[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Syria Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to syria@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Perspectives
Punishing Hezbollah: Gulf States Follow EU’s Footsteps Nasser Charara on the circumstances surrounding the EU’s blacklisting of Hezbollah’s military wing, intimately tied to its involvement in Syria.
Syria War Widens Rift Between Shi’a Clergy in Iran Suadad al-Salhy on the opposing views between the Shi’ite Muslim clergy in Iran and Iraq, disagreeing on whether or not foreign fighters should be involved in Syria.
Christian Missionary in Syria and Its Real Agenda A problematic video showing Christian missionaries launching a PR campaign with Syrian refugees in Jordan, in what is yet another form of opportunism arising from the conflict.
The Syrian and Egyptian Brotherhoods: Different Stories, Different Outlooks Frederick Deknatel on the history of the two groups and the recent literature produced about them.
La France a Une Responsibilite Historique en Syrie Le Monde interviews Ahmed Jarba, newly appointed president of the Syrian National Council, and Salim Idriss, Chief of Staff of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army.
Lebanon Developments
Syrian Refugee Relief in the Hands of the World Bank Bassam alKantar on the credit fund management that Lebanon will have to secure so as not to upset public opinion regarding the use of public funds toward the assistance of the Syrian refugees.
Go and Unleash Your Bombs in Lebanon…Jean Aziz raises the idea that Saudi Arabia may be once more trying to export its terrorism to avoid turmoil at the domestic level, caused by various tensions, including the way the Syrian crisis is unfolding.
Lebanon Counts Cost of Syria Conflict A BBC report on the economic impacts of the Syria’s crisis on the tourism industry.
Kurdish Developments
Turkey’s Syria Policy in Shambles Over Support for Jihadists Semih Idiz on Turkey’s most recent foreign policy anxieties, following the alleged victory of Kurdish fighters against Jihadist in Syrian Kurdistan.
The Struggle for Syrian Kurdistan Al Monitor’s week in review focuses on the Syrian Kurdistan crisis, which has dominated media coverage this week following the news that Kurdish fighters were fighting jihadists for control of the territory.
Where Are Syrian Kurds Heading Amidst Civil War in Syria? Zana Khasraw writes an important piece looking at the importance of the developments in Syrian Kurdistan, which she believes “have achieved major strides towards their rights by controlling a region for the first time in Syrian modern history.”
Back to the Turkish Quagmire in Syrian Kurdistan Husnu Mahalli provides a brief summary of the anxieties Turkey has towards developments at its Syrian border.
North-Eastern Syria ~ A Map of clashes between Kurds and Jihadi Fighters Pieter Van Ostaeyen provides a helpful visual of the developments in Syrian Kurdistan.
Ankara Warns Against Kurdish Autonomy in Syria Tulin Daloglu says “no one really has a clear idea as to what it is Erdogan believes peace with the Kurds will look like.”
Syrian Kurds Prepare for Self-Governance Wladimir Van Wilgenburg reports : “The Kurdish Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. (PYD), which is close to the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), has proposed a plan to form an interim administration within three months, a referendum on a draft constitution and parliamentary elections within six months.”
The Kurdish Question, The Islamists and the FSA Amidst the coverage of the events unfolding in Syrian Kurdistan, Syria Freedom Forever says “It is necessary to remember that the PYD has faced growing opposition within the Kurdish population in Syria and active pro revolutionary Kurdish activists for their authoritarian policies and collaboration with the Assad regime on various occasions.
Syrian Narratives
The Original Shabiha Mohammed D. on the emergence of coastal smuggling gangs in the 1970s-80s.
"Le plus blessant pour les Syriens, c`est le manque de solidarité" - Entretien avec Salam Kawakibi A interview with Salam Kawakibi, in which he deplores the lack of solidarity toward the Syrian people
Courting Trouble Stephen Starr on the emergence of Islamic courts in Northern Syria, which have come to fulfill a troubling but desperately needed administrative role.
Gangs of Lattakia:The Militiafication of the Assad Regime Aron Lund’s pertinent intervention, where he suggests that “It’s news to no one that the opposition movement in Syria is extremely fragmented, but what hasn’t received enough attention is that something similar seems to be happening on the regime side.”
The Fate of Aleppo’s Two Bishops Asad AbuKhalil revives the story of the kidnapped bishops, whose kidnappers have allegedly been apprehended in Turkey.
The Risky Missile Systems that Syria’s Rebels Believe They Need C.J. Chivers’s extensive report on the debates and concerns surrounding the proliferation of anti-aircraft missiles in Syria.
