Author Archives: bsyria

In this post, I present to you a selection of caricatures of Arab inaction. The caricatures are by two of my favorite caricaturists, the Syrian Ali Ferzat and the  Jordanian Emad Hajaj. Hajaj uses a famous line from an old Arabic … Continue reading →

Whenever pro-democracy activists are asked to explain massive pro-regime demonstrations, their response is uniform: Coercion. Although coercion plays an important role, it is only part of the story. 1- Against the earnest hopes of the overwhelming majority of pro-democracy protesters … Continue reading →

Haitham Manna’ is one of the most respected Arab human rights activists. In the first days of the Syrian uprising he had very inspirational words for the protesters. As the uprising progressed, however, Manna’ has become a disappointment. Here are … Continue reading →

Syrians have won the right of armed self-defense against this regime, which is committing nation-wide atrocities. However, Syrians should not exercise this right, not because peaceful protest is the only legitimate form of resistance – it is not — but because it … Continue reading →

A lot is being made of Syria’s sectarian complexities. The regime, especially, has been tirelessly propagating fears about a sectarian meltdown should the protests continue. The regime’s warnings of sectarian strife are identical to Gaddafi’s earlier warnings of a civil … Continue reading →

One of the of the vagaries of the Syrian regime is its tendency to locate security (Mukhabarat) branches in residential neighborhoods. My family home is quite close to one such branch, one of the most notorious in Syria. These branches … Continue reading →

Syria has the most repressive regime in the Middle East (and that is saying something!). Not even Saudi Arabia, with its public beheadings and ban on female drivers, is as repressive. (There are many human rights reports on Syria. Check … Continue reading →