To many observers of Syrian affairs, especially in the aftermath of the vaguely-worded report by Brammertz and in view of the growing alliance with Iran,the Assads regime must seem more secure than it has been in many months now, international criticism of its policies notwithstanding. Whether it is the Assads strategy that is working here or whether it is their luck that is holding, it doesn’t really matter, the end result is the same, the Assads seem practically untouchable. Continue reading “How Secure Is the Assads Regime, Really?”
Author: Ammar
A Syrian dreamer & dissident, not necessarily in that order.
Asking all the wrong questions
First posted on my short-lived blog Tharwalizations.
Ever since the Danish Cartoon Controversy, a spate of alarmist articles and reports on Islam and the Muslim communities in western societies appeared in various newspapers and journals across the world, all warning against the danger posed by Islam as such and all asserting that Islam as a faith is inherently violence. Continue reading “Asking all the wrong questions”
Death by Sect
First posted on my short-lived blog Tharwalizations.
Indeed, and as this article by Lee Smith illustrates, we need to focus on the real issues in our beleaguered part of the world, namely: the problems and challenges posed by our intricate ethnic and religious diversity and the enduing communal modes of belonging and organization in our midst. The potential for violence posed by our continuing neglect to seriously address these issues is rising by the day as more and more radical forces rush to fill in the vacuum left by the reticence of the moderates. The chances for peacebuilding development and enlightenment are practically non-existing in this climate and this could only spell disaster sooner than we’d like to think.
دولة الأقزام
17 حزيران، 2006 / مدونة “أقوال وأفكار”
الدولة التي تقزّم مواطنيها لكي تحوّلهم إلى أدوات مطواعة في يديها، حتى ولو كانت غاياتها نبيلة، ستجد أنها لن تقدر على تحقيق أي إنجاز عظيم بمواطنين أقزام. جون ستيوارت ميل، “عن الحرية”1859 Continue reading “دولة الأقزام”
