The Ummah Illusion

President Obama Hosts Iftar Dinner At White House To Celebrate Ramadan.

Obama approval high with Muslims – Jonathan Topaz – POLITICO.com.

Neither Arabs nor Muslims have ever constituted an Ummah, nor will they. In itself, that’s not a bad thing. It’s our inability to accept this reality and our insistence on believing in the illusion of Ummah-hood that is the essence of the problem. We desperately need new thinking. Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim majority states and communities will always different priorities that reflect the local socioeconomic realities with which they have to contend, and the political ideologies they espouse. We are not One. We never were. We will never be. Perish the illusion.

Jon Stewart – Just Another Fallen Idol

Jon Stewart Rips Apart How the Media Covers the Violence in Gaza – Mic.

Jon Stewart was quick to speak on the tragic developments in Gaza and to point out the asymmetric nature of the conflict. But on Syria, he remained silent until such time that Assad’s crackdown finally plunged the country into a civil war allowing for the emergence of Al-Nusra and ISIS. He, then, hosted guests like Fareed Zakaria whose main point was to insist on staying out of the fray, who spoke of all sides as being equally bad, and wondered where the good guys were, all while ignoring the asymmetric nature of the conflict. I long lost my respect for liberals like Jon. He could be brilliant at times, but his politics prevent him from being consistent, and that makes him a hypocrite. So, I don’t give a fuck anymore about how fair he chooses to treat certain issues. He’s just another ideologue.

Nothing’s what it seems

United Nations Security Council voted 15 to 0 on Monday to authorize cross-border convoys of emergency aid for millions of deprived Syrian civilians in rebel-held areas, without prior approval by the Syrian government.

U.N. Council, in Unanimous Vote, Backs Aid Delivery to Syrians in Rebel Areas – NYTimes.com.

All Syria watchers know well that this decision is meant to target ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in Syria, Al-Nusra Front, rather than the Assad regime, seeing that most border checkpoints are controlled by the these two groups. In fact, the decision calls for a measure of coordination with the Assad regime as well. In a sense, then, the Resolution re-legitimizes the Assad regime. This is why the Russians did not veto it, and ended up endorsing it. A deal over Syria seems to have been reached between the Americans, Iranians and Russians, and it’s one of those usual cynical deals that harken back on the darkest days of the Cold War, and comes as a further expression of how fucked up our sense of humanity continues to be.

Syrian opposition in Turkey needs to address issue of refugees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdt6ZHwKN9s

Anti-Syrian sentiment reaches dangerous levels.

Many of the problems that Syrian refugees encounter in Turkey stem from the fact that their presence has become part of that country domestic politics. PM Erdogan’s AK party has done much to support them, but his unwavering support has become fodder to be used by his political rivals, especially the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP). This development does not augur well for the future wellbeing of Syrians in Turkey. The fortunes of Syrian refugees in Turkey cannot be tied solely to those of one of her political parties, a much wider support for the plight of Syrian refugees in Turkey is needed.

Continue reading “Syrian opposition in Turkey needs to address issue of refugees” →