Regional and International Perspectives
Lebanon’s Alawites at a Crossroads Raphael Lefevre writes: “The recent calm presents a historic opportunity for Lebanese Alawites to search for new leaders who embrace a more independent approach toward Damascus and a more conciliatory posture toward Tripoli’s Sunni majority. But this search will be a long and difficult one.”
Jordan’s Sixth Refugee Camp Asharq al Awsat reports on this new camp made to take the pressure off Za’atari.
Corruption Seeps into Aid for Syrian Refugees Naharnet reports on the bribes that refugees must pay to access much needed aid. According to the Associated Press, the amounts vary “anywhere from $3 to $100 in bribes to shopkeepers, local strongmen or municipal officials for a variety of tasks, particularly to get some consignments of aid or speed their registration.”
Harakat Hazm: America’s new favorite jihadist group Suhaib Anjarini traces back the group’s formation.
Les Doms, gitans méconnus et réfugiés syriens invisibles Yohav Oremiatzki on the Dom people from Syria, a minority that is also seeking refuge in neighboring countries and that remains invisible according to the author.
The World`s Most Humble President Just Opened His House to 100 Syrian Refugee Children
Syrian Narratives
Homs: capitale de la révolution syrienne Following the recent developments in Homs, Hassan Abbas discusses the significance of the city during and before the crisis.
Syria: The ‘comforting’ narratives of the conflict Amer Mohsen argues that “as long as the opposition has nothing that it can concede in negotiations, while the regime has nothing but concessions, then negotiations are most certainly in the interest of the opposition, if not a duty thereon.”
Nusra Rejects Trials for Regime Figures, Demands `Death by Sword` Syria Direct translates their statement.
Syrian Opposition Struggles To Police Kfar Nabel The Damascus Bureau reports that security forces in Kafr Nabl lack the funds and the manpower to properly look over the city.
Arab nationalists take up arms in the battle for Syria According to Al-Akhbar, “the number of recruits, especially from Egypt and Palestine, increased significantly following the threat of US air strikes on Syria in September 2013.”
Syrie: la question du changement de régime est "secondaire", estime Adonis In a recent statement to AFP about the crisis, Syrian poet Adonis deemed a change of regime to be “secondary”.
Syria: The West Should Stop Raising False Expectations – By Nikolaos van Dam Speaking at the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Berlin, van Dam sees two possible scenarios for ending the conflict in Syria: Further negotiations between the regime and the predominantly secular opposition groups.” or “to continue the present internal war until one side can claim victory.”
Response to van Dam’s remarks Many Syria experts informally responded to van Dam’s remarks on Facebook, which led to an interesting debate.
Fathers of Revolution Wendy Pearlman interviews Abu Ma’an, a young Syrian now living in a Jordanian camp, who shares with her his recollections of events.
A meeting with Syria’s Michel Kilo Al-Arabiya’s report with the Syrian opposition figure, “where he addresses the national dialogue conference and talks about his meetings with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa and the Syrian president’s advisor Bouthiana Shaaban.”
Idlib Archaeological Site Under Threat A report by the Damascus Bureau
On Syrian Female Activists Removing Hijab According to Inab Baladi, “Removing the hijab has become a limited, but rapidly spreading phenomenon recently among Syrian female activists.” (Translated by The Syrian Observer)
Syrians Remember Heroine of Deir al-Zor “When other Syrians want to flatter men from Deir al-Zor, they call them “brothers of Batta”, a reference to a local woman who resisted French occupation in the 1930s”, says The Damascus Bureau
Steadfastness in the Oven and Other Signs of Victory Sherry al-Hayek, for al Joumhouria (translated by The Syrian Observer)
Who is Assassinating Peaceful Activists? The Regime or the Opposition? asks Soad Khbia
Homeland`s Protectors Kill Their Own “Dima Wannous writes about the protectors of the homeland” in Al-Modon and translated by The Syrian Observer
New War, Old Faces “Bloodied in the crucible of the struggle against US-led forces in Iraq, Iraqi militia fighters are lending their battlefield expertise to Bashar Al-Assad’s regime,” according to The Majalla
The Struggle for Religious Authority in Syria Thomas Pierret writes: “Beyond religious doctrines, the conflict over the SIC reflects a more structural divide between two models of the civilian-military relationship.”
Primary source: the structure of an Aleppo Sharia Commission branch in the countryside
Arab Tribes Split Between Kurds And Jihadists Carl Drott says “So far, the YPG has fared well in this struggle. The fighting along the front south and southeast of Qamishli is contained for the moment.”
