A Tale of Mayhem Foretold II!

Dr. Radwan Ziadeh, my dear colleague and good friend and one of the main figures behind the Damascus Declaration and the more recent Damascus-Beirut Declaration has recently been slapped with atravel ban on account of his continuous involvement in civil society activities around the region and the world. Continue reading →

Freeeedoooooooom! Baath-Style

Yes. Freedom. The travel ban I am told will be lifted tomorrow. I will be able to travel freely again. The investigations will be stopped immediately. I am a free man again.

How did this happen? Let me just say that someone way high up the chain still thinks “I am a patriot.” He called me in yesterday and told me so himself. He frowns upon everything I do, he asserted, but he still believes that I am a patriot, and because of that, I will not be bothered again and I can still carry on with my activities, but I should be very careful so as to avoid being used by external forces. Continue reading “Freeeedoooooooom! Baath-Style” →

The Heretic’s Dream

The people at the political security apparatus contacted me today and promised to resolve my “travel restrictions” situation soon. They said the whole issue was related to the fact that they were trying to find some legal/official framework to allow for the Tharwa Project to be operated from Damascus. This will not take more than a few weeks, they said. Meanwhile, I will be given permission to travel wherever I want, no questions asked, provided I give 24 hour notice. This arrangement is only temporary, I was told, and everything should be back to normal soon. Continue reading →

Another day in Damascus!

Khawla is preparing to go to Beirut. It’s been 20 days since our return to the Senile Country. A cold security reception at the airport set the tone of this homecoming, more or less, and culminated in a travel ban. Still, seeing the kids at the airport was absolutely rejuvenating.

The travel ban is not total, that is, I can still travel if I want, provided that I get a security clearance before I leave and report back upon my return. Continue reading “Another day in Damascus!” →