· June, 2011

Stories about Syria from June, 2011

Syria: Black Comedy of the Revolution

  27 June 2011

Black comedy is one of the ways one deals with traumatic events. The recent events in Syria, while bloody and depressing to many people, have also brought about an explosion of blogs, Facebook pages and articles that try to satirize the events, and point out the absurdities in the official narrative - sometimes in very unorthodox ways.

Syria: The Revolution and the Economy

  26 June 2011

For 100 days Syria's economy has been frozen. Commerce has halted to a standstill and the coming tourist season does not look good. In addition to that, thousands of frightened Syrians have been changing their savings from Syrian pounds to US dollars or Euros, putting an enormous pressure on the Syrian pound.

Syria: French Embassy Website Hacked

  25 June 2011

On Saturday, June 25, since at least 3PM GMT, the website of the French Embassy in Syria appears to have been hacked: anyone connecting to the French embassy website is automatically redirected to another site (http://th3pro.pro/fr/), where, to the tune of the Syrian national anthem, a message in French and...

Syria: Blogging Day for Syria

  24 June 2011

Today marks the 100th day since the protest movement found its foothold in Syria. A 100 days later, more than 1,400 deaths, and three presidential speeches, the protest movement is still in full force. This Friday is being billed "friday of delegitimization".

A Syrian Solution for North Korea

  24 June 2011

Libyan and Syrian cases are significant to North Korea's possible change by exhibiting how quickly ruthless totalitarian regimes can become unstable in the face of resistance, wrote Joshua from the One Free Korea.

Syria: Protests Break Out Following Assad Speech

  20 June 2011

Syrian president Bashar Al Assad gave a speech today outlining reform plans, which include forming a committee to form a committee to study reforms and the need for national dialogue. On Twitter, reactions continued to flow as Assad spoke. Assad's promises were met with more protests across the country, calling for him to leave power.

Syria: Lesbian Blogger Amina is a Married American Man

  13 June 2011

Blogger The Gay Girl in Damascus turned out to be a straight married American man, who seems to have no issue in taking the world on a wild goose chase after claiming that Amina Arraf was kidnapped by Syrian authorities in Damascus a week ago. Netizens react to the confession.

France, Syria: Syria's Ambassador To France Resigns

  7 June 2011

Syria's ambassador to France, Mrs Lamia Chakkour, has announced  her resignation during a live audio interview with France24 [fr] TV chanel in Paris, today. “I cannot support this cycle of violence […] and ignore that protesters have been killed, that families live in grief” she said. “I invite President Bachar al-Assad...

Syria: ‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ Seized

  6 June 2011

Amina Arraf has seen a quick rise to fame. Blogging pseudonymously, as Amina Abdullah, she writes about politics, the recent uprising, and being a lesbian in Syria. A dual citizen of the United States and Syria, her powerful words have shown the reality on the ground in Syria over the past few weeks. Today, on Amina's own blog, it was reported that she had been kidnapped by authorities.

Syria: Protesting for the Future of Children

  3 June 2011

Syria's youngest victims are speaking out in a series of heart wrenching videos which are surfacing on YouTube, detailing the horrors they and their family members have faced in days and nights of their country's revolution against Bashar Al Assad's regime. Today's Friday protests are dedicated to Syrian children and their future.

Syria: Reports of Internet Blackout

  3 June 2011

Reports are continuing to pour in on Twitter of a possible Internet blackout in Syria today, as Syrians continue to protest against the Al Assad regime and atrocities committed against Syrians. This Friday's protests are to condemn the attacks on Syrian children. While some report a total Internet shutdown, others note that the Internet is out in some places.

Syria: Opposition Drafts Declaration in Antalya

  2 June 2011

Just a day after President Bashar Assad announced a general amnesty for political prisoners, a varied group of Syrian opposition members are meeting in Antalya, Turkey, to create a declaration outlining their plans for a democratic transition in Syria.