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SyriaThe British Left, Syria, Daesh, imperialism – Long read: What do Syrian and Lebanese activists think?
Miriyam Aouragh introduces interviews with activists Syrian and Lebanese that aim to cut through the confusion that has clouded much of the British left in recent months. The activists’ responses to questions about the nature of Daesh, the role of sectarianism and whether class can still be a (...)
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SyriaThe struggle for Kobane: an example of selective solidarity – “The same solidarity extended to the Kurds must be extended to all revolutionary Syrians”
The heroic resistance of the people of Kobane in fighting the onslaught of the Daesh (ISIS) fascists since mid-September, has led to a surge of international solidarity. A multitude of articles and statements have been written and protests have been held in cities across the world. Kurds have (...)
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SyriaPopular uprising and Left solidarity: Supporting grassroots movements in Syria
Much of the debate on Syria by people who identify as being ‘leftists’ both in the West and the Arab world has been dominated by issues most prominent in the media such as a focus on geo-politics, militarization, Islamism and sectarianism. It’s ultimately been a very State-centric discourse. (...)
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Kurdistan in SyriaKurdistan in Syria: Democratic Autonomy in Rojava
In the past 33 years, the Kurdish freedom struggle, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and its leader, Abdullah Öcalan, have not only reacted to social changes but shaped them and proposed further steps in the direction of a liberated society.
Significantly, the PKK conceives the Kurdish (...) -
Political islam, islamismSectarianism and the Arab revolutions – On the present roots of the Shia-Sunni divide in the Middle East
What explains sectarian divisions such as the Shia-Sunni divide in the Middle East?
Lebanese socialist Bassem Chit rejects claims that sectarianism is a “pre-modern” force and argues it is rooted in the pattern of capitalist development and crisis in the region.
There is a growing debate over (...) -
SyriaResponse by a Syrian anarchist to the “Toward an anarchist policy on Syria” First of May statement on Syria
A Syrian anarchist responds to Toward an anarchist policy on Syria by the First of May Anarchist Alliance , largely correcting misconceptions and historical inaccuracies in the document.
I was delighted to see that, finally, an anarchist group in the global north has made a serious attempt to (...) -
SyriaAnalysis: Syria’s multi-party conflict and multi-way war
Four years after the start of the Syrian revolution, much of the dominant analysis and commentary on the revolution and the subsequent war remains dominated by simplistic, dualistic world views and equally simplistic and dualistic policies and proposals. This article is an attempt to analyse (...)