In this new issue of Syria Studies, entitled “Untold Stories – Gender-sensitive readings of the S... more In this new issue of Syria Studies, entitled “Untold Stories – Gender-sensitive readings of the Syrian Uprising,” we are pleased to share two samples of a new and promising approach to analysing and interpreting the narrative of war. It is an approach that is not only preoccupied with the human dimension of political conflict, but also one that seeks to shed light on the gender-specific nuances that permeate such dynamics. Indeed, it is now widely accepted that ideas of masculinity have had a significant impact on the way in which politics is understood and analysed, often skewing our perspective of what exactly is taking place. When applied to the realm of Syria studies, employing a more gender-sensitive approach can help us capture the stories that are often untold, or brushed aside; stories of women and men attempting to assert their identity in a political context that is often adamant at denying them this right
This paper reconstructs the political history of the Syrian Arab Republic from the time of the co... more This paper reconstructs the political history of the Syrian Arab Republic from the time of the country's emergence as an independent state in 1946 to the merger with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic in 1958. Two main sources of documentary evidence are brought to add to this analysis: firstly, declassified British government sources are utilized; secondly, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) database on arms exports to the Middle East is used to back up the descriptive analysis of Western strategic interests in the Middle East during the early Cold War period with some relevant quantitative data. From the beginning, Syria faced geopolitical challenges, which worked to undermine the country's political stability. Apart from intra-Arab conflicts and the issue of Zionist colonization in Palestine, Syria quickly developed into a focal point of the Cold War between the Western powers and the Soviet Union. This was due to the refusal of the United Ki...
The principles of Islamic finance are laid down in the sharia, Islamic law. Islamic finance, comp... more The principles of Islamic finance are laid down in the sharia, Islamic law. Islamic finance, comprising financial transactions in banks and non-bank financial institutions formal and non-formal financial institutions, is based on the concept of a social order of brotherhood and solidarity. The participants in banking transactions are considered business partners who jointly bear the risks and profits. Islamic financial
We are presently entering what might be termed the ‘Day After’ phase (or phases) of the Syrian Up... more We are presently entering what might be termed the ‘Day After’ phase (or phases) of the Syrian Uprising; a period when the uprising and all the wars it unleashed gradually give way to the harsh realities of demarcation lines, the challenges of reconstruction, and the astronomical bill of the war effort. The fact that this phase involves a regime ‘victory’ that could not have been achieved without the overwhelming support of Russia and Iran, means that the regime is unable to enforce its own conditions and must constantly negotiate with the Russians, and at times the Iranians, regarding the optimal way to exercise its authority. The US military presence which, at least presently, appears to be long term, adds additional pressure on the regime and restricts its capacity to expand its territory. In this issue of Syria Studies, we are pleased to share three studies that shed light on some of these complex layers of post-uprising Syria
We are pleased to present VOL 11, NO 1 Against All Odds, Intricate Dynamics of Syria’s Reconstruc... more We are pleased to present VOL 11, NO 1 Against All Odds, Intricate Dynamics of Syria’s Reconstruction. This issue of Syria Studies includes five articles; the first three of which were produced as part of a World bank (WB) initiative, while the last (State-led urban development in Syria and the prospects for effective post-conflict reconstruction by Nadine Almanasfi) is a separate study, though clearly pertinent to the content of this issue. In mid-2018, the Centre for Syrian Studies at the University of St Andrews (CSS) was asked by the WB to contribute to an initiative entitled: Building for Peace: Reconstruction for Security, Sustainable Peace, and Equity in MENA. This issue of Syria Studies shares several of the background papers that were produced by members of the CSS team: (1) The weaponization of Syria’s reconstruction, a preliminary sketch by Omar Imady; (2) Geo-economics: Russia and Iran in Syria by Faysal Itani; and (3) The geopolitics of Syria’s reconstruction...
Local truces in the Syrian conflict, what the regime called reconciliation (muslaha) agreements a... more Local truces in the Syrian conflict, what the regime called reconciliation (muslaha) agreements and the great powers later termed de-escalation or deconfliction zones have varied, over time, largely according to the changing balance of power. They ranged from compromises in which after a cease fire opposition fighters remained involved in security and governance roles in their areas, to cases of virtual opposition surrender involving evacuations of fighters or even whole populations.
