Tag : Arab Spring
Border Crossing Euphoria
That perfect moment of the triumph of the people happened again in Syria. The rebels captured another border crossing between Syria and Turkey, lowering the Syrian flag and raising their own banner. It is a symbolic moment of victory – and in a bloody civil war abundant with various factions and no real positive endgameRead more-
As we thought. Not.
We are now deep into year two of the Arab world convulsions. Not one country across the North African-Middle East arc is settled. Even where it sounds quiet it is not. Two years from the first cry of freedom, very few things are how the outside world predicted. As Egyptians vote for their president inRead more -
Ben’s Words of Advice
The American Revolution and the broad romantic view of U.S. democracy have often provided inspiration and guidance to those seeking democracy in their own nations – and for good reason. The amazing set of circumstances that made the American Revolution spark and then succeed, the lofty words of human rights that fueled the new governmentRead more -
Dancing With Wolves
You hear many words of wisdom traveling through the Mideast, all which offer insightful pondering to events past and present. Watching the tragic escalation of events in Syria and the failing efforts to bring the fighting to a close bring to mind words often spoken by the Kurds of the region, who are well-versed inRead more -
No Scarves. No Solution
The world has found a way to strike back at Syrian President Bashar Assad: they have slapped travel sanctions on his London-born wife, Asma, to thwart her addiction to luxury shopping. One year into Assad’s churning assault against various opposition groups, stopping his wife from shoping in Europe is one of the few things theRead more -
Tunisia Leads the Way, For the Moment
Anniversaries are dangerous days and dangerous moments. There is often a lot of celebrating, a flash of attention and then the sun goes down and life goes on as before. We properly celebrate an accomplishment from the past without real thought or determination on how to preserve and build on the celebrated triumph. So nowRead more -
Intersections of fate in Bahrain
MANAMA, Bahrain — It is likely that Zahra Saleh Mohammed, 27, and Ali Yousif Al Satrawi, 16, probably never met during their lives in Bahrain. They only met in that wider inhospitable universe of people harmed abruptly and unnaturally on the same day because of the same protest and both being in wrong places atRead more -
Attacks on Bahrain’s Asian citizens documented by Independent Commission
MANAMA, Bahrain — An independent commission examining the unrest that occurred in Bahrain earlier this year will document and detail the widespread attacks by anti-government protestors on South Asian citizens that left at least four dead and almost 100 injured. That report will be the first public examination of the scale and suffering caused byRead more -
A Pause Button Hits Bahrain
Foreign Policy Association blog, November 18, 2011 The fast-forward events of political discourse in Bahrain that were rushing towards October 31 have come to an unexpected halt. Just as the countdown reached single digits to the release of an independent commission’s report that would detail in depth who did what in the street protests earlierRead more -
A Lighter Shade of Gray
Huffington Post, October 2, 2011 Huffington Post Posted: 10/02/11 05:00 PM ET Sanabis, Bahrain — Lane 446 is one of the more restive areas of Bahrain, where the drama of dissent gets played out in a cacophony of senses. At night, the insults grate the ears, the rocks cause pain and damage, andRead more -
It’s Not The Same Old Story
Huffington Post Posted: 9/21/11 10:04 AM ET A’ali, Bahrain — The rubber stamp storyline out of Bahrain is that it is the latest chapter of the people rising against the evil rulers in the 2011 drama of the Arab Spring. Spend a few days and nights away from the hotels and international clusters andRead more
