The fall of Assad is a great example of how moral compasses are a poor guide to politics and history. His fall was a consequence—unintended or not—of Israel’s defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and one group who has overthrown him has close ties to Wahhabist extremism, which is bad news for Syrian women. There is a democratic opposition in Syria as you know, but it became a Turkish proxy militarily (not good for Kurds) and Erdogan has a (ahem) complex relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, and has been eroding women’s rights in Turkey.
Brothers of the Gun revealed the agonizing struggle to retain your sanity in the face of the hellish chaos of wars we played no small part in creating. The entire region suffers from over a hundred years of imperialist meddling, while its inhabitants are viewed as barbaric and unworthy of self rule.
Marwan’s book, along with your tremendous illustrations, serves to open Western eyes to the humanity of the people caught in this global power play.
Endless thanks to both you and Marwan. And I hope he’s well and safe.
The fall of Assad is a great example of how moral compasses are a poor guide to politics and history. His fall was a consequence—unintended or not—of Israel’s defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and one group who has overthrown him has close ties to Wahhabist extremism, which is bad news for Syrian women. There is a democratic opposition in Syria as you know, but it became a Turkish proxy militarily (not good for Kurds) and Erdogan has a (ahem) complex relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, and has been eroding women’s rights in Turkey.
Brothers of the Gun revealed the agonizing struggle to retain your sanity in the face of the hellish chaos of wars we played no small part in creating. The entire region suffers from over a hundred years of imperialist meddling, while its inhabitants are viewed as barbaric and unworthy of self rule.
Marwan’s book, along with your tremendous illustrations, serves to open Western eyes to the humanity of the people caught in this global power play.
Endless thanks to both you and Marwan. And I hope he’s well and safe.