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The Crisis in Libya
APRIL 2011 ISSUE BRIEF # 28 THE CRISIS IN LIBYA Ajish P Joy Introduction Libya, in the throes of a civil war, now represents the ugly facet of the much-hyped Arab Spring. The country, located in North Africa, shares its borders with the two leading Arab-Spring states, Egypt and Tunisia, along with Sudan, Tunisia, Chad, Niger and Algeria. It is also not too far from Europe. Italy lies to its north just across the Mediterranean. With an area of 1.8 million sq km, Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa, yet its population is only about 6.4 million, one of the lowest in the continent. Libya has nearly 42 billion barrels of oil in proven reserves, the ninth largest in the world. With a reasonably good per capita income of $14000, Libya also has the highest HDI (Human Development Index) in the African continent. However, Libya’s unemployment rate is high at 30 percent, taking some sheen off its economic credentials. Libya, a Roman colony for several centuries, was conquered by the Arab forces in AD 647 during the Caliphate of Utman bin Affan. Following this, Libya was ruled by the Abbasids and the Shite Fatimids till the Ottoman Empire asserted its control in 1551. Ottoman rule lasted for nearly four centuries ending with the Ottoman defeat in the Italian-Ottoman war. Consequently, Italy assumed control of Libya under the Treaty of 1 Lausanne (1912). The Italians ruled till their defeat in the Second World War. The Libyan constitution was enacted in 1949 and two years later under Mohammed Idris (who declared himself as Libya’s first King), Libya became an independent state. -
'The Spatial Dynamics of the Arab Uprisings' Jillian Schwedler
1 From Street Mobilization to Political Mobilization September 1-2, 2012- Skhirat, Morocco ‘The Spatial Dynamics of the Arab Uprisings’ Jillian Schwedler 1 2 The Spatial Dynamics of the Arab Uprisings Jillian Schwedler Like many major events in world politics—such as the outbreak of World War I or the fall of the Soviet Union—the Arab uprisings that began in late 2010 may have taken much of the world by surprise, but that does not mean that they came out of nowhere. In the way that the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is said to have started World War I, the Arab uprisings are now commonly said to have begun with the self-immolation of Tunisian fruit-cart vendor Mohamad Bouazizi on December 17, 2010. Protests then spread throughout Tunisia within weeks, culminating in the resignation of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011. From there, the revolutionary spirit spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, seeing serious challenges to repressive regimes that just months earlier appeared as stable as they had been for decades. But of course the story is not so simple. In Tunisia, at least two other citizens had self-immolated in the months before Bouazizi, and yet those brutal deaths sparked nothing. In Egypt, protests and demonstrations had been escalating almost steadily since at least 2004, notably as more than a million organized laborers participated in strikes and marchers that brought portions of the country to a standstill (Beinin and el-Hamalawy 2007). The 2011 protests may have escalated to revolutionary proportions unexpectedly, but they did not emerge out of thin air. -
Development and Democracy in the Tunisian Revolution of 2010-2011
The Process of Revolutionary Protest: Development and Democracy in the Tunisian Revolution of 2010-2011 Christopher Barrie August 9, 2018 Abstract Research on democratic revolution treats revolutionary protest, and revolutionary protest participation, as unitary events. This conceptualization is at odds with how `revolutionary' protest often unfolds|protest does not begin life as democratic or revo- lutionary but grows in a process of positive feedback, incorporating new constituencies and generating new demands. Using an original event catalogue of protest during the twenty-nine days of the Tunisian Revolution (n=631), alongside survey data, I show that the correlates of protest occurrence and participation can change significantly over the course of a revolution. The effect of economic development on protest occur- rence reverses sign, while a commitment to democracy is a substantive predictor of protest participation only at the close of the revolution. Methodologically, the findings demonstrate the potential for faulty inference in the absence of proper disaggregation. Theoretically, they provide support for an understanding of revolution as process, and point to the endogenous emergence of democratic demands. 1 1 Introduction Mass mobilization for democracy has become a central part of theoretical and empirical work on democratization. Current empirical work commonly treats revolutionary protest, or revolutionary protest participation, as discrete, unitary events amenable to cross-sectional forms of analysis. A separate body of work, particular to the formal modelling tradition, incorporates elements of endogeneity and process but assumes common thresholds governing participation dynamics, thereby again conceiving of revolutionary protest as unitary. In this article I propose that this ontology is wrongheaded; protest is rarely revolutionary at its onset and the goals and orienting demands of protest waves can be generated in the context of contention. -
