From the Editors
Jadaliyya Launches DARS Page: Daily Acts of Resistance and Subversion
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الآن . . . القسم العربي بحلة جديدة
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Bassam Haddad
العمود الفقري لاستثمارات النظام السوري
رغم مضي ما يقارب العام على بدء الانتفاضة السورية، التى راح فيها أكثر من 7500 قتيل، لم يحظ النزاع الذى طال أمده بفهم جيد أو تغطية إخبارية جيدة على الرغم من طوفان الكتابات، يلاحق معظمها أحداثاً تتحرك بسرعة دون التوقف لتقديم تحليل رصين للسياسة والمجتمع السوريين. وفى أول الأمر، كانت الحجة السائدة أن النظام سوف ينهار بسرعة. وفى وقت لاحق، صارت الحجة أن هذا النظام سوف يدوم. ونادراً ما تظهر رؤية بعيدة المدى. وعندما يكون هناك مثل هذه الرؤية فهي في الأغلب تلجأ إلى العوامل ...
Keep Reading »The Syrian Regime's Business Backbone
Nearly one year into the Syrian uprising, with more than 7,500 Syrians dead, the protracted conflict is not very well understood or reported despite a deluge of writings. Most track fast-moving events without pausing for sober analysis of Syrian politics and society. Early on, the dominant argument was that the regime would quickly collapse; later, it has been that the regime is durable. The long view rarely appears. When it does, alas, it most commonly adduces timeless ...
Keep Reading »The End of Taking the Syrian Revolution at Face Value
Those interested in a revolution that would be considered a significant step forward from the existing Syrian regime, might want to take pause as they steadfastly support some of its main anchors. In particular, months after its establishment, the Syrian National Council (SNC) has failed in providing the leadership, autonomy, and consensus necessary to battle the Syrian regime. This much is no longer a controversial remark, even among some of the ranks of the SNC. But there ...
Keep Reading »"Future of Syria" Panel and Discussion on CSPAN
I have recently participated in a panel titled "Future of Syria," organized by Project on Middle East Political Science at George Washington University. My aim was to address four basic questions in a very short time period: What are the structural causes for the Syrian Uprising?; What explains the regime's resilience nearly one year on?; What explains the current stalemate?; and, where is the Syrian revolution going? The time limit presented a challenge but the ...
Keep Reading »US on UN Veto: "Disgusting", "Shameful", "Deplorable", "a Travesty" . . . Really?
A Quick Listing of The United States' Record of Veto Use at the United Nations (UN): 1972–2011* [Including Resolutions against Decades of Atrocities and Violations, Often Supported and/or Bankrolled by the United States] Year Resolution Vetoed by the United States 1972 Condemns Israel for killing hundreds of people in Syria and Lebanon in air raids. 1973 Affirms the rights of the Palestinians and calls on Israel to ...
Keep Reading »الثورة السورية نحو مزيد من التعقيد: تصريحات برهان غليون "غير المدروسة" للوول ستريت جورنال
[نشرت هذه المقالة لأول مرة باللغة الإنجليزية على صفحات جدلية تعقيباً على المقابلة التي أجرتها ”وول ستريت جورنال“ مع رئيس المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي برهان غليون. ترجم المقالة إلى العربية يوسف حداد.] فلنضع جانباً مواقفه الإشكالية إزاء ايران وحزب الله، ولنطرح السؤال التالي: ما هي مصلحة رئيس المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي السوري برهان غليون في الحديث عمّا إذا كانت القيادة السورية المقبلة ستتمسك بحقها في إستعادة هضبة الجولان المحتلة من إسرائيل؟ هل هذا ما يدور في خلد المتظاهرين الذي ...
Keep Reading »The Idiot's Guide to Fighting Dictatorship in Syria While Opposing Military Intervention
[Writing this in Beirut is apt, where there is a deep polarization between those who would die for the Syrian regime and those who just want it to die, at any cost. Those who do not support either position "as is" are dubbed cowards and opportunists by both sides, as well as by the pro-Saudi camp. Outside the Arab context, pro-Israel commentators do not like the nuanced position herein, because it puts Israel and the United States in a bad light. Good company. The ...
