If this is the way the Sunni insurgency, so called, is working , then well, they have burned the concept of Sunni Orthodoxy to hell. Again. Threats, and terror attacks? Ali Waly Allah.........I cant ever recall be threatened by Shias, whether in Iraq, Sayada Zaynab, or Lebanon. If I am converted, as it were? The choice is always mine. Maybe its time for Islamic history to introduce the concept of Islam........without borders? Islam san fronteieres anyone. This is becoming a revolting repeat of history that people choose to forget.
Is this targeted propaganda anything new? From being told to duck and cover when the Reds strike in a mad psychotic anti-capitalist frenzy, to the all too smug protestation against the views expressed in JFK , the Oliver Stone movie? The label of conspiracy theory has managed to band-aid the actual conspiracies taking place on a daily basis.
Probably with those theories is they can neither be proved nor disproved. But one has to read with one eye shut to see major US media report foiled terrorist attacks and the like...most of which sound like reasons for more taxes for more military. A military which by the way seems more involved each day into ripping a new one into civil rights?
When it comes to propaganda, the US has been at it for ages. The only question for me is...are they actually getting better, or worse at it? It starts to look like the latter under the guise of the War on Terror. I see a panicked mob of publicans these days with no real interest in being credible. They would rather prey upon the fears of their citizens to promote a booming arms trade, pipelines of oil from Central Asia to the Mediterrean and beyond, and ...oh yeah. Let's not forget the stifling of dissent, which has always been a core value of US 'liberties' ....the dissent I mean, not the stifling....
As always, Juan, some excellent insight. We met once at a conference in Jordan on Iraq, when Islamica magazine was still a breathing entity.
As for your comments. You tend to nail what is coming down the pike, but Damascus is still the touchstone. Too many in Damascus will lose too much if the regime falls in the throes a violent revolution. Too many people are already losing just based on economic losses. The splintering of the resistance is - to say the least - a discouraging sign that this could drag on for ages.
I know many Alawis , Christians and Druse, et al, who are ready to bail. I have met Salafis from Dumaa, who assert that Syria should become an Islamic Republic. Which would be fine if the majority were behind them.
Which? They are not. Spending a long time in Syria I found the Islamic, Sunni Islam part of the nation to be refreshing since it had violently bashed the opposition in Hama in 82. After of course , having Damascus targeted by the Ikhwani types with assasinations and car bombs. Overkill? Most certainly. By Damascus remained for many years of the new century , the bastion of both Arabic language and Traditional Islamic learning. The sudden turn of events, then, naturally has Syrians very worried. And if they are a minority sect? Can we say , Beirut 1975, sure we can, since people I know have been carded in Dumaa......and sent back home because they were not Muslim. Or whatever it says on those damned cards that put your ID with your belief system.
Always enjoy and learn from your work, so this article has me more concerned. Like some molotov cocktail of Iraq and Beirut and I think your analysis is spot on. All the more frightening considering the implications for the region.
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If this is the way the Sunni insurgency, so called, is working , then well, they have burned the concept of Sunni Orthodoxy to hell. Again. Threats, and terror attacks? Ali Waly Allah.........I cant ever recall be threatened by Shias, whether in Iraq, Sayada Zaynab, or Lebanon. If I am converted, as it were? The choice is always mine. Maybe its time for Islamic history to introduce the concept of Islam........without borders? Islam san fronteieres anyone. This is becoming a revolting repeat of history that people choose to forget.
Enough said.
Is this targeted propaganda anything new? From being told to duck and cover when the Reds strike in a mad psychotic anti-capitalist frenzy, to the all too smug protestation against the views expressed in JFK , the Oliver Stone movie? The label of conspiracy theory has managed to band-aid the actual conspiracies taking place on a daily basis.
Probably with those theories is they can neither be proved nor disproved. But one has to read with one eye shut to see major US media report foiled terrorist attacks and the like...most of which sound like reasons for more taxes for more military. A military which by the way seems more involved each day into ripping a new one into civil rights?
When it comes to propaganda, the US has been at it for ages. The only question for me is...are they actually getting better, or worse at it? It starts to look like the latter under the guise of the War on Terror. I see a panicked mob of publicans these days with no real interest in being credible. They would rather prey upon the fears of their citizens to promote a booming arms trade, pipelines of oil from Central Asia to the Mediterrean and beyond, and ...oh yeah. Let's not forget the stifling of dissent, which has always been a core value of US 'liberties' ....the dissent I mean, not the stifling....
As always, Juan, some excellent insight. We met once at a conference in Jordan on Iraq, when Islamica magazine was still a breathing entity.
As for your comments. You tend to nail what is coming down the pike, but Damascus is still the touchstone. Too many in Damascus will lose too much if the regime falls in the throes a violent revolution. Too many people are already losing just based on economic losses. The splintering of the resistance is - to say the least - a discouraging sign that this could drag on for ages.
I know many Alawis , Christians and Druse, et al, who are ready to bail. I have met Salafis from Dumaa, who assert that Syria should become an Islamic Republic. Which would be fine if the majority were behind them.
Which? They are not. Spending a long time in Syria I found the Islamic, Sunni Islam part of the nation to be refreshing since it had violently bashed the opposition in Hama in 82. After of course , having Damascus targeted by the Ikhwani types with assasinations and car bombs. Overkill? Most certainly. By Damascus remained for many years of the new century , the bastion of both Arabic language and Traditional Islamic learning. The sudden turn of events, then, naturally has Syrians very worried. And if they are a minority sect? Can we say , Beirut 1975, sure we can, since people I know have been carded in Dumaa......and sent back home because they were not Muslim. Or whatever it says on those damned cards that put your ID with your belief system.
Always enjoy and learn from your work, so this article has me more concerned. Like some molotov cocktail of Iraq and Beirut and I think your analysis is spot on. All the more frightening considering the implications for the region.
Keep up the good fight,
Peace
J.