ABSTRACT
British influence over the monarchy continued while Iraq’s rulers took little account of the pressing needs and concerns of society at large. Political activity remained generally the preserve of a privileged minority. In the environment, the Jama‘at al-Ahali emerged as the Iraqi group to articulate a well-developed ideology linked to a strong social conscience and a concept of economic progress. In the beginning, Jama‘at al-Ahali consisted of hardly more than four young college graduates—Husayn Jamil, ‘Abd al-Qadir Isma’il, ‘Abd al-Fattah Ibrahim, and Muhammad Hadid. While Iraqi students in Beirut expended their energies in activities that included political organization, those who remained in Baghdad engaged in demonstrations. Iraqis of all stripes—liberals, socialists, communists, Arab nationalists, and some of the more traditional political leaders—believed the treaty compromised Iraq’s sovereignty and independence. The Ahali group remained aloof from participation in the practical side of Iraqi political life until it attracted the attention of prominent political personalities such as Kamil al-Chadirchi.
