Translated from Arabic into English by Rana Issa, 7 June 2015 I still find it difficult to reconcile myself to the word exile. I used to observe it with the eyes of a prisoner, then with the eyes of a ‘citizen’ living in Syria. It seemed to be far less cruel than the experiences of the…
Why Zahran Alloush stands accused
Douma4 (Originally published on Al-Jumhuriya), 31 May 2015 When he was asked about the case in August 2014, Zahran Alloush barely even denied his group’s responsibility for the kidnapping of Samira Al-Khalil, Razan Zaitouneh, Wael Hammadeh and Nazem Hammadi. Rather than a direct and straight forward denial he preferred to give the kind of answer Bashar…
Syria, Iran, ISIS and the Future of Social Justice: “In dialogue with Yassin al-Haj Saleh”
Radio Zamaneh, 29 May 2015 Yassin al-Haj Saleh is a leading Syrian intellectual and former political prisoner who participated in the Syrian Revolution from its beginning in March 2011. Since October 2013 he has been forced into exile in Turkey where he continues to write and speak out in defense of the aspirations of that…
L’exil des Syriens – la Syrie terre d’exil
Toulouse Syrie Solidarité, 9 Mai 2015 Texte de l'intervention de Yassin Al Haj Saleh à Toulouse lors de la rencontre autour de son livre "Récits d'une Syrie oubliée", à l'Espace des Diversités et de la laïcité le 9 avril 2015. Il m'est toujours difficile de me réconcilier avec le mot « exil ». Je le percevais avec…
L’espoir – sa fragilité et sa force
Toulouse Syrie Solidarité, 8 Mai 2015 Texte de l'intervention de Yassin Al Haj Saleh à Toulouse lors de la rencontre autour de son livre "Récits d'une Syrie oubliée", à l'Espace des Diversités et de la laïcité le 9 avril 2015. 1- En 1992, alors que mes deux frères et certains amis venaient de sortir de prison,…
Syria as a Global Metaphor
L’Internationale, 25 April 2015 The Syrian population has long suffered from under-representation. Three instances of under-representation can be pinpointed: it occurs with regards to their labour, their political participation, and the conceptual and aesthetic representation of their reality.These are interrelated. Devaluing labour was associated with crippling the political power of the labour community. By labour…
Jeudis de l’IMA – Récits d’une Syrie oubliée. Sortir la mémoire des prisons
Images, Ethics, Action: Online Video, Human Rights and Civic Activism in Syria
Samira, Razan,Wael, Nazem, and the other absolute others
L’Internationale, 10 February 2015 About fourteen months ago, a group of masked gunmen kidnapped my wife and partner, Samira al Khalil, in Douma, which is a few kilometers to the east of Damascus. Abducted along with her were RazanZeitouneh, Wael Hamadeh, and Nazem Hammadi. Since that time, we - the families of “Douma 4”- have…
Syria and the Left
New Politics, Winter 2015 Yassin Al Haj Saleh is one of Syria’s leading political dissidents. He spent from 1980-1996 in Syrian prisons and became one of the key intellectual voices of the 2011 Syrian uprising. He spent 21 months in hiding within Syria, eventually escaping to Istanbul. He was interviewed via email by New Politics…