Seminar: Arab Democratic Spring of 2011 INAF 415F (4 Credits)
Rollins College Hamilton Holt School Spring 2013 Seminar: Arab Democratic Spring of 2011 INAF 415F (4 credits) Professor: !Stephen Day!!!!!E-mail: ! [email protected] Location:!Cornell 134!!!!!Cell phone: !(407) 284-7787 Time:!!Thursday, 6:45 - 9:15 pm!! ! At the start of 2011, Tunisia, Egypt, and other states of the “Arab world,” stretching from north Africa to the Middle East, suddenly experienced mass uprisings to bring down old authoritarian regimes and institute popular rule. In international affairs, it had long been speculated that Arab Muslim countries were immune to demands for democracy. Unlike the democratic revolutions that swept eastern Europe in the late 1980s and 1990s, as well as parts of Asia, Latin America, and a few countries of sub-Saharan Africa since the 1970s, the “Arab world” was not expected to cast off autocratic rule. There were many reasons for this lack of expectation of what played out dramatically on the streets of Tunis, Cairo, and other major cities, and we begin the semester by explaining why. In addition, we will examine general theories about social movements and revolutions around the world. As the semester proceeds, our aim is to draw firm conclusions about the “democratic potential” of the 2011 Arab Spring. Since our course deals with a contemporary subject matter, which is still evolving in each of the states caught in the Arab Spring, we will build many of our research conclusions together as a team of investigators, relying on our course text books as well as internet sources. During the semester, we will examine six main countries: Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, and Syria, following sequentially the order in which these countries rode the continuous waves of dramatic street protests. -
Syrian Theater in Lebanon Level
The The In Lebanon Issue nº 10, December 2015 Issue nº 10, December 2015 In Lebanon 14 Joint news supplement Joint news supplement 15 Theater soon come when she marries the prince or remains a barren, Hama or Aleppo. No influences. No touching partnerships. emigrated. A part returned to Syria. And there are those who old maid. Nothing to do with mixing, in merging «one» into The wound would not result in ties and links to theater but live in the delimitation zone between Beirut and Damascus. the «other.» No Lebanese sensitivities in Syrian plays. On the in Syria. Figures offering assistance are not lacking. Limited Like the director Omar Abusaada. The latter brought his play contrary. The Lebanese plays the role of catalyst in processes assistance. Offering halls for play rehearsals, for free or in «Antigone» to Lebanon after it was shown in Damascus and of timing the vision, not improving it, except on the technical return for a nominal fee. Theaters won’t succeed with Syrian then he returned with his play to Damascus. The play was Syrian Theater in Lebanon level. An amputated level in Syria. theater shows with director signatures. Theater is a garden performed in Al Madina Theater in Beirut presenting the There are institutions and bodies that fund the shows that have not a house. The play gets old a day or two after it is shown. Syrian tragedy as a fathomless abyss. Rafat Alzaqout presented a direct link to the war in Syria. «Etijahat» (Directions), Afaq, Because it takes place in a hole not in a life. -
Bashar Al-Assad's Struggle for Survival
Bashar al-Assad’s Struggle for Survival: Has the Miracle Occurred? Eyal Zisser The summer of 2014 marked the beginning of a turn in the tide of the civil war in Syria. The accomplishments of the rebels in battles against the regime tilted the scales in their favor and raised doubts regarding Bashar al-Assad’s ability to continue securing his rule, even in the heart of the Syrian state – the thin strip stretching from the capital Damascus to the city of Aleppo, to the Alawite coastal region in the north, and perhaps also to the city of Daraa and the Druze Mountain in the south. This changing tide in the Syrian war was the result of the ongoing depletion of the ranks of the Syrian regime and the exhaustion of the manpower at its disposal. Marked by fatigue and low morale, Bashar’s army was in growing need of members of his Alawite community who remained willing to fight and even die for him, as well as the Hizbollah fighters who were sent to his aid from neighboring Lebanon. The rebels, on the other hand, proved motivated, determined, and capable of perseverance. Indeed, they succeeded in unifying their ranks, and today, in contrast to the hundreds of groups that had been operating throughout the country, there are now only a few groups operating – all, incidentally, of radical Islamic character. Countries coming to the aid of the rebels also included Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, who decided to topple the Assad regime and showed determination equal to that of Bashar’s allies – Iran, Hizbollah, and Russia. -
Disorientalism-1.Pdf