In this new issue of Syria Studies, entitled “Untold Stories – Gender-sensitive readings of the S... more In this new issue of Syria Studies, entitled “Untold Stories – Gender-sensitive readings of the Syrian Uprising,” we are pleased to share two samples of a new and promising approach to analysing and interpreting the narrative of war. It is an approach that is not only preoccupied with the human dimension of political conflict, but also one that seeks to shed light on the gender-specific nuances that permeate such dynamics. Indeed, it is now widely accepted that ideas of masculinity have had a significant impact on the way in which politics is understood and analysed, often skewing our perspective of what exactly is taking place. When applied to the realm of Syria studies, employing a more gender-sensitive approach can help us capture the stories that are often untold, or brushed aside; stories of women and men attempting to assert their identity in a political context that is often adamant at denying them this right
This paper reconstructs the political history of the Syrian Arab Republic from the time of the co... more This paper reconstructs the political history of the Syrian Arab Republic from the time of the country's emergence as an independent state in 1946 to the merger with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic in 1958. Two main sources of documentary evidence are brought to add to this analysis: firstly, declassified British government sources are utilized; secondly, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) database on arms exports to the Middle East is used to back up the descriptive analysis of Western strategic interests in the Middle East during the early Cold War period with some relevant quantitative data. From the beginning, Syria faced geopolitical challenges, which worked to undermine the country's political stability. Apart from intra-Arab conflicts and the issue of Zionist colonization in Palestine, Syria quickly developed into a focal point of the Cold War between the Western powers and the Soviet Union. This was due to the refusal of the United Ki...
The principles of Islamic finance are laid down in the sharia, Islamic law. Islamic finance, comp... more The principles of Islamic finance are laid down in the sharia, Islamic law. Islamic finance, comprising financial transactions in banks and non-bank financial institutions formal and non-formal financial institutions, is based on the concept of a social order of brotherhood and solidarity. The participants in banking transactions are considered business partners who jointly bear the risks and profits. Islamic financial
We are presently entering what might be termed the ‘Day After’ phase (or phases) of the Syrian Up... more We are presently entering what might be termed the ‘Day After’ phase (or phases) of the Syrian Uprising; a period when the uprising and all the wars it unleashed gradually give way to the harsh realities of demarcation lines, the challenges of reconstruction, and the astronomical bill of the war effort. The fact that this phase involves a regime ‘victory’ that could not have been achieved without the overwhelming support of Russia and Iran, means that the regime is unable to enforce its own conditions and must constantly negotiate with the Russians, and at times the Iranians, regarding the optimal way to exercise its authority. The US military presence which, at least presently, appears to be long term, adds additional pressure on the regime and restricts its capacity to expand its territory. In this issue of Syria Studies, we are pleased to share three studies that shed light on some of these complex layers of post-uprising Syria
We are pleased to present VOL 11, NO 1 Against All Odds, Intricate Dynamics of Syria’s Reconstruc... more We are pleased to present VOL 11, NO 1 Against All Odds, Intricate Dynamics of Syria’s Reconstruction. This issue of Syria Studies includes five articles; the first three of which were produced as part of a World bank (WB) initiative, while the last (State-led urban development in Syria and the prospects for effective post-conflict reconstruction by Nadine Almanasfi) is a separate study, though clearly pertinent to the content of this issue. In mid-2018, the Centre for Syrian Studies at the University of St Andrews (CSS) was asked by the WB to contribute to an initiative entitled: Building for Peace: Reconstruction for Security, Sustainable Peace, and Equity in MENA. This issue of Syria Studies shares several of the background papers that were produced by members of the CSS team: (1) The weaponization of Syria’s reconstruction, a preliminary sketch by Omar Imady; (2) Geo-economics: Russia and Iran in Syria by Faysal Itani; and (3) The geopolitics of Syria’s reconstruction...
Local truces in the Syrian conflict, what the regime called reconciliation (muslaha) agreements a... more Local truces in the Syrian conflict, what the regime called reconciliation (muslaha) agreements and the great powers later termed de-escalation or deconfliction zones have varied, over time, largely according to the changing balance of power. They ranged from compromises in which after a cease fire opposition fighters remained involved in security and governance roles in their areas, to cases of virtual opposition surrender involving evacuations of fighters or even whole populations.
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