Archive: syria
27th November 2015
1. Because everyone else seems to be doing it
2. Because we are already bombing in Iraq
3. Because it looks bad if the French are doing it and we aren't
4. Because the Russians are doing it and we don't like that
5.… Read more
23rd November 2015
Later this week prime minister David Cameron will set out a new British strategy for Syria which is expected to include airstrikes on Syrian territory. Although Britain, as a member of the anti-ISIS coalition, is currently bombing in Iraq it is prevented from bombing in Syria because of a … Read more
10th August 2015
There are few things more likely to infuriate Arab citizens than blatant abuse of privilege – when those with powerful connections behave as if the law does not apply to them. This is what led to a rare public outburst at the weekend in the Syrian city of Latakia in the Assad regime's heartland.… Read more
8th August 2015
Rather belatedly, the United Nations has taken its first concrete step towards ending impunity for chemical attacks in Syria. Although any criminal charges are still a distant prospect, the move may be aimed more immediately at halting the use of chlorine as a weapon.
On Friday the Security… Read more
28th July 2015
The grubby relationship between GNRD – a supposedly "neutral and impartial" human rights organisation – and the PYD, a Kurdish political party, continues. Anne-Marie Lizin, the discredited Belgian politician who revels in the title of GNRD's "High Commissioner for Europe", was interviewed recently… Read more
16th July 2015
A very peculiar story from Syria: the Assad regime has produced a new – revised – version of the Qur'an designed to prevent "misleading" interpretations.
It's peculiar because messing about with the text of the holy book would, in the eyes of any normal believer, amount to sacrilege. The Qur'an is… Read more
30th June 2015
In a blog post last week I wrote about the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD) and its extensive network of Palestinian connections. Since then, as part of my continuing investigation, I have been looking at GNRD's Syrian connections.
Syria actually gets more attention on GNRD's… Read more
28th April 2015
The last few days have brought a spate of articles about Syria, all noting that the Assad regime is under increasingly serious pressure:
Assad’s hold on power looks shakier than ever as rebels advance in Syria (Washington Post)
The Assad Regime: The Beginning of the End? (Middle East Institute… Read more
4th December 2014
In a blog post yesterday I quoted from a study of school textbooks in an Arab country and invited readers to guess which country it was talking about. The textbook in question was aimed at 14-15 year-olds and it informed them:
"Islam accepts only two choices for pagans: that they convert to Islam… Read more
3rd December 2014
Here's a little puzzle for readers. Can you work out which Arab country the the writer is talking about in the passage below? Its school textbooks for 14-15 year-olds say that pagans should be killed if they don't convert to Islam:
"It is tucked away in the ninth grade [textbook] under the… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
