The Risks of Virtual and Other Forms of Activism!

In Syria, we have several cases where people were arrested, tried in a security court and jailed for having an illegal content on their pcs, or in their emails. Still, software to circumvent the government firewall is available everywhere at a cost of less than one USD. Everybody uses this software to access forbidden sites, such as those of various opposition groups abroad. No one has so far been jailed for accessing an actual opposition site, but there was a recent arrest against a well-known dissident who read a statement from the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in a public forum. He had received the statement via email.

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Will Arab regimes reform themselves before the genie gets out of the lamp?

Tharwa Editorial

A few months ago, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak faced his country’s parliament and made a rather surprising gesture. He called for the formulation and adoption of a new bill allowing for multi-candidate presidential elections to take place for the first time in the history of that country.

A few days later, Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, addressed the Syrian parliament and announced the withdrawal of his country’s troops from neighboring Lebanon and promised that the Tenth Congress of the Baath Party will represent a “qualitative leap” for the country. Continue reading “Will Arab regimes reform themselves before the genie gets out of the lamp?” →

Syria’s Baath Party Tries to Reform Itself

Quoted by the Associated Press

“That Baath Party went to the bank [should read: with a bang]. This Baath Party is going down with a shy whimper,” said Ammar Abdulhamid, a novelist and social analyst. “It’s ineffectual, so stop looking at it for leadership and stop looking at it as a source of change and reform.” … Continue reading “Syria’s Baath Party Tries to Reform Itself” →

The Meaning of the End!

There is a story in the Qur’an about King Solomon, well, a story about his death to be specific. He is said to have died while standing on a hill leaning on his wooden staff. Watching from afar, the Djinn continued to do his bidding thinking that he was still alive. The Djinn only knew that Solomon was dead when earthworms ate through his staff and his body collapsed. Continue reading →