Al Qaeda’s rise in southern Syrian pushes moderate rebels to sideline Phil Sands, Suha Maayeh and Taimur Khan continue their coverage of developments in southern Syria, from Jordan.
Inside Syria
The Battle for Qusayr and the fate of Saint Elias Church Hisham Ashkar tracks the events in Qusayr after the allegations wanting that the church had been damaged as a result of the war.
Syria general killed, mass voter turnout urged General Hussein Isaac was the commander of the Syrian Air Defense.
Can you blame the poor in Syria’s al-Jazira region? Ziad Ghosn says “residents and their resources are suffering due to the proliferation of al-Qaeda affiliated groups, which took advantage of the region’s proximity to Iraq and exploited public anger against state policies.”
Damascus Children Face Grim Reality According to The Damascus Bureau “vulnerable youngsters languish in government-run centres or fend for themselves on the streets”
Civil Defence Under Fire in Aleppo Zaid Mohamad says “Underpaid rescue workers have inadequate equipment and face huge risks.”
Conversations: The Woman Caring for Damascus Orphans A woman in Damascus recounts how she started hosting Syrian children found on the street.
Survival in a siege: Leaves become food, faith becomes strength Frederik Pleitgen reports from Homs
General strike challenges ISIS in Aleppo town The events occured in Manbjij, where eighty percent of merchants allegedly shut their shops and business.
The Syrian Experiment with “Apoism” Carl Drott argues that “while there are clearly authoritarian features in the new system, elsewhere the PYD has also displayed responsiveness to criticism and actively sought to connect with the international community, primarily through its co-chair Saleh Muslim.”
In the Syrian Prison: Disconnected and Desubjectified Abdulhay Sayed examines “how prisoners survived the space of detention, how their bodies lived through the slow descent to the bottom, towards the limit between life and death, and how they witnessed other detainees “disconnecting,” before they vanished.”
Arts and Social Media
Osama Alomar Pursues His Literary Ambitions in Exile A feature on Osama Alomar, a Syrian writer known for his “very short stories”.
Sexual exploitation of Syrian refugee women: Real and virtual faces Yazan al-Saadi reports on a Facebook page advertising “Syrian Refugee Women for Marriage”
Cannes Film Review: ‘Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait’ Jay Weissberg’s positive review of a film by Wiam Simav Bedirxan and Ossama Mohammed.
«Eau argentée», images en bataille Julien Gester offers his take on the film and also the creative process involved for the two producers.
Policy and Reports
A Special Report on the Layoff of Governmental Sector Employees in Hama A report by the Violation Documentation Center in Syria.
Dynamic Stalemate: Surveying Syria`s Military Landscape In a new policy briefing by the Brookings Doha Center, Charles Lister analyzes the Western-backed opposition, the spreading influence of jihadi militants, and the evolving capabilities of pro-government forces.”
Study Sheds Light on Racism Against Syrians in Lebanese Regions The study was conducted by Dr. Charles Harb and Dr. Reem Saab of the American University of Beirut`s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and was titled “Casual Labor Initiative and Social Cohesion in Akkar and Bekaa”.
Must the Belgian babies be bayoneted all over again? Another piece on the validity of the claims on chemical weapon use in Syria.
At least 162,000 killed in Syria conflict: monitoring group Those numbers are the numbers from Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
Syria government allows first large food aid distribution in Aleppo Reuters reports that this is the first time the International Committee of the Red Cross is allowed to operate in northern city since last October.
Health
The Psychological Effects of War on Children in Syria Muhannad al-Nader reports for The Syrian Observer
Anatomy of a Crisis- A Map of Attacks on Health Care in Syria
Arabic
الصراع في سوريا يحتدم بين الواقعي والافتراضي
الانتخابات الرئاسية في سوريا
حكاية الموت والحياة.. بين دير الزور والرقة
ما بعد حمص
لكل 20 سنتمتراً قصة
جدل 10 - تسوية سوريّة
فلسطينيو سوريا.. التعفن في الجحيم
انتخبوا مرشحكم القاتل
سوريا: حرب السرديّات المريحة
حملة #انتخابات_الدم في دمشق
فصائل سورية تطرح ميثاق شرف ثوريا
أدونيس: تغيير النظام السوري مشكلة ثانوية
الإدارة الشعبية في سوريا.. نظرة من الداخل