About

In my capacity as an avid learner and observer of Syrian and general Middle East politics, I have been fortunate enough to recognize that the clash of civilizations unfolding before our eyes can be bridged by finding commonalities in mankind. What makes one society agree or disagree with the conduct and policies of another society rests solely on our perception of how humans interact or should interact for or against each others’ interests.

This Blog, which includes articles, interviews, Op-Eds, and mentions in the media is mostly about politics of the region and specifically Syria, my beloved country of origin. It is intended to promote democracy, freedom, and human rights in a region in dire need of heeling and harmony.

While I believe that extreme violence can only be met with violence, an anomaly within the context of the ultimate goal of democracy for Syria, I also believe that perception of “stability” for short-term peace purposes feed falsely into our sense of security. States that support terror organically are also the ones we rely upon for “stability”. That is not a diplomatic formula that would secure a brighter future for the Middle East.

Democracy today is ushering extremists and oppressive rulers are facilitating their birth. There are no easy answers to the problems our region, with the highest concentration of dictators in the world, is experiencing today. How do we bring about the changes necessary to co-exist peacefully the way Europeans have learned to?

Personally, I believe the region will have to go through a cataclysmic event the proportions of which will create two new results: The rise of Muslim Protestants and the fall of one-family-rule to be replaced by accountable politicians. Arabs and Muslims must find a way to spark their own Renaissance, one that is based on books and enlightenment and not oil wealth. The region has the main ingredients (i.e. corruption, desolate people, terrorism and violence, dictators running amok, economic deprivation, etc..) for such a spark and it could happen soon.

This is the only way forward to change the Middle East and help us usher a new era of cooperation for our own good. The longer we stay ignorant the more weeds and thorns we will produce when countries like Israel, France, the United States, and so many others are blooming with innovation and advancement of mankind.

While the ideas in this Blog are my own, they are not necessarily the answer. Far from it. I profess no deep knowledge of Islam or history of civilizations to be a voice of authority. What I am relying on are observations, reason, and knowledge of the Arab mind and our cultural spirit as Muslims in order to draw the conclusion and the concepts to save us all from extinction.

Farid Ghadry