Just My Luck!

Well, I have to admit the whole thing was more stupid than ominous.

Something did indeed happen. I was turned back at the airport. But no, not because of a security crackdown in the form of a new travel ban, but because of sheer bureaucratic incompetence. Continue reading “Just My Luck!” →

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.

Continue reading “The Risks of Virtual and Other Forms of Activism!” →

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 →