His Excellency
Muhammad Najib Ar-Ruba'i
Ar-Ruba'i in 1960
1st President of Iraq
In office
14 July 1958 – 8 February 1963
Prime MinisterAbd al-Karim Qasim
Preceded byFaisal II (as the King of Iraq)
Succeeded byAbdul Salam Arif
Personal details
Born(1904-07-14)14 July 1904
Baghdad, Baghdad Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died1965 (aged 60–61)
Baghdad, Iraq
NationalityIraqi
Political partyIndependent
OccupationPresident of Iraq (1958–63)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Iraq
Branch/service Army
Years of service1924-1963
Rank Lieutenant General
Ar-Ruba'i in military uniform in 1959.

Muhammad Najib Ar-Ruba'i (Arabic: محمد نجيب الربيعي) (also spelled Al-Rubai) (1904–1965) was the first president of Iraq (Chairman of Sovereignty Council), from 14 July 1958 to 8 February 1963.[1] Together with Abdul Karim Qassim,[2] he was one of the leaders of the 14 July Revolution that toppled King Faisal II in 1958.

While Qassim became prime minister and held most of the power, Ar-Ruba'i was elected head of state with the title of Chairman of the Sovereignty Council. The Sovereignty Council had a representative from each of the communal/ethnic groups. Ar-Ruba'i represented the Sunni community.

In 1963, Qassim was deposed by another coup led by Abd as-Salam Arif. Ar-Ruba'i had to retire from politics. Ar-Ruba'i died in 1965.

References

  1. ↑ Cahoon, Ben (2000). "Iraq - Chronology" (web). worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  2. ↑ "Iraq PROFILE" (web). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.