Middle Eastern Uprisings
Note: In the first half of class, we will hear from a prominent Syrian activist who will discuss the current situation in Syria and the politics of international intervention. The second half of class will be in the format of a teach-in workshop, in which we examine protest movements and uprisings using case studies: Egypt, Iran, and North Africa.
Shared Readings:
Max Fisher, “Syria’s Paradox: Why the War Only Ever Seems to Get Worse,” New York Times, August 26, 2016.
Loubna Mrie, "How did the Syrian uprising become dominated by jihadists?" The National, January 12, 2017.
Loubna Mrie, "Western media must understand there's more to Syria than Assad vs Jihadis," Alaraby, July 14, 2017
Loubna Mrie, "Five years after I saw my friends die for freedom in Syria, the world has given up," Quartz, March 18, 2016.
Optional: Left Jest podcast featuring Loubna Mrie, "A Syria Episode," July 11, 2017.
Egypt
Ahmad Shokr, “The Eighteen Days of Tahrir,” Middle East Report 259(Summer 2011).
Mona El-Ghobashy, “The Praxis of the Egyptian Revolution,” Middle East Report 258 (Spring 2011).
Alisa Lebow, "Filming Revolution," Warscapes, January 25, 2016.
North Africa
Laryssa Chomiak and John Entelis, “The Making of North Africa’s Intifadas,” Middle East Report 259(Summer 2011), 8-15.
Mark R. Beissinger, Amaney A Jamal, and Kevin Mazur, “What the Arab uprising protesters really wanted”. Washington Post, Monkey Cage Blog. October 19, 2015
Nadia Marzouki, “From People to Citizens in Tunisia,” Middle East Report 259(Summer 2011), 16-19.
Iran
Mohammad Ali Kadivar, “A New Oppositional Politics: The Campaign Participants in Iran’s 2013 Presidential Elections,” Jadaliyya, June 22, 2013.
Kaveh Ehsani, Arang Keshavarzian, and Norma Moruzzi, “Tehran, 2009,” Middle East Report Online, June 28, 2009.
Recommended:
Wendy Pearlman, “Narratives of Fear in Syria,” Perspectives on Politics 14 (March 2016), 21-37.
Neha's questions for Loubna:
ReplyDelete1. As a student studying political communications, I was interested in what you wrote in your Quartz article about many of the demonstrations being organized on Facebook. Can you tell us more about the role social media played in the Syrian uprising?
2. I know there are a lot of criticisms against Western journalists covering the Middle East, and you touched upon this topic in your article for The New Arab. What would be your advice to Western news outlets looking to fairly and accurately cover the region?
Sarah's questions:
ReplyDelete1. What is the difference of mentality between a civilian and non-civilian? What is the transition between these two states of mind?
2. You cover a range of resolution scenarios in your New York Times piece. What would you consider most feasible towards a Syrian democracy?
1. Foreign intervention has long been criticised as an obstacle in Syria's route to resolution, both because of the selective motivations and the unintended consequences that often prolong instead of resolve the conflict. Do you think that there remains a role for foreign parties (or the UN) in the resolution of this conflict? If so, how should they change their actions? And are you optimistic that they will?
ReplyDelete2. How would you describe Syrian Nationalism? How is it framed by the civil war / conflict and is there room for development or change?
Frank Beane
ReplyDeleteQuestion #1
Loubna, you write, “we want Bashar Assad to get on a plane and leave the country so we can make peace and begin the painstaking process of holding elections and rebuilding the country”. If Bashar al-Assad was killed or left Syria, would the civil war abruptly end??
Question #2
Before the civil war, did Alawites, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians harmoniously coexist, or was there always a palpable inter-ethnic tension??
1. Has Bashar Al- Assad used the media to his own benefit in Syria and if so, how?
ReplyDelete2. I was wondering if you could go into your thoughts on the western media a little more, specifically I'm interested in your thoughts about all the reasons for the discrepancies between reporting about the Syrian civil war in the West and the full picture about what is actually going on in Syria. To what extent do you believe these discrepancies are due to loyalties to their governments/the U.S. government to protect their/its interests versus lack of understanding versus desire to sell newspapers and magazines and make money and sell stories people will read etc.? Have there been any outlets you feel are covering the situation more accurately than others?
Jeremy's questions:
ReplyDelete1. As Syrian opposition groups aren't exactly on the same agenda, wouldn't getting rid of Bashar al-Assad plunge Syria in further chaos like in Libya after the lynching of Gaddafi? Is it possible for all of these opposition groups to achieve their goals (e.g. Kurdish independence, a democratic Syria, etc.) whilst cooperating together, or is Syria genuinely better off with al-Assad?
2. Would the Syrian Civil War have escalated like it did if Iraq wasn't invaded in 2003 and Saddam Hussein was in power? Would Baathist Iraq lend support to al-Assad or the rebels? And would have ISIS even formed while under the repressive heel of Hussein?
Amanda's questions:
ReplyDelete1. You talk in your articles about a binary that is used to describe the Syrians as either Assad supporters or Al-Qaeda supporters. How do you feel this binary has affected the refugee migration? Do you feel that the mass migration of these refugees would have caused a "crisis" had there been this third category you speak of mentioned more prominently in the media?
2. You talk about how originally, although you knew there was a risk in these demonstrations, you felt more anger than fear which was able to propel you to continue fighting for your rights and your country. If you feel comfortable sharing, what was the moment/event/etc. that caused that to shift to the point you felt the need to flee to the US?
1. In your Quartz article you mentioned most of the communications were occurring on social media such as Facebook, I'm wondering if they were monitored by the government. If so, did anyone get arrested for being involved in such events on social media?
ReplyDelete2. Iranian people (including my parents) overthrew Shah’s regime thinking that a new regime would be better and it will be more democratic but, the result wasn't what they expected. So, do you think a new regime will be better if Bashar al-Assad leaves? And would the civil war and chaos stop?
Alex's questions:
ReplyDelete1. In your Quartz article you say, "For those who died, we survivors keep the faith. And yet, my heart hurts. After five years, my countrymen are still in the street, still marching, still chanting the same slogans from 2011, still promising justice for every single death." What is your relationship with other Syrian activists who have left the country? Do you have any contact with activists still in Syria?
2. In your article for The National, you say, "Though the sun is setting on the Syrian revolution, the jihadists it has spawned will find new countries to destabilize." What do you think can be done to stop that?
1. Over the course of learning authoritarian, we learned that dictators can manipulate the media to serve their own benefits, how did Bashar Al- Assad use media as a weapon?
ReplyDelete2. What is the impact of the Syrian Civil War to its people can political culture?
1. One of the reasons that the conflict in Syria persists is because of foreign investment, do you believe that the withdrawal of the powers to be a viable solution? Because of the foreign investments the security of citizens also tend to be overlooked, how would the attention toward Syrians be affected if foreign interventions was pulled out?
ReplyDelete2. During one of the protests you attended, you state that you found solidarity in the media coverage, "...my boy was shaking in anger, no fear. I told myself that everything was being filmed..." but also criticize the media's role with either/or fallacies, in what ways do you think selective anger can be curbed and how can American support help (or can it)?