„French police make woman remove clothing on Nice beach following burkini ban.“ These words transcribe an image that flowed over the media this past summer, crystallizing the tensions that underpin questions of identity, religion, and representation at a time where the only thing worse than globalized terror propaganda is the possibility of Donald Trump becoming the next president of the United States (and vice versa). In this context, the image of a veiled woman surrounded by armed cops and stared at by bikini- and speedo-clad onlookers became a symbol of the deep and wide-open wound of identity quid pro quo in a post- 9/11 world. Alternately romanticizing it and fomenting fear towards it, the mainstream representational system of the West preserves an idea of the Middle East as a „serious“ subject matter, burdened with religious and poilitical subtext. DIS This is probably why so many artists from the region have obsessively pursued struggle narratives and a rhetoric of the past, creating works that reinforced what Moroccan scholar Mohamed Rachdi coined as a „tacit commission“ from the ORIENTAL West, arbitrarily linking authenticity with trauma tic backstory and dramatic storytelling. Through three extensive interviews, a round table, two think pieces and a visual insert by art collective GCC, this section is dedicated to a new generation of artists who are bringing nuance to this fossilized system of ISM thought, mining the intersections of technology, culture and identity politics. Through the work of these creators—who, in confronting media stigmatization and tokenism, challenge the question of representation and the expectations placed upon their production, and refuse to act as „native informants“ or spokespersons for a whole region—alternative narratives and a new visual language emerge. -
Tunisian Rap Music and the Arab Spring: Revolutionary Anthems and PostRevolutionary Tendencies
Orient-Institut Studies 2 (2013) Ines Dallaji Tunisian Rap Music and the Arab Spring: Revolutionary Anthems and Post-Revolutionary Tendencies <1> After the emergence of the so-called Arab spring in 2011, Tunisian rap music became a subject of great interest to the public and the media. This was due above all to El Général, a young rap artist from the Tunisian city of Sfax, and the success of his song Ṛayīs li-Blād (Head of State).1 Apart from El Général, who received a lot of attention from the media because of his contribution to the revolution, the most frequently mentioned Tunisian rap artist was Balṭ i, one of the pioneers of Tunisian rap and the country©s most famous rapper before the revolution. These two rappers were compared and presented as opponents in many articles and blogs. El Général had become famous for his criticism of Ben Ali, whereas Balṭ i was reported to have been loyal to the former regime, enjoying the support of Ben Ali and his entourage. Some journalists and bloggers even claimed that Balṭ i was replaced by El Général as Tunisia©s most famous rapper because he had not published any revolutionary sound messages that were as groundbreaking and influential as the songs published by El Général shortly before and during the Tunisian revolution.2 El Général's and Balṭi's Revolutionary Output <2> El Général©s main revolutionary output consists of three songs. The first and most famous is the above-mentioned Ṛayīs li-Blād that not only became the anthem of the Tunisian revolution, but also entered the revolutionary soundtrack of other Arab countries like Egypt. -
Complaint for of the Estate of MARIE COLVIN, and Extrajudicial Killing, JUSTINE ARAYA-COLVIN, Heir-At-Law and 28 U.S.C
Case 1:16-cv-01423 Document 1 Filed 07/09/16 Page 1 of 33 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CATHLEEN COLVIN, individually and as Civil No. __________________ parent and next friend of minors C.A.C. and L.A.C., heirs-at-law and beneficiaries Complaint For of the estate of MARIE COLVIN, and Extrajudicial Killing, JUSTINE ARAYA-COLVIN, heir-at-law and 28 U.S.C. § 1605A beneficiary of the estate of MARIE COLVIN, c/o Center for Justice & Accountability, One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 406, San Francisco, CA 94102 Plaintiffs, v. SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC, c/o Foreign Minister Walid al-Mualem Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kafar Soussa, Damascus, Syria Defendant. COMPLAINT Plaintiffs Cathleen Colvin and Justine Araya-Colvin allege as follows: INTRODUCTION 1. On February 22, 2012, Marie Colvin, an American reporter hailed by many of her peers as the greatest war correspondent of her generation, was assassinated by Syrian government agents as she reported on the suffering of civilians in Homs, Syria—a city beseiged by Syrian military forces. Acting in concert and with premeditation, Syrian officials deliberately killed Marie Colvin by launching a targeted rocket attack against a makeshift broadcast studio in the Baba Amr neighborhood of Case 1:16-cv-01423 Document 1 Filed 07/09/16 Page 2 of 33 Homs where Colvin and other civilian journalists were residing and reporting on the siege. 2. The rocket attack was the object of a conspiracy formed by senior members of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (the “Assad regime”) to surveil, target, and ultimately kill civilian journalists in order to silence local and international media as part of its effort to crush political opposition. -
State-Led Urban Development in Syria and the Prospects for Effective Post-Conflict Reconstruction
