Skip to main content

Home/ CULF 3331: "Middle Eastern Revolutions"/ Group items matching "links" in title, tags, annotations or url

Group items matching
in title, tags, annotations or url

Sort By: Relevance | Date Filter: All | Bookmarks | Topics Simple Middle
fcastro2

Pope Francis uses Easter message to focus on Kenya, Syria and Iraq | World news | The Guardian - 0 views

  • Pope Francis used his Easter message on Sunday to pray for the nearly 150 victims of the Kenya university massacre, and highlight the suffering of people across the Middle East
  • We ask for peace, above all, for Syria and Iraq, that the roar of arms may cease and that peaceful relations be restored among the various groups which make up those beloved countries
  • The Argentinian pontiff called on the international community to “not stand by before the immense humanitarian tragedy unfolding in these countries”, drawing on the plight of refugees who have fled the violence.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • he prayed for refugees “suffering a brutal persecution” in Iraq and Syria, as Islamic State militants took over swaths of territory in the two countries
  • On Sunday Francis went beyond Syria and Iraq, referring also to the worsening situation in Libya. As rival militias vie for power, the pope spoke of his hopes “that the present absurd bloodshed and all barbarous acts of violence may cease”.
  • The pope’s speech was preceded by a multilingual mass, which included prayers in Arabic and Chinese, attended by thousands of followers.
  • Syria
  •  
    This message shows how everyone around the world, not just government, is concerned about the Syrian crisis. 
fcastro2

Iraq and Syria are 'finishing schools' for foreign extremists, says UN report | World news | The Guardian - 0 views

  • Iraq and Syria have become “international finishing schools” for extremists according to a UN report which says the number of foreign fighters joining terrorist groups has spiked to more than 25,000 from more than 100 countrie
  • monitoring UN sanctions against al-Qaida estimates the number of overseas terrorist fighters worldwide increased by 71% between mid-2014 and March 2015
  • problem had increased over the past three years and the flow of foreign fighters was “higher than it has ever been historically
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • risen sharply from a few thousand … a decade ago to more than 25,000 today
  • The report said just two countries had drawn more than 20,000 foreign fighters: Syria and Iraq. They went to fight primarily for the Islamic State group
  • ited the “high number” of foreign fighters from Tunisia, Morocco, France and Russia, the increase in fighters from the Maldives, Finland and Trinidad and Tobago, and the first fighters from some countries in sub-Saharan Africa which it did not name. The groups had also found recruits from Britain and Australia.
  • A military defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq could have the unintended consequence of scattering violent foreign terrorist fighters across the world
  • while governments are focusing on countering the threat from fighters returning home, the panel said it was possible that some may be traumatised by what they saw and need psychological help, and that others may be recruited by criminal networks.
  • The number of countries the fighters come from has also risen dramatically from a small group in the 1990s to more than 100 today — more than half the countries in the world
  • foreign fighters who travelled to Syria and Iraq were living and working in “a veritable ‘international finishing school’ for extremists”, as was the case in Afghanistan in the 199
  • an urgent global security problem” that needed to be tackled on many fronts and had no easy solution
  • With globalised travel, it said, the chance of a person from any country becoming a victim of a foreign terrorist attack was growing “particularly with attacks targeting hotels, public spaces and venues
  • It said the most effective policy was to prevent the radicalisation, recruitment and travel of would-be fighters.
  •  
    The fighting in Syria and Iraq has expanded and gained more foreign fighters from many more countries around the world. 
kkerby223

Female News Anchor - 0 views

  •  
    The following link is a link to a twitter post by @Saudiwoman. The link shows an image of a female news anchor in Saudi Arabia. The poster states "I've never seen a woman news anchor (and without a headscarf!) on the Saudi National TV channel before!"
fcastro2

UN plan to relocate Syrian refugees in northern Europe | World news | The Guardian - 0 views