Who’s Who: Mohamad Nassif Kheir Beik The Syrian Observer offers a profile on a former intelligence officer turned assistant vice-president
Syria’s Humanitarian Blackmail is a War Crime and Its Victims Need Our Help Tamara Al-Rifai addresses the human rights violations that occurred during the Al-Qusray battle, where civilians were not allowed to flee what turned into a battleground.
Syrian Sunnis fear Assad regime wants to `ethnically cleanse` Alawite heartland Martin Chulov and Mona Mahmood suggest that many Alawite families have moved into neighborhouds where they did not live before as “all property records for Homs were destroyed in a fire earlier this month at the office of the city`s land registry and residents fear they can no longer enforce a claim to their land and homes.”
Abandoned in Syria: Q&A With John Wreford An interview with John Wreford, who recently left Damascus and compares the situation on the ground and how it was misrepresented in the media.
The Plight of Syrian Minorities Anna Haq reports on the dangers and dilemmas facing the minorities as the climate becomes increasingly radicalized.
Sectarianism in Syria: Myth and Reality Marwa Daoudy reiterates the argument that sectarianism is not inherently religious but geogpolitical.
Brahimi on Syria: We Need to Get Out of This Vicious Circle
Inside Syria
A Farewell to Damascus Bidayyat presents an intimate video diary of actress May Skaaf, a few days before she leaves Syria, and in which she shares her thoughts on sectarianism and the future of the country.
Aleppo’s Child Nurse Vice’s Robert King meets a 14-year old boy who has been assisting doctors for the past four months, and who is disturbingly desensitized to the effects of violence he witnesses on daily basis.
How British Women Are Joining the Jihad in Syria France 24’s report on two foreign couples who left Europe to live on the frontline in Syria.
The Road to Damascus Airport: A ‘Safe Zone’ in a Sea of Hostility Marah Mashi experiences the unsafe road for herself.
Damascus Weddings: Marriage in Wartime “Anxiety-free marriage in Syria today is the exclusive domain of the super-rich, those who are able to pay exorbitant amounts of money to arrange a wedding and secure the bride’s dowry in US dollars.”
How Syrians Risk Their Lives to Cross the Divide Jonathan Miller from Channel 4 spent time at an Aleppo checkpoint that divides pro and anti-regime neighborhoods, where civilians are risking their lives and dignity daily to cross the line and to smuggle desperately needed goods to the other side.
Assad Applies Starvation Policy in Damascus Countryside The Syrian Observer translates this article by Zaman al-Wasl, which, despite relying on anecdotal evidence would coincide with the visual evidence collected in Aleppo by Channel 4.
Arts and Social Media
Egypt Rips Off Syria Rips Off Israel The Arabist’s commentary on a cartoon that was reappropriated by various groups to make various claims about developments in the three countries.
Facebook Campaign Demands Syria Free Jailed Artist The prominent artist, who is a member of the internal opposition National Coordination Body for Democratic Change (NCB), was arrested on July 18 in Tartous.
The Syrian Artist Versus the Regime Pierre Abisaab provides a more extensive coverage of Abdelke’s life and legacy, following news of his disappearance.
Facebook Announcement About Yousef Abdelke’s Arrest
Syrian Electronic Army hacks Viber messaging app, company claims user data is safe One of the latest targets of the Syrian Electronic Army, which, if true, enables them to track down civilian messaging activity.
Logging on in Zaatri: Part 1 Mike Pizzi is looking at the social media practices of Syrian refugees in Jordan, in this post focusing on access.
Logging on in Zaatri: Part II In this post the author looks at the online activities of those accessing the Internet in the camp.
Voice is an online platform aiming to give a voice to Syrian refugees in Jordan, an initiative started in November 2012, which manages to present some of the testimonies through a group of informants.
The Syrian Refugee Crisis in Numbers – Video Animation by the Guardian
Policy and Reports
Human Rights Watch: Arrests of Syrians in Egypt Raise Deportation Fears
Syrian Authorities Blocking Access to Needy in Homs: Red Cross
Jimmy Carter`s Making a Syria Peace Push, And the Opposition Isn`t Happy About It The Carter Center will send two officials to Syria next week, to allegedly work out a peace agreement between the regime and opposition forces.
Syria Crisis Situation Update (Issue 55) UNRWA’s update on developments in Syria
Arabic
فهم الثورة في سوريا اليوم
معارضة سورية: الائتلاف حرق الرموز الوطنية
اللاذقية… مدينة الحرب الصامتة
في سوريا .. أكثر من مجرد موت
لا غالب و لا مغلوب: تسوية روسية - أميركية لسوريا
السوريون في سياسة النظام!
غارة إسرائيلية جديدة!
أهلا باللاجئين و العمال السوريين في لبنان
"سأخون كورديتي إن ألفت سوريتي و سأخونن سوريتي إن ألفت كورديتي"