5 State-led urban development in Syria and the prospects for effective post-conflict reconstruction NADINE ALMANASFI As the militarized phase of the Syrian Uprising and Civil War winds down, questions surrounding how destroyed cities and towns will be rebuilt, with what funding and by whom pervade the political discourse on Syria. There have been concerns that if the international community engages with reconstruction ef- forts they are legitimizing the regime and its war crimes, leaving the regime in a position to control and benefit from reconstruc- tion. Acting Assistant Secretary of State of the United States, Ambassador David Satterfield stated that until a political process is in place that ensures the Syrian people are able to choose a leadership ‘without Assad at its helm’, then the United States will not be funding reconstruction projects.1 The Ambassador of France to the United Nations also stated that France will not be taking part in any reconstruction process ‘unless a political transition is effectively carried out’ and this is also the position of the European Union.1 Bashar al-Assad him- self has outrightly claimed that the West will have no part to play 1 Beals, E (2018). Assad’s Reconstruction Agenda Isn’t Waiting for Peace. Neither Should Ours. Available: https://tcf.org/content/report/assads-recon- struction-agenda-isnt-waiting-peace-neither/?agreed=1. 1 Irish, J & Bayoumy, Y. (2017). Anti-Assad nations say no to Syria recon- struction until political process on track. Available: https://uk.reu- ters.com/article/uk-un-assembly-syria/anti-assad-nations-say-no-to-syria- reconstruction-until-political-process-on-track-idUKKCN1BU04J. -
An Analysis of the Mass Media System in Syria
18 SYRIA Arvind Singhal and Vijay Krishna INTRODUCTION Although Syria only gained its independence from France in 1946, it is one of the oldest inhabited lands in the world. Its history and geography are closely intertwined with those of Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine. These modern nation-states, created as a result of the defeat of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in World War I, were previously part of what was commonly referred to as "Greater Syria." The Syrian Arab Republic covers an area of about 71,500 square miles and is slightly larger than the state of Oklahoma in the United States. The country lies south of Turkey and west of Iraq. Syria's southern frontier is bordered by Jordan, and to its west are the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon, and Israel. From the perspective of military and trade, Syria occupies a highly strategic geo graphic location. The three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe converge here; in addition, Syria serves as a crossroad between the Caspian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Black Sea, and the River Nile. Consequently, Syria is a melting pot of diverse cultures, religions, and beliefs. Damascus is Syria's capital city. In 1992, Syria's population was about 13 million and growing rapidly at a rate of 3.8 percent per year. Thanks to improved health facilities, the average life expectancy in Syria has climbed to about 65 years. If the present growth continues, the Syrian population will double by the year 2010. In 1992, some 50 percent of the Syrian people were under the age of 15. -
Arabic Comics After the Revolution
Strategics Sectors | Culture & Society Panorama Telling Graphic Stories of the Region: Arabic Comics after the Revolution Lina Ghaibeh most of the earlier comics targeted children and it Associate Professor and Director was not until the arrival of Shafei’s Metro in 2008, Mu’taz and Rada Sawwaf Arabic Comics Initiative, with its controversial content widely covered in the American University of Beirut media, and the long history preceding it, that the adult Strategics Sectors | Culture & Society graphic novel genre publicly emerged and comics targeting adults became more widespread in Egypt Comics: a Rich Heritage in the Region1 and the region. Comics, especially those for children, have been around in the Arab world for over 70 years. But re- A Decade of Growth: Paving the Way cent years have witnessed a sudden rise in the num- ber of comics that target adult audiences, particu- The foundations were laid for the spread of comics larly since the uprisings, and with it an unprecedented with the cautious revival of the genre in the mid- 324 growing interest and avid following. 2000s through a series of independent adult-fo- The comic genre in the Arab world has not grown cused comics. The unveiling of the personal narra- from nothing; its seeds stem from the region’s wealth tive Le Jeu des Hirondelles by Zeina Abi Rashed, of local heritage and experiences.2 Magazines of to- depicting her childhood during the Lebanese civil day, such as TokTok, like to remind their audiences war, the rise of the local superhero Malak from the of this history, regularly featuring comic figures from cedar trees of Lebanon in the form of a comics se- local heritage in its pages, in order to emphasise that ries, the formation of The 99, from Kuwait, depicting the art is rooted in a rich past, and not a mere repli- a more moderate face of Islam in the wake of 9/11, cation of the West (Bank).