February 2009
What if George W. Bush did not exist?
In 1992, British author Robert Harris wrote a bestselling novel entitled, Fatherland. In it he tackles the "what if" scenario, imagining that Adolph Hitler was not defeated in World War II. The story takes place in April 1964; John F. Kennedy is in the White House and in Berlin, they are celebrating the Fuhrer's 75th birthday. There is no Soviet Union. There is no Great Britain, and there is no Israel.
Tangoing with Nigerians
At only 18 months, Nigeria has one of the youngest diplomatic missions in Syria. The charge d’affaires, Hassan Mohammed Hassan, arrived in Damascus in June 2007, and the embassy was opened on July 1, with temporary premises at the Four Seasons Hotel in the heart of the Syrian capital. Forward spoke to the Nigerian diplomat in Syria, who has served previously as his country’s envoy to Pakistan and the New York Office of the United Nations.
Handshakes won’t do
Ziad Haidar
The Syrian delegation to the Kuwait summit was just preparing for the opening session, when the head of the Saudi intelligence service, Prince Moqren ibn Abdul-Aziz came forward, shook hands, and kissed Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Waleed al-Mu’allem, as well as Syrian envoy to the Arab League Ambassador Yussef al-Ahmed. The Syrian delegation, astonished by the move, figured it out as Saudi King Abdullah started his speech, and began to carefully calculate their steps for the end of the day.
Obama's Message to the Muslim World
On January 20, I was one of the over 1.8 million people that came to Washington to witness the swearing in of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States. In his historic speech President Obama made it clear that he is ready to open a new chapter in the United States' relations with the Muslim world. His mention of Muslims was the first time a United States President has referenced Muslims in an inaugural speech and his first actions as President of the United States indicated that he is serious in his desire to change America's image abroad, specifically in the Muslim world.
A Syrian man in Japan
Yazan Badran
If the US is the land of opportunities, then Japan is the land of hard work. Hard work, dedication and loyalty make up the firm basis on which the second largest economy on the planet stands, and the wheels that drive this giant economy forward.
Face of the Future: Ammar al-Zein
“Entering the business at a young age, the work culture became an essential part of my life,” says Ammar al-Zein, director of the agri-products department at Zein Brothers & Co. “It better shaped me both on a personal level as well as professionally. I became a person who looks at issues objectively with the constant desire for further developing my self to a better position.”
Marwan Midani: Stand up and get involved
"There are two branches of my life linked together," explains Marwan Midani. "As a child, I spent 10 great years with the boy scouts, and learned the importance of benevolent volunteering and teamwork. There is also my professional side, my training in research, which I learned in America, and project development experience earned here and in the Gulf. Combined, I have the will and the know-how to give something back to my country in ways more than financial."
Diploma and bouquet don’t fit in one hand
Bisan al-Bunni
She was only 21 when she graduated from university and started thinking of her future plans with big enthusiasm. She dreamed of continuing her post graduate studies to obtain a master’s degree in her field, architecture, form a famous European collage. With a determined spirit, Maya drew the next steps for improving her qualifications and was ready for all the hard work needed for her to win the battle. However, a battle from a different kind was awaiting her. In order to achieve her dreams, Maya was forced to fight harder, this time with her parents and the closed society on the other end. Marriage was the only door they could her let her through.
Plain Vanilla Is No Longer A Banking Flavor
As we look out at 2009, the money market in the Middle East is, by default, mainly connected to our most valued commodity, black gold. The breakdown of Bretton Woods in the early 1970s, which provided the impetus to floating exchange rates, coupled with the recycling of petrodollars through the Euromarkets beginning with the first OPEC oil embargoes of the mid 1970s, provided institutions with the instability of markets and the ready supply of funds to introduce a wide range of international banking products and services.
An old Levantine marriage
Marriage is the cornerstone of any society, and for Syrians, it has been a treasured establishment for centuries, practiced with rituals and festivities, from one generation to the next. Much has changed when it comes to arranged marriages in Syria, but a few details remain the same.
Syrian marriages in the past were arranged at an early age for both males and females. For young boys, it was common to get married by the age of 16 (or when they reached puberty). When a young boy was “ready,” female relatives (mothers, older sisters, aunts) would start searching for a suitable wife between 12 – 13 years old. When choices were limited, it was common for a family to hire a professional matchmaker, and together, they would scan the homes of Damascus, knocking on doors and asking, “Do you have girls for marriage?” The search process could take months, sometimes years, and only when a suitable wife was found would the examinations begin.