Keep Reading »الدين/الأخلاق، سوريا/المقاومة : أين ”اليسار“ من سوريا؟
محادثة بين اصدقاء. . . وليست بالضرورة للجميع. في مقال كتبته قبل ثلاثة أشهر، انتقدت قسماً من اليسار الذى واصل دعمه للنظام السوري وقمعه الوحشي للمتظاهرين على أساس سجل النظام في المقاومة ومعاداة الامبريالية، سواءً كان هذا السجل مبالغاً فيه أم لا. منذ ذلك الحين، إتسّعت الانتفاضة في سوريا (وازدادت أعداد القتلى وأغلبيتهم من المدنيين) وتكاثرت الانشقاقات في صفوف الجيش وتصاعدت الضغوط الإقليمية و الدولية بشكل كبير. قرأ البعض هذه التطورات ، ولا سيما ...
Keep Reading »Barbara Walters' ABC Interview With President Bashar Asad
What ABC interview? There was no interview. [Listen to a brief commentary on BBC by the author]
Keep Reading »The Plot Thickens: Ghalyoun's “Ill-Conceived” Statements in the WSJ Interview
[For the text of the interview that the Wall Street Journal conducted with the head of the Syrian National Council, Burhan Ghalyoun, click here] Leaving the problematic statements about Iran and Hizballah aside, in whose interest is it for the head of the Syrian National Council (SNC) to talk about how the (possible) future Syrian leadership will or will not pursue its right to restore the occupied Golan Heights territory from Israel? Is this what occupies the minds ...
Keep Reading »Homsi Comic Relief Speaks of Strong Spirits Despite All
Two youngish Syrian men in Homs discuss "Bashar's Reforms" (islahaat) while pointing to the destruction of their homes (we don't know if these are indeed their homes, but that's immaterial here) and cars. The script itself is clean and elegant as it is acerbically satirical. (though some of the comments under the Youtube video are disturbingly/disgustingly sectarian). There really is nothing to say except that it is worth watching. I apologize for not ...
Keep Reading »welcome back . . .
I was just flying back from Amman to Washington DC on United Airlines, sitting at an aisle seat. As I looked to my left diagonally across the aisle, I saw four UA screens playing the same film, Sex in the City (2). (read reviews here, here, and here, though they don't all do justice to it--if you have other piercing reviews, please post them in the comments section. Watch the trailer here). I looked to the lady sitting to my right, and she's reading a book, which seemed to ...
Keep Reading »What's With World Cup Praying?
I don't have time to write about this now, but what's with world cup praying on behalf of so many players in the field (especially those coming in and out)? I've been watching football (the original football where one mostly uses their feet--the plural of foot, hence, "footbal"--not the sport where one mostly holds the ball using their hands) since 1974, and I have yet to witness such frequency of praying and exhibition of religious symbols. Could the economist be ...
Keep Reading »Bio
Bassam Haddad is Director of the Middle East Studies Program and teaches in the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University, and is Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. He is the author of Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience (Stanford University Press, 2011). Bassam is currently editing a volume on Teaching the Middle East After the Arab Uprisings, a book manuscript on pedagogical and theoretical approaches. His most recent books include two co-edited volumes: Dawn of the Arab Uprisings: End of an Old Order? (Pluto Press, 2012) and Mediating the Arab Uprisings (Tadween Publishing, 2013). Bassam serves as Founding Editor of the Arab Studies Journal a peer-reviewed research publication and is co-producer/director of the award-winning documentary film, About Baghdad, and director of the critically acclaimed film series, Arabs and Terrorism, based on extensive field research/interviews. More recently, he directed a film on Arab/Muslim immigrants in Europe, titled The "Other" Threat. Bassam is Co-Founder/Editor of Jadaliyya Ezine and serves on the Editorial Committee of Middle East Report. He is the Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute, an umbrella for five organizations dealing with knowledge production on the Middle East and Founding Editor of Tadween Publishing.
