Tag / Arab Spring
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Syria Still Burns
In the summer of 2016, I studied abroad in Qatar, taking an Arabic class with a group of expatriate professionals. Our teacher was named Ustaaz Muhammad, who had fled Syria and the war with his wife, being on the wrong side of the Assad regime. He was a patient and thoughtful teacher, and in our…
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The Cultural Dimension of Syrian Conflict
From the American Revolution to the color revolutions, intellectuals have played a significant role in creating grand narratives and mobilizing the public. They constructed social theories that facilitated collective action, and their visions continued to serve the new regime after the revolutions succeeded. In the Arab Spring, however, intellectuals are marginalized and the ideological aspect…
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Authoritarianism: A Quick and Easy Guide
Congratulations! You are now dictator of your nation! Through your [power acquisition method], you are in an influential position to guide your nation for the next few [days/years/decades]! Be proud, for you are following a strong tradition of autocrats usurping democratic norms for the sake of personal gain. Play your cards right and future generations…
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Obama (Finally) Gets it Right at the UN
After weeks of befuddled responses from the State Department and the White House to the riots across the Muslim world, President Obama and his speechwriters seem to have shed their tin ear in time for UN General Assembly. But with just over a month before the election, such a speech should be taken with a…
