In 1919, al-Husseini attended the Pan-Syrian Congress held in Damascus where he supported Emir Faisal for King of Syria. That year al-Husseini founded the pro-British Jerusalem branch of the Syrian-based 'Arab Club' ("Al-Nadi al-arabi"), which then vied with the Nashashibi-sponsored 'Literary Club' ("al-Muntada al-Adabi") for influence over public opinion, and he soon became its president. At the same time, he wrote articles for the "Suriyya al-Janubiyya" (Southern Syria). The paper was published in Jerusalem beginning in September 1919 by the lawyer Muhammad Hassan al-Budayri, and edited by Aref al-Aref, both prominent members of al-Nadi al-'Arabi.