Photo Credits: Syria Independance Flag by FreedomHouse2 on flickr.com. License: CC-BY
Our dossier aims at providing a platform for analysis and comment from Syrian and regional experts on the Syrian revolution, Syria’s diverse and complex social makeup, and its relations with regional actors. The goal is also to provide “behind-the scene” narratives from Syrian activists and intellectuals on the ground and to contribute to literature on the Syrian revolution.

Articles

Article

A Long Prepared Loss of Human Capital

May 9, 2013 - How was the relation between the educational institutions and the Baath regime and what is the current situation after two years of the Syrian revolution’s breakout?

Maher Masoud more»

Interview

“Syrian revolutionaries owe nobody an apology”

- In this interview, Traboulsi talks about the situation in Syria and the thorny relationship of Lebanon’s various parties with the Syrian revolution. He also provides an overview of the stance taken by the Left towards the Syrian as well as the Arab revolutions. Interview with Fawwaz Traboulsi by Mohammed Al Attar in Beirut on February 20, 2013. more»
Picture of a bombed mosque in Syria

Article

The rebel mosque

- Each time people would leave the mosques to protest (at the start of the revolution) something would be added to what had gone before: a new understanding of what a mosque was would take deeper root and the old concept of mosque would crumble further. Oula Shaib Al Din - First published in Alef Today on August 18, 2012 more»

Analysis

Revolution and language

- Language is a living being that is born and dies, that grows, evolves, spreads out, reshapes the mind, is rational, thinks, feels, guesses, deduces, takes risks, revolts, conquers, is defeated and loses, and one that endlessly destroys itself. How is this language struggle being translated in Syria today? Oula Shaib Al Din - First Published in Arabic on Alef Website - 3/10/2012 more»

Article

Excerpts from a martyr’s journal

- "I had an agreement with Khidr that he write me a daily report and as a consequence his letters are a journal of life that we on the outside never lived, a life lived at a temperature warm enough to revive what is human in us. That is the definition of the revolution that we set up as our figurehead, the meaning for whose sake we once gave so much." Fawaz Al Qaderi - First Published 2/12/2012 on the Dafaaf web portal more»

Article

The impact of the arts on the Syrian revolution

- February 28, 2013 - The arts that emerged during the Syrian revolution are unrelated to the “politically committed art” that so dominates our impressions of the 1970s and 1980s in the Arab world. What has emerged, down alleyways and cramped public squares, is a creativity unburdened by ideology, which treats national issues as a tool to obtain freedom and not self-contained and self-sufficient issues of identity. Elie Abdo - First Published in Maalouma in December 2012 more»

Article

On weapons of mass destruction… On rape in times of madness

- February 26, 2013 - The global race to develop and acquire the latest war technologies has become central to nations’ goals since the end of the nineteenth century. Concurrent to this competition for the most modern implements of violence, parties in conflicts show no hesitance in resorting to one of the oldest – and most primitive – war weapons: rape. In wars, rape has been used as a tool to go beyond the physical and military defeat of the enemy, to subdue a society politically and morally. Perpetrators of such sexual and gender based atrocities on women, and increasingly on men and young male children, continue to be undeterred in spite of the development and states’ ratification of international instruments and conventions aimed at the protection of civilians during armed conflict. Such violations are now being reported from Syria, a country whose people stood up to a dictatorship that has reigned for over four decades. The present article, written by psycho-therapist Dr. Jamal Khalil Sobh, sheds light on the repeated war crime of rapes of women, including the recent tragic incidents in Syria. Jamal Khalil Sobh more»

Analysis

Syrian intellectuals: Suzukis and jet planes

- February 7, 2013 - Since March 15, Syrian culture has been steadily revealing itself to the Syrian people, and with it, its torch bearers: the intellectuals themselves. The moment in Old Damascus, which saw a number of young cultural types gather together to protest, marked the moment that we realized that the Syrian intellectual—whether theorist or observer, politician or writer—must assume his rightful place in the street or at least, keep step with it. Did Syrian Intellects succeeded in fulfilling this task? Nara Mohammed more»

Article

Syria: An alternative reality

- Padre Paolo D’Oglio wrote that, “Rulers only resort to media misinformation when the people begin to emerge—if only superficially—as a social will within the historical process." How is this reflected in Syria today? Amer Abou Hamed - published in Arabic in Maalouma website, September 2012 more»

ANALYSIS

Between a peaceful revolution and a militarized one

- October 25, 2012 - Is it correct to describe the Syrian revolution as “armed” and nothing more? Has the revolution been militarized? What has happened to the revolution’s non-violence? all these questions and more are tackled in this critical analysis. Mohammad Al Attar and Odai Al Zoubi more»

Analysis

The Rise of Belligerent Nihilist Tendencies in Syria

- June 5, 2012 - In the Syrian revolution we witness an increase of both violence and religiosity, in combination with a general withdrawal of trust from the world that is perceived as well aware of the Syrian suffering but inactive. Syrian analyst Yassin Haj Saleh explores the different varieties of nihilism this produces and points to the fact that the rise of nihilism weakens the same social fabric that could help restrain the phenomenon. Yassin al-Hajj Saleh more»

Analisys

Bashar al-Assad‘s “Groundhog Day”

- August 18, 2012 - There has been a lot written on the ‘endgame’ in Syria. In some regards, the situation resembles more “Groundhog Day” than an “Hour Zero”. For 18 months, there has not been a single day during which the Syrian regime has not faced countrywide protests to overthrow it. And there has not been any indication that the President Bashar al-Asad is searching for a solution. Even though President Assad grimly holds on to power, he allows his troops and militias to rampage as if he has already acknowledged that he does not have a chance of staying in power. Bente Scheller more»

