August 2009
6 posts
Bab Tuma, Bab Sharqi, Ba humba
The first two, Bab Tuma and Bab Sharqi, are gates in the old city of Damascus. The last is a phrase al-Farabi utters when he discovers a hidden gem in Damascus. Al-Farabi’s favorite past time in Syria is walking through the random nukes and crannies of the old city. Rarely are there any markings or indications of what you are about to stumble into. That makes exploring the thousands of years...
Back
The few readers of this blog surely noticed the lack of posts since…..the start of August. Our nosey Syrian friends decided to block access to this blog. So, there I was in Syria with so much to write about and no venue to write on! Frustrating indeed. I am stateside now but only temporarily. I will post a few items, pictures, reflections, and analysis before I head back again. Who knows,...
July 2009
24 posts
Further Reading on al-Mashriq Closing
For Arabic readers, al-akhbar has more on Syrian Intelligence shutting down al-Mashriq.
Baby Steps
The easing of U.S. sanctions on Syria is a continuation of the small steps necessary for the revival of bilateral relations. There is no need to provide much analysis at this early stage, just wanted to point to the development.
Locked Up
Muhammad al-Hussani, a human rights lawyer, has been arrested by….you guessed it, Syrian intelligence. No word on the cause, though one supposes he’s dug up more rocks than the Asad regime is willing to allow.
“To apply what one learns out of a book literally to reality is to risk folly or...”
– Edward Said
Stratfor on Syrian-Saudi Power Moves
Stratfor has an interesting analysis of the Syrian-Saudi Rapprochement. Apparently, it cannot be linked to because you need to have an account to read it on their website. However, al-Farabi snagged a sample article via email. The most significant passage follows:
“Saudi Arabia, which carries substantial clout among the Lebanese Sunni population, has come to terms with Syria’s bid to reclaim...
Surfin’ Safari: Phoenician Style
Eleven years ago, al-Farabi stood up on his surfboard and caught his first ever wave. Even though the ride lasted only a split second, he was hooked. Years later he can boast having surfed California, Florida, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maryland, but he has yet to surf anywhere outside of the states. Any surfer will tell you this is a glaring hole in a surfing resume. Thanks to Abu...
Al-Farabi has a busy travel schedule ahead of him. Fear not, he has a few posts queued up over the next couple of days.
The Regime Strikes Back
Al-Farabi heard rumors that Syrian intelligence shut down a broadcasting network. He refrained from mentioning anything on Dispatch because they were unverified. All for Syria now is reporting the takeover (excuse the poor grammar):
“A patrol from Syrian Securities ( state intelligence) closed this morning the office of almashreq satellite channel in Damascus. they took all the employees to the...
WatchThe water wheel in Hama.
The Effects of Import Substitution...
Economists will tell you that pursuing ISI provides short-term benefits, but as long-term policy it is untenable. However, Syria continues to pursue this policy today. As a result, not only is the Syrian economy in shambles, but water security is damaged from decades of destroying the water table by digging wells in an arid landscape. The agricultural industry may have hit a tipping point. An...
Breakthrough Pending?
A friend told al-Farabi that al-Quds al-Arabi recently reported that a breakthrough between Israel and Syria is expected as early as this week. Unfortunately, al-Farabi does not have a link to the article, so your guess is as good as his as to the validity of the claim.
Fatah Conference, Palestinian Reconciliation, and...
Al-Farabi was going through old papers, documents, etc. this weekend to flush out what he no longer needs. He came across a prescient article by As’ad Abu Khalil, or better known in the blogging world as Angry Arab. Abu Khalil, writing in 2004, speculates the post-Arafat era in Palestinian politics:
“It is certain that no one man (or woman) will emerge as the sole undisputed Palestinian leader...
The Battle of Maysaloun
July 24th marks an important date for Syrians akin to the last stand at the Alamo for Americans. Out of the ashes of the fallen Ottoman Empire, T.E. Lawrence’s Arab resistance formed a Syrian Kingdom. However, the independence was short-lived. On this date in 1920, outnumbered Syrians attempted to beat back French invaders in the Battle of Maysaloun. The Syrians were led by Yousef al-Admeh. ...
Syria and New Jersey
This is only tangential to this blog, but worth a mention. A small community of Syrian Jews along the New Jersey coast has been rocked by a federal corruption case involving several Jersey politicians and rabbis. The town, Deal, is a tight-knight, quiet area so this is a major event. Most of the residents are seasonal, returning to Brooklyn (according to this article Deal is known as “Brooklyn...
Who is Al-Farabi?
…and why is that the name used by the author of this blog? This was a question posed to me recently. MEI’s Editor Michael Dunn perceptively suggested that I chose the name of the philosopher Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Awzlaġ al-Fārābi born in the 9th century. He is indeed correct. As he noted there is some dispute over his true origins (Kazahkstan?). What is known with certainty is that...
Syrian Summer for Mitchell
Breaking: The Mitchell Team is heading to Damascus. The Obama administration is wise to support the Turkish mediated indirect talks especially as momentum on the Israeli-Palestinian front has slowed. One might suppose that George Mitchell will be spending a good deal of the summer in Syria.
Although al-Farabi has clearly cheerleaded the diplomatic moves between Israel and Syria this week,...
Turkey Re-enters the Fray
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan met with Bashar al-Assad earlier today in Aleppo. According to SANA (Syrian Arab News Agency) and Ha’aretz, Turkish mediation of Syrian-Israeli talks will resume. As mentioned just days ago on this blog, this was the format Syria preferred. Will the new round of indirect talks bear fruit or are they another set of smoke and mirrors?
The Obama...
From the Economist:
“BASHAR ASSAD, Syria’s president, has made it a bit harder for men to kill their daughters and sisters for the sake of ‘honour’. The crime had previously carried no minimum sentence; the maximum was a year. Now, a presidential decree has made a small but significant change: honour-killers must face at least two years in prison.”
Unlikely that another year of sentencing will...
1 tag
Reading List
In preparation for his trip to Damascus, Al-Farabi has incorporated a steady diet of books, journal publications, and newspaper articles to expand his understanding of Syria. For those who are at a starting point, the following book list might prove useful:
Damascus: A History. By, Ross Burns.
Fantastic background on Syria’s capital. Burns does not gloss over any foreign invader, charismatic...
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”
– Commenting on Obama’s tough stance with respect to Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank.
2 tags
Syrian Blogger Ammar Abdulhamid →
Ammar is an activist, though no longer in Syria, who used to blog in Syria on democracy and human rights. He often spoke out against the regime leading to his imprisonment twice. Most recently, he was imprisoned by Bashar al-Assad during the Damascus Spring. In this audio file Ammar speaks about activism and the recent protests in Iran. He believes that uprisings are becoming more commonplace...
3 tags
Waiting Out Israel for the Golan
Presidential Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell has noted the “integral role” Syria plays in reaching comprehensive peace. Recently, al-Farabi met with Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha, several embassy officials, and the American chargé d’affaires to Syria with the goal of getting some indication on Syrian calculations in respect to a peace agreement with Israel.
The more provocative...