Stories from Quick Reads and Syria
ISIS Hacks Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Website and Threatens its Director
The ISIS cyber army has allegedly hacked the website of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog on July 8, 2015, and threatened its Syrian director, Rami Abdelrahman, for his role in documenting human rights abuses committed by all parties in the ongoing war in Syria. The news was confirmed...
Macedonian Activist Ends Hunger Strike for Migrant Rights
On Saturday, June 20, human rights expert and activist Suad Missini ended the hunger strike he started six days prior in protest of inhumane treatment of migrants passing through Macedonia. Mr. Missini issued the following statement [links added]: While the effects of the changes of the Asylum Law are yet to...
Human Rights Activist Begins Hunger Strike for Migrants in Front of Macedonian Parliament
The growing migration crisis has recently also affected countries in southeastern Europe, with new issues arising almost daily. Reacting to the inhumane treatment of migrants who pass through Republic of Macedonia, renowned human rights activist Suad Missini started a hunger strike in front of the Parliament building in Skopje. He began...
Question Time: How Many Jihadists Have Military Backgrounds?
Taking the cue from a Der Spiegel report on the mastermind behind the structure of ISIS, Palestinian blogger Iyad El-Baghdadi tweets: After that Spiegel story about the "mastermind" behind ISIS's takeover of Syria – noticed just how many Jihadists have military backgrounds? — Iyad El-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) April 21, 2015 Der...
Are ISIS Fighters in Rakka Infested with Skin Disease Leishmaniasis?
News is spreading that ISIS fighters in the Syrian town of Rakka have been hit by a skin condition caused by a parasite known as Leishmaniasis. According to the World Health Organisation, the disease is “caused by the protozoan Leishmania parasites which are transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies.The...
ISIS Burning US Food Aid for Syria
Turkish journalist Mete Sohtaoğlu, who is based in Istanbul, reports that ISIS is burning US food aid destined for Syria “because it is not halal” – or Islamically permitted or lawful. He tweets the following photographs to back up his report: #ISIS burned " #US food support to #Syria "...
Photo of Peshmerga Combatant Breastfeeding Her Child Captivates Kurdish Media
Kurdish media outlets are abuzz with a photograph of a Peshmerga woman, sitting beside an automatic weapon, breastfeeding her child. The picture has been widely distributed on social networking sites, highlighting the strength of Kurdish women and the resilience of female combatants in the ongoing fight against ISIS. In contrast...
The Difference Between ISIS and Al Nusra Front
Satirist Karl Sharro draws a stark comparison between two Al Qaeda offshoots fighting each other in Syria: the notorious ISIS and the Nusra front. He tweets: You get the sense that the main disagreement between ISIS and Nusra is font-based. pic.twitter.com/ETq95PlIqx — Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) November 28, 2014 Both terrorist...
Iranians protest in solidarity with Kobane
Iranians held several protest rallies in different cities including Tehran,Tabriz and Mehabad to support Kobane‘s people on Tuesday.Fighting continues to rage in the Syria-Turkey border town of Kobane Iran protest in solidarity with #Kobane Photos: @NasimMohammadi_ pic.twitter.com/QHu1k1szxB — Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi) October 7, 2014
Mexican Cartoonist Compares James Foley's Execution with Presidential Interview
On August 21, Mexican cartoonist Francisco Calderón raised controversy after publishing on his daily cartoon section on Grupo Reforma, an image depicting president Enrique Peña Nieto wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling down in front of a masked executioner. The image is a clear reference to the brutal murder of...
Video: Distributing Food in Yarmouk Camp-Syria
FAJER PRESS posted a video of the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus while receiving food parcels to feed the 18,000 remaining residents of the camp, who have been forced to eat stray animals to survive amid critical food shortages. The video is dated December 30, 2013.
Pakistan, Stay Out of Syria's Civil War
A day after a tiny news items titled, “Saudi Arabia ‘seeking Pakistani arms for Syrian rebels” appeared in Pakistani newspapers, political blogger Ahsan Butt posts a provocative piece warning Pakistan's foreign policymakers against tiptoeing into Syria's affairs. In “This is not our war (Syria Edition)” on the Five Rupees Blog, Ahsan...
e-Booklets for Syrian Activists
Syrian activists are now able to access an online archive which lists tactics for resisting tyranny and peaceful ways to revolt. Dawlaty, an NGO whose name translates to My State from Arabic, provides a series of e-booklets which [ar]: محاولة لتقديم بعض الأساليب والتكتيكات التي استخدمها وما زال يستخدمها نشطاء...
British Mother Yells at Syrian Officials: “Why Did You Kill My Son?”
“Why did you kill my son?” yells Fatima Khan, the grieving mother of British doctor Abbas Khan who was killed in Syria, at regime officials who were in Geneva for peace talks aimed at ending the country's civil war. Dr Khan had traveled to Syria to provide humanitarian aid in...
Human Rights Video: 2013 Year in Review
A video by WITNESS on the Human Rights Channel of YouTube wrapped up some of the most significant protests and human rights abuses of 2013. Dozens of clips shot by citizens worldwide are edited together to show efforts to withstand injustice and oppression, from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, Cambodia to...
The Islamic Caliphate Car Number Plates Come to Syria
Zaid Benjamin shares on Twitter a photograph of the first car in Syria with the Islamic Caliphate state registration plates: The first car in #Syria registered under Caliphate State #ISIS pic.twitter.com/HdUsrxtacy — Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) December 28, 2013 The number plates are operated by the Islamic State of Syria and...
Jihadists Online: The Dark Side of the Internet
Islamist Jihadists are online. Lebanese blogger – and occasional satirist – Karl Sharro tweets: I honestly sometimes can't tell anymore if I'm watching news from Syria or a period drama from early Islamic history. — Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) December 16, 2013 Syrian Noor Al Ali replies: @KarlreMarks Have you come...
Syria's Homs: Once a Great City, Now a Winter Wasteland
CBS news correspondent Clarissa Ward tweets the photograph, saying: There are no words. Winter in #Homs #Syria – once a great city, now a wasteland pic.twitter.com/TTAiUPWVuk via @abumuqawama @borzou @RamiAlLolah — Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) December 11, 2013
Five Arab Countries Among Top 10 Corrupt Worldwide
Five Arab countries have been named among the top 10 most corrupt countries, according to Transparency International's newly released annual Corruption Perceptions Index. Egyptian Amro Ali reacts: Congrats Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia & Sudan – 5 Arab states top most corrupt list http://t.co/7rsD6xErlA Egypt needed a break from rankings —...
Video: Harasta/Syria massive blast captured on camera
An unconfirmed video posted by Syria Archives 2013 on November, 17th shows a massive blast in Harasta, a city and northeastern suburb of Damascus, Rif Dimashq, Syria, in a government military building which kills 31 members of Assad regime forces. Booby Trap bomb Placed in Tunnel under the Assad Army...
Overwhelmed by Syrian Refugees, Bulgaria Seeks EU Aid
Bulgaria, as the closest EU country to Syria, is seeing more than its fair share of the average 5,000 refugees that are fleeing Syria every day. Unprepared and inexperienced in dealing with this influx of refugees seeking shelter, food and protection, Bulgaria has requested assistance and financial aid from the...