ANALYSIS

In the shadow of the church

- August 8, 2012 - Syrians Christians has been one of the main focuses of mainstream Western journalists, in their coverage of the Syrian revolution against the Assad regime. Journalists have written about the ‘plight’ of Christians, the threat they face from the opposition rebels and their uncertain future in a post-Assad Syria. While the targeting of Christians cannot be dismissed out of hand, there has been little conclusive evidence that Christians have been deliberately driven out of their homes or villages. This article is a critical look at the main themes used by journalists when covering Syrian Christians. more»

ANALISYS

The International Community and the Syrian Revolution

- July 29, 2012 - The Syrian revolution is more than fifteen months old, with the average number of Syrian civilians and combatants (from both anti- and pro-regime forces) killed rising higher every day, yet many still find themselves unable to agree on how to respond to the crisis. The international community remains powerless to halt the slaughter, the complexity of the situation in Syria contributing to its reluctance to fulfill its obligations and help protect the Syrian people. 

Haid's article is also available in Arabic and German

Haid Haid more»
The Constant Refrain: What Kind of Support Do Syrians Want? By Mohammed Al Attar

Commentary

What Kind of Support Do Syrians Want?

- Beneath layers of complexity and political wrangling, we should not forget that the Syrian revolutionaries are fighting for their basic rights to dignity, equality and a respectable standard of living. More than a political decision, supporting them is first and foremost a humanitarian and moral duty. By Mohammed Al Attar more»

Analysis

The Kurds and the Syrian Revolution

- Despite endemic discrimination and oppression, Syria's Kurds have been hesitant to join the Syrian uprising against the Assad regime. A larger Kurdish participation would significantly impact the course of events, but the various Kurdish political actors have had diverging reactions to the revolution, the role of Turkey and the fate of Kurdish interests in a free Syria. By Bakr Sidki more»
The Syrian Shabiha and Their State by Yassin al-Haj Salih as PDF

Commentary

The Syrian Shabiha and Their State

-

Yassin al-Haj Saleh, dissects the functioning, motivations, funding and ideology of the Syrian 'shabiha', from their appearance in the 1970s until their reemmergence during the revolution. Saleh shows their central role in maintaining a regime in power that has long lost touch with people’s interests, morality and reality.

By Yassin al-Haj Salih more»

Study

The Discourse and Performance of the Syrian Opposition Since the Beginning of the Revolution

- This study attempts to understand various issues connected with the political and media discourse, as well as the political performance and achievements, of the Syrian opposition.

Moving beyond the various flaws that plague the opposition, it seeks to sketch out possible alternatives that could allow these political forces to elevate their discourse and performance to levels that benefit the revolution.

By Dr. Hazem Nahar more»

Analysis

Is it Winter or Spring for Christians in Syria?

- Following the popular uprisings, there has been much amount of debate on the future of minority Christians sects in the region. Is the new Arab world hostile to Christians? Is it wise for them to fear the downfall of the Assad regime? By Doreen Khoury more»

Further Reading

The former Office Director of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Middle East Office Layla Al-Zubaidi has written the following two recommendable articles on Syria's:
 
Important Notice!
Heinrich Boll Middle East and North Africa Office, Beirut does not offer scholarships. Please send your applications to the HBS foundation website
Perspectives #3: Syria's Revolution - Society, Power, Ideology
Latest Issue
Perspectives #4 November 2012 - Qatar: aspirations and realties
Dossier: Seasons of Change
Climate, Energy and Resource Politics in the MENA Region

In the midst of turbulent times in the Middle East and North Africa, the State of Qatar is hosting the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Doha from November 26 to December 7, 2012. This trilingual webdossier presents analysis and perspectives from a wide range of international and regional experts on how climate change, resource and energy politics relate to political and social change. more»
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Most Read Articles
Interview with Dr. Ali Khalifa Al Kuwari, author of “The People Want Reform… In Qatar, Too”
In the summer of 2012, The People Want Reform… In Qatar, Too was published in Beirut. The book which includes 11 contributions from different Qatari writers and academics was coordinated and edited by Dr. Ali Khalifa Al Kuwari, an academic researcher, writer and thinker. The following is an interview conducted with Dr. Al Kuwari on the background of compiling the book and the demands for reform in Qatar. Interview was conducted by Jenan Amin in October 2012 more»
The Syrian Shabiha and Their State

Yassin al-Haj Saleh, dissects the functioning, motivations, funding and ideology of the Syrian 'shabiha', from their appearance in the 1970s until their reemmergence during the revolution. Saleh shows their central role in maintaining a regime in power that has long lost touch with people’s interests, morality and reality.

By Yassin al-Haj Salih more»
The Syrian Revolution and the Role of Turkey
Turkey is one of the states that is most affected by the Arab revolutions of 2011. Thrown into confusion by the Libyan revolution, the Turkish government then found itself confronted by a popular uprising in Syria. First adopting the role of advisor to its neighbor, its failure to make the Syrian regime enact political reforms conducive to gradual democratic change, soon saw Turkey declare its open support for the Syrian people and their demands. By Bakr Sidki more»
Recommended Links

KAYANI is an independent media project designed and implemented by Syrian activists. It aims at contributing to the creation of a new Syrian civil society through establishing an independent platform for young voices of Syria who use audio-visual media to express their point of views. The main concern of the project is to portray the human-interest stories behind the Syrian uprising through artistic means.

Visit KAYANI's website here
Watch the project's short documentaries "A Tribute to Mehsal Temo" and "Yabroud declares Assad toppled" here

Dawlaty is an initiative launched by young Syrian activists and aiming at promoting the participation and engagement in the state building process in Syria through the development of creative tools like animation films, brochures, posters, graffiti... all materials developed use the Syrian dialect to expand the scope of the project's reach. more   
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