveled around Iraq for a while. But in December 1940, he heard that Mas'ud was starting a communist newspaper called al-Shararah (the spark). Yusuf returned to Baghdad and asked to be in charge of the newspaper. Mas'ud said no. However, Mas'ud suggested that Fahd stay in Baghdad and work for the party with some money to live on. Fahd agreed to this offer.

On October 29, 1941, the police arrested Abdullah Mas'ud. Fahd then took over his leadership role. In November, he was chosen as the first secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party. He quickly started to take charge of the group. He removed most of the older leaders. Fahd's way of leading caused some disagreements. But he was soon able to focus on building up the party.

Building a Strong Party

Fahd wanted to build a strong party that included many ordinary people. He especially focused on workers in large industries owned by foreign companies. His main helpers were his trusted friends Ali Sakar, Zaki Bassim, and Ahmad 'Abbas. The party paid less attention to workers in smaller, local workshops. This was because the larger industries, like the Kirkuk oilfields, railways, and Basra port, were more important. Many workers in these big industries joined the party under Fahd's leadership.

In March 1944, the Iraqi party held a meeting in Baghdad. They agreed on a "National Charter." They also adopted a slogan from the Syrian Communist Party: A free homeland and a happy people (watanun hurrun wa sha'bun sa'id). This meant they wanted their country to be free and their people to be happy. The first big meeting of the party happened a year later.

Arrest and Leading from Prison

On January 18, 1947, the police found Fahd and Zaki Bassim at a party member's house. All three were arrested. They were questioned and then sent to Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. Meanwhile, Yehuda Siddiq took over as the party's leader. Fahd told him to give control to Malik Saif, but he didn't listen at first.

In Abu Ghraib, the three were kept in very bad conditions. They didn't see daylight for long periods. On June 13, they started a hunger strike to protest. The authorities finally brought them to trial on June 20. They were accused of working with foreign groups and trying to cause trouble. On June 23, all three were found guilty and sentenced to death.

However, many people were angry about these sentences. The government changed its mind. Fahd's sentence was changed to life in prison. Bassim and Shmayyel got fifteen years. They were moved from Abu Ghraib to Baghdad Central Prison, and then to Kut Prison.

From Kut, Fahd could still talk to the party regularly. He told them to keep working hard. Because of his orders, there were many strikes and protests in Iraq between January and May 1948.

The Death of Fahd

On February 10, 1949, Fahd was put on trial again. This time, he was accused of leading communist activities from prison. Zaki Bassim and Muhammad Husain al-Sabibi were also tried with him. Fahd and his friends were executed on February 13 and 14 in public squares in Baghdad.

At the time, Fahd's death seemed like a huge loss for the Iraqi communist movement. However, just a few years later, the party became stronger than ever. It grew into a very large movement. Many people believed it was one of the most powerful political groups in any Arab country. Fahd's hard work in organizing the party, and the idea that he died for his beliefs, were very important reasons for the party's growth.

See also

• Fahd's Revolutionary Organization
• Toma Tomas