Syria, in Light of a Free Libya

With dozens of pro-democracy protestors being being slaughtered by Assad's forces almost daily, in addition to calls for a no-fly zone over the country, the situation in Syria is unfolding almost identically to the start of the Libyan Civil War this year. And now an armed anti-government force has emerged.

The New York Times has reported that the Turkish military is providing shelter to an armed opposition group fighting against Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president. While Turkish officials describe the relationship as purely humanitarian, whereby their primary concern is the safety of the defectors, the group, which calls itself the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is said to have claimed responsibility for killing nine Syrian soldiers. Colonel Riad Asa'ad, the leader of the group, has asked the international community to provide them with weapons to use against the Syrian government. He has also said the FSA are ready for military operations.

While the defeat of the Gaddafi regime is certainly a cautionary tale for other violent despots such as Assad, it also makes it that much more difficult for NATO and the UN to look upon the bloodshed and do nothing. We've set a precedent. We acted in Libya; how can we justify not acting in Syria?

From Cinephile: The Green Wave

Perhaps what fascinates me the most about Iranian cinema is the urgent, visceral interaction between the zeitgeist of oppression in the country and the craft the filmmakers use to react to and comment on it. With renowned directors like Jafar Panahi (Offside) and Mohammad Rasoulof (The White Meadows) being arrested and banned from filmmaking by the Iranian regime, the stakes are so high for all filmmakers in Iran that such jeopardy cannot help but coat the characters and stories in their films.

The latest example is Dog Sweat, wherein young Tehranis pursue such innocent desires as alcohol, companionship, and musical expression, all in the face of systematic oppression.

See the trailer and read more at Cinephile.

(Photo: Iranian underground rock band Take It Easy Hospital from the film No One Knows About Persian Cats. 2010)

Remain Shocked

As the US prepares to withdraw all troops from Iraq, and NATO's no-fly zone over a newly free Libya is brought to an end, let us not forget that the long war still rages in Afghanistan.

The attacker detonated explosives in a Toyota vehicle at 11:20am local time in the southwest of the city just as a military bus carrying US soldiers was passing by, becoming the deadliest attack against foreign troops in Kabul for many years.

I feel a sense of duty to remain shocked by each new bombing; it's the least I can do for each new batch of victims. Perhaps almost as tragic as the violence itself is the familiarity of it. For years now, when I read about yet another suicide bombing, I feel sad for those killed and maimed, but then I am further saddened when I realize I am not surprised. Each act of violence, each dead and injured person, deserves our grief, sadness, and reflection. Let us remain shocked.

(Photo: "Foreign and Afghan forces arrived at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul on Saturday." Massoud Hossaini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)