imin ologist ▁and ▁professor . ▁ ▁Background ▁Haw mad ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁father ▁Mah m oud ▁Haw mad ▁in ▁Ale ppo , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁raised , ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁Before ▁his ▁entry ▁into ▁politics , ▁Haw mad ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁lawyer , ▁special izing ▁in ▁cr imin ology . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris ▁with ▁a ▁law ▁doctor ate ▁and ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁criminal ▁justice . ▁He ▁also ▁studied ▁Arab ic ▁literature ▁at ▁the ▁university . ▁When ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Sy ria , ▁Haw mad ▁also ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Dam asc us . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁ ▁People ' s ▁Party ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Party , ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁left - wing ▁fa ction , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁one ▁year ▁after ▁Sy ria ' s ▁independence ▁from ▁the ▁French ▁Mand ate . ▁The ▁party ' s ▁platform ▁revol ved ▁around ▁strength ening ▁Sy rian ▁dem ocracy , ▁distrib uting ▁political ▁power — which ▁was ▁largely ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Dam asc us - based ▁polit icians — through out ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁unit ing ▁with ▁neighbor ing ▁Ira q . ▁It ▁was ▁al lied ▁and ▁fin anced ▁by ▁the ▁Hash em ites , ▁who ▁were ▁in ▁power ▁in ▁both ▁Ira q ▁and ▁Jordan . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁Haw mad ▁won ▁a ▁seat ▁representing ▁Ale ppo ▁in ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁Sy ria , ▁which ▁he ▁kept