Triumphant over Who?

“That Hezballah (Party of God) shall be triumphant” (فإن حزب الله هم الغالبون) as their slogan says. But triumphant over who?

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Posted in Arab Revolution, Arab World, Hezballah, Lebanon, Revolution, Syria | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shukran Qatar

Apparently, the world has had much to thank Qatar for in recent years. And if you haven’t been thanking it, check your closest government office, local opposition force or ailing business conglomerate for details. One of them is sure to have been blessed (or soon will) by the graces of the tiny Gulf emirate without your prior consent. Continue reading

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حان وقت التغيير – The Time has Come for Change

ملاحظة: هذه المقالة قد نشرت لأول مرة في جريدة النهار في 28-03-2013

Note: this piece was first published in Lebanese daily An Nahar on March 28, 2013. You will find an English translation below.

ان ثمة شعارات ومواصفات لتحديد لبنان و ميزاته وفرادته. نتباهى, على سبيل المثال, بأن في البلد حركة دائمة و متجددة لا يشعر أناسه بالضجر. هذه الظاهرة تعني ان المشاكل فيه تتراكم و المشكلة الجديدة هي لتنسينا القديمة و تحل محلها, و يصير حلّ المشكلة في تأجيلها. Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Arab World, Economy, Lebanon, Middle East, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Iraq War: Ten Years and Counting

Ten years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Iraq continues to bleed. One would have hoped to mark this occasion with a glimmer of hope that things on the ground were moving towards better times, but they are not. Continue reading

Posted in Arab Revolution, Arab World, Iraq, United States | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

الغاضبون هم هنا

“هذه ليست أزمة، إنها خدعة.” “نحن لا نفتقرالى المال. المشكلة ان اللصوص عندنا كثيرون.” “من حقّنا ان نكون غاضبين. “

هذه الشعارات- الصرخات وغيرها تزامنت مع فترة ركود اقتصادي ,تزايد البطالة , سياسة التقشف, مشاعر يأس عميقة، فكان أن خرج الشعب الاسباني الى الشوارع و الساحات: رجالاً ونساء، كباراً و صغاراً ، مثقفين ومكافحين لأجل كسب لقمة العيش ليقولوا لحكوماتهم: كفى. Continue reading

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The Indignants Are Here

“This is not a crisis, this is a fraud.” “We don’t lack money, we just have too many thieves.” “We have the right to be indignant.”

With these and many other slogans, at a time of recession, unemployment, austerity and profound despair, the people of Spain, men and women, young and old, intellectuals with those struggling to make a living, took to the streets and plazas to tell the government: enough. Continue reading

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From Today’s Headlines: The Tragicomedy of Lebanon

With the flurry of events of the past 24 hours, my only pair of hands unable to type out all the ideas, the amazement, the frustration and laughter inspired by the latest developments, I thought I’d still try to put it all together in a couple of words.

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