  • “orderly relocation” of thousands of Syrian refugees from southern Europe to richer countries in the north, and is pressing the EU to agree to a year-long pilot programme
  • the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, has approached senior EU figures to get backing for its pilot programme
  • new approaches, which could be achieved within the existing Dublin framework, were urgently needed:
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • is a radical departure from current EU policy, which forces asylum seekers to apply for asylum in their first country of entry, under legislation known as the Dublin law.
  • We need to convince them that it is better to go legally, that there is an alternative to months of suffering
  • More than 3 million people are estimated to have fled the country in the past four years, and although the vast majority have remained in neighbouring countries – Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan – thousands have tried to make the perilous journey to Europe.
  • Most of those who survive the Mediterranean crossing – and more than 3,000 died last year – end up in Italy and Greece
  • 42,000 Syrians ended up in Italy in 2014 alone
  • apply for asylum in their country of arrival. But only a tiny minority do. In practice, many migrants simply slip through the net and move, vulnerably, around Europe.
  • Syrians who chose to move irregularly across Europe could be reduced if people were allowed to legally travel onwards to join family or move to countries where they have language skills or work opportunities
  • Syrian conflict has exacerbated a refugee crisis in north Africa and the Middle East
  • The proposed relocation, which would start as a one-year pilot programme, would focus only on Syrians who have been recognised as refugees in Italy and Greece and would depend on an initial voluntary commitment from member states
  • previous attempts to reform the Dublin law have been met with fierce resistance during internal EU discussions
  • UK and other northern European countries have fought in both domestic and European courts to defend the right to return asylum seekers to their first country of entry
  • arguing that protection and accommodation conditions in Italy and Greece are inadequate
  • stressed the importance of states upholding the Dublin regulation
  • the commission is discussing with the member states on how to ensure a more balanced distribution of resettled refugees among all member states. We wil
  • Cochetel acknowledged that only a significant interest in building a new system would create a change in behaviour among desperate migrants
  • Last month Turkey become the largest country of asylum in the world
  • massive irregular secondary movements feeding trafficking, leading to human suffering and exploitation
  •  
    The European Union is having some issues with Syrian refugees not staying in the country to where they first applied for asylum. This, and the ever growing number of Syrian refugees in Europe, has lead to a call to reform the Dublin Law. 
fcastro2

Turkey says training of Syrian rebels to begin on March 1 - 0 views

  • A program to train and equip moderate syrian rebels will get under way on March 1, the Turkish Foreign Ministry
  • Tanju Bilgiç, came after Turkey and the us recently announced the signing of a long-anticipated deal to train and equip the rebels.
  • some 2,000 Syrian rebels will be trained and equipped in Turkey within a year as part of the program
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • The agreement comes at a time when fighting has escalated between rebels and the Syrian regime in and around Aleppo and talks of a cease-fire in the northern province are taking place.
  • Turkey was one of the three countries that publicly said it was ready to open its territory for the training of the Syrian rebels.
  • US had earlier said it was considering initially dispatching at least 400 troops to train the rebels outside of Syria
  • We have been saying for a long time that the international community has the responsibility to support the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, which is recognized by 114 countries and the groups related to the coalition,” said Çavuşoğlu, adding that the training agreement is an important step taken within this framework.
  • “England is also carrying out similar training [programs] in Libya. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also announced that they will be hosting a train-and-equip program,”
  • The deal between Ankara and Washington is a positive development between the two long-standing allies, despite strains over Middle Eastern policy. Turkey wants President Bashar al-Assad's departure to be the focus in Syria, while Washington's priority remains battling ISIL insurgents.
  • The NATO ally has also has been facing backlash for its reluctance to join the US-led coalition efforts to eliminate ISIL, feeding speculation that this reluctance stems from some Turkish officials being ideologically close to the terrorist group.
  • Turkish authorities have strongly condemned the terrorist acts of ISIL militants and say these actions have nothing to do with Islam.
  •  
    Turkey has announced that, along with the US, they will be training some 2,000 Syrian rebels. Tensions have been rising between Syria and Turkey ever since Turkey went into Syria to retrieve a historical figure and relocate him but they are hoping this move will calm the tensions between the two states. 
hkerby2

Chemical Weapons Convention - 0 views

  •  
    This link is to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons website. The link specifically takes you to information regarding the Chemical WEapons Convention where you can see the states that have signed it, the goal of the convention, and the specific agreements that a state must agree too.
hkerby2

Barrel bomb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  •  
    This link leads to a Wikipedia article that gives the basic information regarding barrel bombs. Through the link you can find information on barrel bomb history, countries who have used them, reactions, specific incidents, and how they pertain to chemical weaponry.
hkerby2

President Bashar al-Assad - 0 views

  •  
    This link is a biography of President Bashar al-Assad. Towards the end of the biography Assad's role in human rights and use of chemical weaponry is mentioned. Additionally, the link provides his early life and life in presidency which is crucial to understanding the current situation that exists in Syria.
mpatel5

Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood condemns Sinai attacks - 5 views

  • The Muslim Brotherhood says it is a peaceful movement and has consistently denied links to Islamist militant attacks against security forces, which have increased since the movement was removed from power.
  • "The Muslim Brotherhood believes the shedding of blood of any Egyptian is forbidden. The group holds the junta and its leaders responsible for the continued failure in the security, economic and social fields, as experienced by all the people, especially the people of the Sinai," the statement said.
  •  
    The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden." 
  • ...1 more comment...
  •  
    The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden." 
  •  
    The Muslim Brotherhood responds to the Sinai attack. The Brotherhood states that the attacks are linked to the islamist militants. The Muslim Brotherhood "says it is a peaceful movement...believes that shedding blood of any Egyptian is forbidden."
  •  
    On October 25th, 33 security personnel were killed in Sinai by Islamist militants. According to this article, President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi was responsible for the security failures that resulted in the deaths. Sisi was quick to blame the Muslim Brotherhood for the attack, despite the Brotherhoods insistent denial.
allieggg

http://mgt.guc.edu.eg/wpapers/005mohamed_hamdy2008.pdf - 2 views

  • Jordanian survey, 87% of the respondents wanted to eradicate wasta.
  • Cunnigham and Sarayrah (1994) suggest that the modern oil boom in the Arab world may have perpetuated wasta by reducing the need for hard work.
  • human resource departments in the Arab world depend heavily on subjective assessment tools such as unstructured interviews.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • most Arab economies suffer from very high levels of unemployment. Good jobs are scarce. This motivates applicants to use every mean possible to improve their chances of being hired.
  • For example, sons of police and military officers are given preference in admission to the Egyptian police academy or military college, respectively.
  • study conducted by Whiteoak, Crawford and Mapstone (2006) showed the young UAE citizens believed that wasta is more useful than do their older citizens. This finding may imply that wasta is strengthening rather than diminishing in Arab societies. Commenting on the spread of wasta in Egypt, a senior bank official told one of the authors that up to 25% of his staff were hired only because of their wasta.
  • many top governmental positions are reserved for members of the ruling families or members of their supporting tribes
  • First, to maintain their grip on authority, Arab political regimes tend to place close confidants in key positions even if they are not the most qualified for such positions.
  • In Syria, the key argument made in favor of selecting Basher Al Asad as the country’s president was that he was the son of the late president Hafez Al Asad.
  • study conducted by Kilani and Sakija in Jordan showed that 90% of the respondents believed that they would use wasta in the future.
  • In the Quran, Muslims are instructed that “the best that you can hire employee is one who is competent and trustworthy” (Quran, 28, 26). Prophet Mohamed is also reported to have said “He who is in a leadership position and appoints knowingly a person who is not qualified to manage, than he violates the command of God and His messenger”. He also stated “when a person assumes an authority over people and promotes one of them because of personal preferences, God will curse him for ever”.
  • Rising to high levels requires important connections. Receiving important privileges or benefits is contingent upon using the right connections.
  • Intercessory wasta on the other hand, involves someone intervening on behalf of a client to obtain an advantage or 2overcome a barrier from an authority figure. It is this type of wasta that affects hiring decisions.
  • Those who are supported by strong others will not be put down or rejected. Only the unconnected or unsupported are punished.
  • people who are related to important others (especially in government) are fortunate as they will have their demands or needs fulfilled. People serve those that are related to important people.
  • People tend to serve those that they know. Without knowing anybody, you will have difficulty getting the service you want.
  • The turban symbolizes a senior respected person. If you know a senior person, your demands will be meet. Similar to the second proverb
  • Intermediary wasta is utilized to facilitate the resolution of intergroup or interpersonal conflicts. In this system, wasta improves human relations and reinforces social norms.
  • Intermediary wasta is utilized to facilitate the resolution of intergroup or interpersonal conflicts. In this system, wasta improves human relations and reinforces social norms. Intercessory wasta on the other hand, involves someone intervening on behalf of a client to obtain an advantage or 2overcome a barrier from an authority figure. It is this type of wasta that affects hiring decisions.
  • feed feelings of injustice and frustration among those who are qualified for the job but do not have a wasta. Wasta is also different from the more popular nepotism and cronyism. While nepotism involves hiring of relatives and friends, wasta is not restricted to such groups and may involve strangers
  • may lead to poor job performance and economic decline.
  • Indeed, wasta is blamed for Arab world’s poor economic performance and brain drain (Al Maeena, 2003; Cunnigham & Sarayrah, 1994). Kilani and Sakijha (2002) stress that wasta is becoming a burden on its seeker, its granter and the government.
  • Arab wasta has been compared to the Chinese concept of guanxi. Both wasta and guanxi use social networks to influence the distribution of advantages and resources. However, while guanxi is based on Confucian ethics which focus on strengthening collective ties (Hutchings & Weir, 2006a; Hutchings & Weir, 2006b); wasta violates Muslim ethics which prescribe hiring the most qualified.
  • Wasta plays a critical role in hiring and promotion decisions in Arab organizations. Before applying to a position, applicants may seek out a wasta to improve their chances of being hired. A person with poor qualifications but a strong wasta will be favored over a person who is more qualified but does not have a wasta. Because many people may apply with wasta, the applicant with the most important wasta often gets the position.
  •  
    Compiled by faculty members at the German University in Cairo, this working paper series addresses the effect that watsa has on competence and morality in Middle Eastern economics and society. The authors define watsa as, "the intervention of a patron in favor of a client to obtain benefits and/or resources from a third party." In simpler terms it is a system of social networking in Arab culture in which family and social ties play a significant role in the attainment of economic advantages and resources, largely in the hiring process in businesses and organizations. A person applying for a job seeks out watsa to increase their chances of getting hired. Comparable to nepotism and cronyism, but is not restricted to friends and associates, watsa can also involve strangers linked through some social web of people. Watsa runs somewhat parallel to a Chinese concept of guanxi, based on Confucian ethics and focusing on strong collective ties. While guanxi is a part of Chinese ethics it actually defies Muslim ethical values, which advocates hiring the person most capable. In a Jordanian survey, 87% of respondents want watsa eradicated. While we know that unemployment in the Arab region is widespread, we can assume that this motivates people to do anything they can to improve their chances of obtaining a job. However, the practice of watsa as a whole is actually degrading the economic systems in the Arab sates even further. The article explains the linkage between watsa and poor job performance, economic decline, and the festering of injustice and frustration among the masses in Arab countries.
  •  
    This looks super interesting, but I can't get the link to open. Thanks for writing a thorough summary of it!
fcastro2

