Aref Bek Naamani (also known as Na'amani or Ni'ami) was born in Beirut in 1882, into a prominent family of Sunni merchants and politicians. In the aftermath of the First World War, he was amongst the first Sunni politicians to advocate for Lebanese independence from Syria.^[1]

Naamani was educated at the Prussian-German Diakonie School in Beirut, before graduating from Saint Joseph University.^[2]

After the Young Turk Coup of 1908, he joined the Beiruti branch of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP). He later joined the Arab-Ottoman Brotherhood Association and the Arab Girl Association – movements that challenged aspects of Ottoman governance. They championed cultural rights for Ottoman Arabs and pressed for the decentralisation of authority within the empire. By 1914, Naamani had aligned himself with the Covenant Association, which pushed for total Arab autonomy from Turkish rule.^[3]

During the First World War, Naamani was exempted from going to the front, being the only male in the family. He organised relief efforts during the Great Famine of Mount Lebanon.^[4] He also became acquainted with Prince Faisal, who led the Great Arab Revolt against Turkish rule.^[5]

After the war, Naamani attended the Syrian General Conference of May 1919. There, he advocated for the establishment of an independent Lebanon, separate from Syria, which would not only encompass Mount Lebanon but also extend into neighbouring regions, including the Bekaa Valley. He promoted Lebanese self-governance again during the General Syrian Congress of March 1920. Naamani told Prince Faisal: ‘If we annex Lebanon into the Arab states, it will exhaust us greatly because some of its [Maronite] people seek France's protection.’ Naamani insisted that Lebanon should maintain cultural and economic ties with the Arab world and was open minded to the idea that Beirut should be a free port.^[6]

Some commentators have highlighted Naamani's stance to argue that Lebanese independence wasn't solely driven by Maronites, but rather it was a collaborative effort involving participation from various religious sects. For example, the writer, Said Akl, insisted that if Naamani ‘had not requested an exemption for Lebanon from the Arab State project, there would have been no Lebanon.’^[7]

Naamani opposed the Sykes-Picot Treaty and the French mandate. He nevertheless served as an advisor to the French High Commissioner, Henri Gouraud, and acted as an interlocutor between French authorities and Prince Faisal. Naamani also participated in French-sponsored meetings to bring together notable figures from different communities. These meetings were attended by leading political figures from various religious sects, including Alfred Sursok, Petro Trad, Amin Arslan, Salim Ali Salam and Riad al-Solh.^[8]

Naamani forged alliances with non-Muslim nationalists who wanted to end the mandate system. In July 1920, seven (out of the eleven) members of Mount Lebanon’s Administrative Council voted for a resolution which stipulated ‘the complete and absolute independence of Lebanon’. The Maronite, Saadallah Hayek, voted for this resolution. So too did the Druze, Mahmud Jumblatt.^[9]

Naamani, al-Solh and Arslan arranged for the pro-independence members of the Administrative Council to travel to the Paris Peace Conference, declare their rejection of the French mandate and thereby weaken the French case for the mandate, which relied on the assumption that religious minorities sought Western protection from Muslim dominance. Naamani agreed to finance the journey and cover travel expenses. The French were tipped off. Naamani was tried for treason and exiled to Corsica, effectively ending his political career.^[10]

Naamani returned to Lebanon in 1923. His focus shifted from politics to business and commerce. Notably, he collaborated with the Hashemites on an oil extraction project in the Arabian Peninsula. However, the project came to an end when the Hashemites lost control of the peninsula. Naamani died in 1955.^[11]