Bassam Haddad

Religion/Morality, Syria/Resistance: For Syria, What is "Left?" (Part 2 of 3)

. . . a conversation among friends . . . and not necessarily for everyone. Exactly three months ago (see Part 1 here), I critiqued part of the left that continued to support the Syrian regime’s brutal repression of protests based on the latter’s anti-imperialist and resistance credentials, whether or not such credentials were exaggerated. Since then, the uprising (and deaths, mostly of civilians) in Syria expanded, army defections increased, and regional/international ...

"It's an intifada a la 25 Jan now . . . ": Brief Words and Images from Hossam El-Hamalawi

[Updated with an interview by Al-Jazeera English with Hossam El-Hamalawy, below] In a seeming repeat of an otherwise bygone era, today's military crackdown on demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square is a tangible reminder that the most delicate and strategic work for effecting a robust departure from the clutches of authoritarian rule is ahead of us. Protesters plan to persevere for a third day, demanding, among other matters, a swift transition from military to civilian ...

Unfulfilled Promises and Demands in Post-Revolution Egypt: Interview with Wael Gamal

In this short interview, Wael Gamal discusses the unfulfilled promises and demands in post-revolution Egypt. Since February, the powers that be in Egypt, symbolized and represented by the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces, had promised or agreed to implement a number of policies and decisions that comport with the spirit and demands of the protesters. These demands centered primarily on a a range of issues from salaries to food prices and housing. Wael discusses ...

Documentary Video Clip (DVC) Section: Clip from "Arabs and Terrorism"

We are hereby launching our DVC section, Documentary Video Clips, courtesy of Jadaliyya’s sister organization, Quilting Point (QP), which is also run by the Arab Studies Institute. Quilting Point is a Documentary/Film Production Collective that was established in 2003, and produced 4 research-based documentaries, About Baghdad (2004), What is said about . . . Arabs and Terrorism (2006), The Other Threat: Arab and Muslim Immigrants in Europe (2007), and Notes on the War ...

For Syria, What is "Left?" (Part 1)

It is a concrete rationale that fuels opposition to Israel’s apartheid regime and the United States’ duplicitous and violent policies in the Middle East. It is a concrete rationale that imbues the condemnation of and struggle against authoritarian rule in the Arab world. It is a concrete rationale that inspires and necessitates the support of resistance to all the above. This rationale is an expression of the most basic forms of moral and political principles. It is this ...

Jadaliyya Developments

On behalf of Jadaliyya’s team, I'd like to share some of what we have been doing in recent weeks. The last time we communicated such developments to our readers was a couple of months into launching the site last fall. In the mean time, Jadaliyya grew beyond our best expectations and slowly colonized our (Jadaliyya Editors) lives as uprisings and revolts swept the Arab World and dominated our thoughts and keyboards.  First, we would like to thank our readers for making ...

First Jadaliyya Co-Sponsored Conference on "Teaching the Middle East After the Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions"

As part of the Arab Studies Institute, Jadaliyya is fortunate to be co-sponsoring this 40-participant (closed) conference on "Teaching the Middle East After the Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions: Beyond Orientalism, Islamophobia, and Neoliberalism" (see list of co-sponsors and participants/presentations below). In due time, the conference proceedings will be made public, including a video, potentially. The material will be part of Jadaliyya's new Pedagogy Section ...

Top Ten Reasons Why Osama Bin Ladin's Death Is Consequential

English Translation of Interview with Hossam El-Hamalawy on the Role of Labor/Unions in the Egyptian Revolution

[Below is both the English translation and the video of the interview. The interview was conducted by Bassam Haddad, then translated and transcribed by Christine Cuk. It was also reviewed by Mohamed Aly and Bassam Haddad. Thanks to Christine and Mohamed for volunteering to make this interview available to English readers, per their many requests] Jadaliyya is hereby presenting the first (deliberately belated) installment in a series called "A ...