Syria: Islamic State seizes control of refugee camp near Damascus | World news | The Guardian - 0 views

  • Aid agencies have warned of an urgent humanitarian crisis after Islamist militants seized control of a refugee camp, just a few miles from Damascus, the Syrian capital.
  • Fighters for the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s official Syria wing, advanced into the camp in the town of Yarmouk – home to 18,000 refugees – on Friday night
  • They now control 90% of the camp
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • The Observatory, which monitors the conflict from the UK, also said jets from Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s air forcebombed the camp on Saturday
  • called the crisis in Yarmouk “an affront to the humanity of all of us, a source of universal shame”.
  • He said Palestinian and Syrian refugees in the camp, which had previously been besieged by Assad’s forces, were already suffering from starvation and disease
  • Their main target was Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis, an anti-Assad militia of Syrians and Palestinians from the camp.
  • Reuters that Isis fighters had killed 21 people including fighters and civilians since Friday
  • The evacuation of the camp had been made harder as Isis snipers were shooting refugees as they tried to leave the camp.
  •  
    ISIS has taken over a refugee camp near Damascus, the Syrian capital. They say they are targeting opposition forces living in the camps. ISIS is making it nearly impossible to evacuate those inside the camp and the UN has called this a major "humanitarian crisis."
jreyesc

Kurds fear Isis use of chemical weapon in Kobani | World news | The Guardian - 0 views

  • Islamic State (Isis) is thought to have obtained stocks of ageing but still potent chemical weapons when it seized Iraqi army bases where they were stored,
  • There may also have been chemical weapons buried or abandoned elsewhere, that were not destroyed by US forces or the Iraqi military.
  • Iraqi officials said 11 police officers were poisoned by chlorine gas last month, when Isis fighters used it to attack the Iraqi town of Duluiya.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Intense fighting has made it impossible to get doctors the equipment they need to do definitive tests for the use of chemical weapons,
  • Some of the doctors say that it might be phosphorus or poison gas of some kind
  • It is possible that Isis fighters could mistake some chemical munitions for ordinary weapons and use them without being aware of what they are handling.
  • Islamic State (Isis) is thought to have obtained stocks of ageing but still potent chemical weapons when it seized Iraqi army bases where they were stored
  •  
    The Kurds in Syria are now fearing the use of chemical weapons by the extremist group, ISIS. The chemical weapons were used near the town of Kobani.
nicolet1189

