People

Part 2: Tima Kurdi, author of ‘The Boy On The Beach’ (Simon & Schuster, 2018), speaks to Sarah Nachar and Susan Dirgham about: Women in Syria  COVID-19 and Sanctions on Syria  Syria - Our Good-Hearted Mother  Women In Syria Today Tima describes the dramatic changes that have taken place since she grew up in Syria, when women mainly stayed at home...

In 1992, The Washington Post published a favourable review of Dr Bouthaina Shaaban’s book, ‘Both Right and Left Handed; Arab Women Talk About Their Lives’ (first published in 1988). Dr Bouthaina was born in the 1950s and grew up in a village in countryside Homs. When the Washington Post review was published, she had a PhD in English Literature from...

Dar Al Salam School, a private school in central Damascus, has a co-educational primary school section and a girls high school. Its principal and the majority of its staff are women. I heard from a friend whose niece attended the school that it has a very good reputation. I visited the school on 23 September 2019 to meet Nisreen, or 'Teacher...

As a teacher, I have always asked myself what sets us apart from other professions. Is it possible to 'leave' our work at work and not to bring it into our private lives? How not to get involved and treat it just as 'work'? To tell you the truth, it’s not possible! No matter how much we try, we DO...

- By Ninos Sawa LEAVING BEHIND It’s a sad feeling when you leave your home. I have left my home only physically. My heart and mind are still in Syria. I miss my college, friends, and the house I grew up in. I hope it hasn’t been destroyed or bombed. I don’t have any information about it now. THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE Refugees need to...

Not to be Ignored Below is a transcript of an interview conducted at the end of 2010, when there was no thought of conflict in Syria, and the issues of the day for educated young women related to their ‘liberation’. The questions chosen were a response to the times since Ms Ayaan Hirsi Ali had recently visited Australia, where she...

Children have a right to play, but in Damascus the ruined streets are their playground. Dateline reveals the harsh lessons they've already learnt about war. For more on Luke Waters' story, go to the SBS Dateline website... http://bit.ly/1oLN9lV   - From SBS Dateline, First Published Feb 23, 2016

How do you recognize that someone is Syrian?  Are there any common characteristics? Syrians are distinguished for being kind to everyone, even to strangers. For example, a Syrian would rush to give a helping hand to a blind person to cross the street. Another instance, a Syrian would immediately help an old person carrying heavy things into his/her house. A...

Written by Chris Ray, this article was first published by Monthly Review Online, 10 January 2020 Sanctioning Syria By Chris Ray The United Nations was willing to pay for doors, windows and electrical wiring in Alaa Dahood’s apartment but not for repairs to her living room wall torn open by a mortar strike. That was deemed to be ‘reconstruction’—an aid category forbidden...

Interview with Lubna, recorded by Susan Dirgham in 2010 Extract: In regard to women’s issues and the equality of the sexes, what are some of the differences of opinion in Syria? You have a whole range of opinions. For example, men are demanding their rights, like to be equal to the women! They are saying, like, women have more rights than...