White House invites Arab bloggers to Obama’s Middle East speech

By Joby Warrick, The Washington Post

Of the dozens of journalists covering the speech live from the State Department, few had a greater personal stake in President Obama’s words on the Middle East than Ammar Abdulhamid.

The 44-year-old Marylander is a Syrian exile and democratic activist who contributes to several blogs closely followed by his former countrymen in Syria, where a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters has left hundreds dead. From the minute Obama began his much-anticipated speech on Thursday, Abdulhamid’s cell phone buzzed with emails and texts from readers anxious to learn details. Continue reading “White House invites Arab bloggers to Obama’s Middle East speech” →

Ammar attends President Obama’s speech on U.S. Policy in MENA

After weeks of demanding a strong statement by President Obama on the tragic developments in Syria, I was invited to attend his speech on U.S. policy towards the MENA region in view of the changes currently unfolding there. His references to Syria were encouraging, but were still below expectations, as he failed to call on Assad to leave. Nonetheless, one cannot expect President Obama to take such drastic step until the opposition got its act together. After which, I was interviewed at some length by The Washington Post. Continue reading “Ammar attends President Obama’s speech on U.S. Policy in MENA” →

VOICES RISING IN SYRIA

American Public Media: The Story

Ammar Abdulhamid and his family were forced to leave Syria in 2005 because of their political activity. When recent protests began, the whole family jumped in – online – to be a part of it. Mother, father and two college-aged kids are spending their nights on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Dick talks with Ammar and his daughter Oula about their involvement. Music:Statement Number One

See the roses video Oula mentioned and follow Ammar’s news digest

For Syrians, a Sense of Collective Identity Emerges Amid Battle for Reform

PBS News Hour

The U.S. called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the use of violence after government forces attacked protesters with live ammunition. Judy Woodruff discusses protesters’ demands and the government’s crackdowns with the International Crisis Group’s Robert Malley and democracy activist and blogger Ammar Abdulhamid. Continue reading “For Syrians, a Sense of Collective Identity Emerges Amid Battle for Reform” →