Transformations of a Memory of Tyranny in Syria: From Jamal Pasha to 'Id al-Shuhada', 1914-2000

The events of the First World War and the appearance of "new" countries in the Middle East created opportunities for a broad spectrum of reconstructed memories. One such instance is the oppressive government of Jamal Pasha (1914-17) in Syria and Lebanon during the First World War. In this article I define the social construction of memory as the varieties of transformations through which memories are shaped at different periods. I show how the social construction of memory is used by political elites to advance political interests through the creation of national memories. Adapted from the source document.