There is a story in the Qur’an about King Solomon, well, a story about his death. He is said to have died while standing on a hill leaning on his wooden staff. Watching from afar, the Jinn continued to do his bidding thinking that he was still alive. The Jinn only knew that Solomon was dead when earthworms ate through his staff and his body collapsed. Continue reading “Of Baath and Djinn: A Syrian fairytale with a potentially unhappy ending”
Category: Articles & Op-Eds
For Syrian optimists, now is the time to reconsider
Special to The Daily Star
If the last five years in Syria have shown anything, it is that the country’s Baath regime cannot accommodate serious reforms – economic, political or structural. As such, the lackluster nature of the recent Baath congress and its recommendations were not surprising. If anything, the Baath simply lived up to its, by now, well-established reputation as the party of missed opportunities and disappointments. Continue reading “For Syrian optimists, now is the time to reconsider”
Flexibility allows for hope, rigidity precipitates mayhem
Tharwa Editorial
Despite the authoritarian nature of many Iranian institutions, the ruling elite have long agreed on a certain process for managing their differences. This process is still in effect today and is playing a major role in the country by allowing for a certain amount of political dynamism on the top and, therefore, for a certain amount of hope for survival, if not of the Islamic regime itself then of the country. Continue reading “Flexibility allows for hope, rigidity precipitates mayhem”
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?”
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 