December 2007

It has been over one month since Solhi al-Wadi, the man who founded the Syrian Symphonic and was responsible for the resurgence of classical music in Syria, passed away. A long time ago, I was lucky enough to be one of his student at the Arab Conservatory of Music. Although I loved music, I could never live up to Solhi’s expectation that I practice three hours a day. Solhi called me once and said that I would never become a professional musician. I should leave the program, he added, because my place should belong to a ‘more serious student’ who had a future in music. Despite my mother’s tears and my father’s attempts at convincing him, Solhi insisted that his decision was final. From this episode with Solhi, I learned my first lesson in life. It remains with me until this day, being basically that only hard work pays off. Unless one puts his/her heart and soul into something—they will never succeed.

 

The paintings of then-exiled Syrian artist Youssef Abdelki returned home long before he did, to be embraced by an audience that has appreciated and loved his work for decades. After a quarter century of compulsory absence, Abdelki finally returned to Syria on April 16, 2005. Clad in black and white, his drawings came to tell the story of a painter who—against all odds—preserved his Syrian identity while living in Paris, refusing to take French citizenship. A life characterized by hardships dominates Abdelki’s paintings; a reality he often, does not reveal in person. Abdelke, whose latest exhibition was held in Damascus during November 2007, left Syria in 1980 and chose to live in France. Born in Qameshli in 1951, Abdelki graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University in 1976 and received a diploma in engraving from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. He later obtained his Doctorate in Plastic Arts from the University of Paris VIII, in 1989. He has written several books, including one on the history of caricature in Syria, published in 1975, and another on caricaturists in the Arab World, published in 1989. The renowned Syrian poet Nazih AbouAfach calls him an ‘Art Worshiper.’ Unlike most artists, however, Abdelki is highly economic when it comes to colors, painting in black and white. When one strolls through any of his exhibitions, it seems as if the paintings are staring out at people, and not the other way around. They are almost urging people to come look at them, telling an entire tale through a single item, being an apple, or an old shoe.

 

He is the Managing Partner for Business Intelligence at Strategic Axis Advisors LLC. He Holds an MBA in Strategic Planning from Davenport School of Business, and an Honorary Graduate Diploma in International Political and Economic Studies from Georgetown University. Mohammad Agha currently stands as Senior Programme Consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Syria. Successful, ambitious, and career-oriented, Agha strikes the right balance and manages to pull all the right strings. With great dreams in mind, he knows how to enjoy life while remaining down-to-earth and firmly grounded. Agha is also active in a number of civil and professional clubs and associations such as SEYA, World Affairs Council of America, The Liberty Fund, and The Fund for American Studies. The future has many faces, and they are not all tangible, yet it is through the eyes of young Syrians like Mohammad Agha that one sees the brightest faces of a clearer future and turns vague predictions and elusive forecasts into tangible realities and clearly paved paths.

Did you ever live abroad? If yes, where did you live?

Composer and Pianist Malek Jandaliis one of Syria’s most versatile and imaginative musicians. His curiosity and wide-ranging musical interests havetaken him in many different directions, forging a unique career and establishing a rare reputation. Malek began his musical career as a pianist, winning the irst prize at the National Young Artists’ competition of Syria in 1988.

 

As consumers worldwide are becoming more health-conscious, switching to organic foods has become a popular trend in today’s world. Sales of the multi-billion dollar organic industry are soaring in the United States and Great Britain, with more growth expected in the coming years. Although the demand for organic food is starting to grow in the Middle East, the region is only just waking up to the new concept of ‘going organic.’

 

One elegant gentleman welcomed us at that spacious suite we visited in Dar al-Saadeh in the posh West Mezzeh district of Damascus. That’s where modern cafes and restaurants, along with the homes of diplomats, are located in the Syrian capital. This was not a hotel, however, but a 5-star old age home in a luxurious residential neighborhood. Mohammad Nizar al-Sheikh (Abu Omar), aged 82, was watching television. Um Omar, his 72-year old wife, was sleeping. After moving all their furniture from their original home, this new ‘house’ was quiet cozy, comfortable, and beautiful. It was now ‘home’ to this elderly couple. Abu Omar welcomed us beaming, with a wrinkled and smiling face.

 

The miserable have no other medicine, but only hope…

William Shakespeare, ‘Measure for Measure,’ ACT III, Scene 1

I admit, I am not an average Syrian. See, I was born into relative privilege. I had the good fortune of a stable doting family and a good education (in Syrian terms, at any rate), lived in a good neighborhood, possess an excellent network of contacts, know English, and have a well-paid job. All the above place me squarely within a small minority of Syrians who were as lucky as I. This fact notwithstanding, I do not feel any different than many other, less-fortunate Syrians who either live in one of the growing number of cancerous shanty towns mushrooming around Syria’s major cities, only had a government-education (if any), do not know a second language, working in menial low-paid jobs or are unemployed. Why is that so?

“What America does not ask is as important as what she does ask of new Americans,” wrote Reverend W.A. Mansur in the January 1928 edition of The Syrian World magazine. “She does not ask that you forget and not love the land of your early humanity; that you refuse to acknowledge your race and your love of your race; that you feel a sense of shame because of early material poverty; that you lose your love for the language of the homeland; that you make no reference to the talents and achievements of your race and homeland; that you see no beauty in the customs of your people.” Or does it?

 

Picasso once said “I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.” Ali Mahmoud is a man who had an idea; that Syria was in dire need of a branding agency that would undoubtedly go hand-in-hand with privatization and opening of the Syrian market. The idea materialized earlier this year when Keybrand opened its first branch in Syria.

 

How do you see tourism in Syria today?

Recently, and particularly over the last four years, tourism in Syria has started moving on the right track. The Ministry of Tourism has taken several important initiatives, such as granting visas at the airport, moving towards hotel specialization and rating, developing long-term and short-term plans, sponsoring exhibitions and investment conferences, and inviting a number of journalists and writers from different countries to visit Syria and write about their impressions. This is considered an excellent form of publicity. In addition, when compared to the past, the investment climate has immensely improved, and the market has opened up with the emergence of private banks and insurance companies. Approximately, 40 tourism projects should start operating by 2015. One of the characteristics of Syrian tourism is that it last for a long period; for nearly seven months annually. In April-May, September-October, tourists come from Europe, Asia, and the United States. Whereas in the summer (June-July) tourists come from all over the Arab World. The occupancy rate at hotels in Damascus in July-August, for example, reaches 100%. At the end of September 2007, occupancy rate at 5-star hotels was at 75%. Despite all of these encouraging signals, Syria is yet to catch up with tourism development and needs time to build an integrated and developed tourism structure.