Interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Broadcast Date: August 1, 2006

The New York Times Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman and Syrian dissident Ammar Abdulhamid on this edition of Fresh Air. Friedman’s just returned from Syria. He is a three-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. In 2002 he won for his “clarity of vision, based on extensive reporting, in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat”. Friedman was awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for his international reporting from Lebanon and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting from Isreal. His most recent book is The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century. He’s also the author of From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. Ammar Abdulhamid is a visiting fellow with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Blogging and the Future of Democracy in the Arab World!

The following is a summary of a talk I recently gave at a State Department conference on Blogging and Democracy. I thought it would e of some interest here.

Many people across the world are still dubious of the possible avenues and channels for communications and expression that blogging can pave. But that is not surprising really. People have given a similar lukewarm response to the Internet itself at one point, not too long ago. But who can dispute the power and impact of the internet now? Continue reading “Blogging and the Future of Democracy in the Arab World!” →

Hidden Currents!

First posted on my short-lived blog Tharwalizations.

The continued influx of refugees from Lebanon into Syria is adding more pressure on that country’s economy already burdened by its having to cope with over 1 million Iraqi refugees. Could situation lead to an unexpected eruption of hostilities? A serious clash between Iraqi refugees and local residents has already taken place a few weeks ago in the poor suburb of Jaramana on the outskirts of Damascus. Authorities seemed to have been caught off-guard and their reaction was not as swift as one would expect from a police state. But then, Syriais becoming an increasingly fragile country, and a number of clashes between its various sectarian and ethnic groups have already taken place over the last few years. A pattern might indeed be emerging and the situation could take a nasty turn in the not so distant future.

The Decaying Idols!

An informal poll at Al-Arabiyyah website showed that a little over 23% of the voters, totaling around 50,000, believe that Hezbollah’s activities have had a negative impact on the region. This is a very significant, if not too scientific, indicator. There is indeed a rising current in our midst that is becoming more and more willing to challenge the traditional nationalistic jingoistic consensus. For all their lingering appeal, and despite the emotionally charged moment we are going through, the nationalists and the Islamists are being challenged on their very holy grounds. The idols may not be falling yet, but they are getting chipped and cracked and are beginning to sway and tatter. There might be some for us yet.