April 2009

Dear Forward Readers, April 2009 was a special month for us at Forward Magazine. With Syria celebrating her 63d Birthday, the country launched the long awaited Damascus Securities Exchange (articles by Sami Moubayed, and Mustapha al-Sayyed, consecutively).  We published the first-ever Syrian interview with Paolo Coelho, the famous Brazilian writer (by Sami Moubayed), and recommended three Sufi books by Ruba Saqr. The cherry on April’s cake was in launching our new 6-page section, dubbed “Forward Shabab: The creative platform of young Syrians.” We investigated the way society looks at women who smoke in public in Rouba Shadoud’s “Taking a Secret Puff.” We also took a look at what young Syrians have in mind following the credit crunch, finding out entrepreneurship and venturing into new waters was top of mind for many youngsters (by Julian Weinberg). We also reported the suffering of Syrian Baccalaureate students sitting for their exams this year in Bisan al-Bunni’s “Passing the test.” The Tunisian Ambassador spoke to us about bilateral relations with Syria, and an array of cultural features decorated the April issue, among which is a special feature about Kulna Sawa’s newest music album, by Rafaa Hazzaa.In Forward Shabab, we ran a Syrian scoop about Louay Rifai’s guitar-led album (Vital) in addition to spot lights on a cool student from the Syrian Virtual University, with a cool instructor from the University of Kalamoun (Hani Tarabishi).

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New year, new job, new Damascus. This is how Tunisian Ambassador Mohammad Oweiti felt at the beginning of 2009, when he started his new job in the Syrian capital. Much had changed in Damascus, a city he knew 15-years ago when serving as a consultant at the Tunisian Embassy in Syria. Much, however, has remained exactly the same. Although busy preparing for the Arab Summit in Doha, Ambassador Oweiti found the time to talk to Forward Magazine, expressing how good it was to be back in Syria.

Young professionals and entrepreneurs discuss the challenges and opportunities for Syria in face of the global financial meltdown. Establishing a small-size, entrepreneurship-style business at these turbulent economic times seems to be what some are going for; others are scared to make an investment. How do Syria’s young men and women view their lives as banks around the world get bankrupt? Julian Weinberg investigates.

I first heard the name Paolo Coelho in college. Word was spreading on the streets of Beirut that a writer from Brazil had invaded the world stage, with a thundering new book called “The Alchemist.” Young people would swear by it, saying that it had completely transformed their lives for the better. “The Alchemist” was first published through an obscure Brazilian publishing house in the 1980s, and went on to become “one of the bestselling books in history,” with more than 65 million copies, in 67 languages.

A pure brute and petty thief, Abu Antar roamed the streets of Damascus with his friend and former prison mate, Ghawwar. Tall and muscled, with his famous tattoo – a skull on his right arm – he coined famous phrases in Damascene dialect, like “Batel” (which in English roughly translates into: Hell No!).

Abu Antar and Ghawwar sought small achievements in their small world, being a decent meal, or

Finance Minister Mohammad Hussein, head of the Economic Bureau in the Baath Party, rang the stock market bell signaling the opening of the Damascus Securities Exchange on March 9, 2009. The launch of the Damascus Securities Exchange (DSE) is deemed an important step, signaling that economic reforms are underway in Syria, coming, however, amidst a diminishing role for world financial markets, due to the international crisis that erupted in the final half of 2008. The DSE’s board has prepared itself for transparent conduct, and will be a tool to mobilize capital that is ready for investment and make use of Syrian money, under good supervision.

The son of a tourism veteran, and grandson of a cofounder of the Syrian Air Force, Michel Arcouche ventured into new territory, charting a career path for himself in banking at Bank Audi Syria, and community service, as a two-time board member of the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association (SYEA).

The last year in the Syrian school system comes with a social, physiological and physical tax. A demanding year and a time of crisis for students entering the baccalaureate season, students and their families brace themselves for the final test that determines the shape of their futures. Rituals to contain the crisis are passed on semester to semester; here’s more of what goes on behind the scenes.

Is there a smoke screen separating the genders in Damascus? By Rouba Shadoud Young smokers speak to Forward Magazine about the hidden taboos of this common social ailment, a habit that has become a subtle and derisive way to distinguish the sexes. As the government recently passed a smoking ban draft that will prohibit smoking in public places throughout the country, special zones will be established for smokers, and advertising for tobacco in all its forms and accessories will be banned. Penalties for smoking in public will vary between financial fines and, at their most severe, prison. How does this affect the way men – and women – smoke?