Al-Akhbar’s Stance on Bashar al-Assad
Ayesha Chugh | 12 Jul 2012
(Image source: AP) After sixteen months of conflict, U.N. Special Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, is still trying to negotiate a ceasefire with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. There are some, however, that see al-Assad not as a dictator oppressing his people, but as an anti-colonial hero defending against Western imperialism. Recently, in June of this year, key...Syria v. Bahrain: Silencing an Intifada
Yazan Al-Saadi* | 23 May 2012
Fueled by a desire for liberty and dignity, the region’s various uprisings continue unabated. While each uprising faces its own set of challenges and obstacles, various interests have worked to ensure that a semblance of the previous geo-political status quo survives this staggering onslaught of people power. Amid the regional upheaval, world attention has...Syrian Follies
Siham Nuseibeh | 29 Feb 2012
On Sunday February 26, 2012, Syrians went to the polls to vote in a government-sponsored referendum on a new constitution that would allow multi-party elections and time limits on presidential terms. While most, myself included, were surprised by the novelty of finding the words “time” and “limits” qualifying an Arab leader’s “presidential term,”...Syria: Stop Shelling Residential Areas
Muftah Editors | 9 Feb 2012
In the words of a piece in today’s issue of the Guardian, the conflict in Syria is transforming into a battle to the death. On the fifth day of some of the worst violence seen in the country over the last several months, the Syrian military laid seige to residential areas, leaving inhabitants with no means of escape. The following Human Rights Watch Report...Street Art and the Digital Age
Laith Ulaby | 28 May 2012
Arabic Street Art Exhibition in Frankfurt (Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sterneck) In a previous article from the Muftah Art+Culture page I profiled the growing interest in the high-end art scene,...Culture Under Fire: Creative Resistance in Syria
Muftah Editors | 16 Mar 2012
From 5-8pm on Friday 16th March, join some of Syria’s best-known authors and artists at London’s Free World Center for a discussion of cultural repression and resistance. Featuring political cartoonist...Dramas of the Authoritarian State
Donatella Della Ratta* | 24 Feb 2012
In this undated photo released by director Najdat Anzour's office, Syrian actress Sulafa Mimar, center, starring as Layla, poses during the shooting of the televised series titled "Ma Malakat Aymanukum,"...