Ignorant jihadis 'have bought into fantasy fuelled by social media' | World news | The Guardian - 0 views

  • boys aged between 10 and 20 who had been radicalised by the Taliban.
  • They all told the same story, sa
  • “They all had impoverished backgrounds, they were illiterate, their families had been approached by the Taliban and were coerced into abandoning their children, they were lambs to the slaughter,” she said.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • Those from the west are naive and lack imagination, they are chasing a fictional dream, and they often have barely any knowledge of what Islam is.”
  • The book aspiring Isis militants most commonly ordered online before taking off to Syria was Islam for Dummies, she said.
  • “What Isis has done, and they have exceed al-Qaida in this, is take really spectacular control of the narrative of their organisation while sharing that story through masterful use of all mechanisms of the media,” she said
  • propaganda and recruitment videos spreading the jihadi message w
  • Ten years ago, it was difficult to access and acquire videos like the beheadings we have seen unless you were part of an inner circle, but now this material is mainstream, you can access it just by opening Twitter,”
  • “If you are a young person with limited imagination, a limited sense of self, and you are uninclined to engage with your neighbours, friends and a pluralistic society, you are very easily seduced. You’re like a blank canvas.”
  • Differentiating between Islam and Islamism
  • Islamism promotes explicit totalitarianism and the belief that Islam historically had incredible global and geopolitical glory that should be restored through violence, jihadism and barbarity
aromo0

Drone strikes in Yemen Archives - The Bureau of Investigative Journalism - 0 views

  •  
    Site offers information on the drone strikes in Yemen and data charts depicting who is dying. Other links on website lead to other news articles relating to drone strikes in other countries as well such as Pakistan. 
  •  
    Site offers information on the drone strikes in Yemen and data charts depicting who is dying. Other links on website lead to other news articles relating to drone strikes in other countries as well such as Pakistan. 
petergrossmanseu

Syrian Army BMP Hit By TOW ATGM - Crew Survives Close Call | Syria War 2015 - YouTube - 0 views

  •  
    This video shows a Syrian army armored vehicle being hit and disabled by a TOW missile. I think this is worth linking because it is a visual representation of what the US armed rebels actually means.
  •  
    This video shows a Syrian Army armored vehicle being hit and disabled by a TOW missile. I think this is worth linking because it is a visual representation of what the US armed rebels actually means.
ccfuentez

Arab governments are failing on human trafficking | Brian Whitaker | Opinion | The Guardian - 0 views

  • "Trafficking in persons" covers various forms of exploitation including, in the words of the international Palermo protocol, "sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs".
  • A large part of the problem in the wealthier Arab countries is the extensive use of foreign labour
  •  
    In Saudi Arabia if workers file a complaint against their employers about abuse they are usually returned to their employers or pressured to drop the charges. Typically, the employers will file a false counter-argument against the workers for theft, witchcraft, and adultery in retaliation. This country is also accused of failing to take action to reduce the demand of prostitution or child sex tourism. 
hkerby2

CDC | Facts About Chlorine - 0 views

  •  
    In this link the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, offers information on chlorine gas poisoning including: what chlorine is, where it is found and how it is used, exposure, how it works, signs and symptoms, and long term health effects. This is beneficial for understanding one of the main chemical weapons in Syria, chlorine gas.
kkerby223

Living in Saudi Arabia - 0 views

  •  
    The following link discusses vaguely and in general what life is like in Saudi Arabia including what entertainment is like, the limitations on women, societal norms, and culture. I was surprised to read that human activity is not allowed to be depicted in art.
kbrisba

Report: Tunisia Arrests 100 People With Suspected Links To ISIS - Breitbart - 0 views

  •  
    Tunisian security forces have arrested about 100 jihadist and foiled terrorist operations. They uncovered a militant cell in the city of Hammam Ghzaz that was preparing explosives to use in attacks on security buildings. There has been talk that the jihadist group is seeking to expand its terrorist activities into North Africa. The number of Tunisians fighting in Syria has been estimated at about 3,000.
1 - 20 of 107 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page