Syria - A Decade of Lost Chances: Repression & Revolution from Damascus Spring to Arab Spring.

335 Seiten / p. Exemplar mit Bleistiftanstreichungen und -bemerkungen, sonst tadelloser Zustand / Copy with pencil markings and annotations, otherwise perfect condition - Like Syria - Ballots or Bullets? ( 2006 ) and Syrien nach dem Irak-Krieg ( 2004 ) this volume is based to a high degree on first-hand sources based on a period of twelve years in which I have visited Syria at least once a year. Therefore, I was able to capture not just snapshots but changing moods through time. After I returned from my two-year residence in the Old City of Damascus in 2004, I kept visiting the country and previous conversation partners. If they were in prison, I spoke to those who had meanwhile been released. I interviewed analysts, journalists, parliamentarians, religious figures, and other people committed to Syria’s development from within or sometimes close to the official polity. All of them have enriched my horizon with their frank and detailed accounts as well as their philosophies of life. Although recent events have caused a tremendous polarization even between friends and old acquaintances inside and outside the country, it is important to remember that the Syrian societal and political scene is highly complex. As one conversation partner put it, “Syria does not know black or white but many shades of gray.” Several intellectuals, activists, diplomats, or politicians also passed through places abroad where we continued our discussions, especially in Berlin, Beirut, or Washington, DC. I deeply thank all of them for their hospitality, patience, time, personal dedication, and enriching discussions. ISBN 9781614570028