tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post2134185874076801245..comments2018-07-05T13:49:16.115+02:00Comments on MENA Minorities: The August events in Suwaidaʾ and their implicationsTobias Langhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17582578702837028223noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post-53629704333992190072015-11-03T19:19:46.528+01:002015-11-03T19:19:46.528+01:00My bad, just give me a couple of days.My bad, just give me a couple of days.Tobias Langhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17582578702837028223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post-9372575218568931502015-10-31T16:02:06.443+01:002015-10-31T16:02:06.443+01:00Tobias I am still waiting for that blog entry! Th...Tobias I am still waiting for that blog entry! The events are now irrelevant of course, and insignificant in light of today's developments. Nevertheless, I still feel you ought to dedicate a few hours of your time to researching them and informing us of your conclusions.<br /><br />If "my narrative" proves right, I believe we at least have a very good case study of media negligence, or even complicity. With regards to methodology, may I recommend interviews?<br /><br />Why do I persist on pestering you with this issue? well for one reason: Schabler. An established authority on the subject of "Druze history" has gone and given legitimacy to the official government line. And unfortunately that means that her colleagues, such as yourself, add further legitimacy to the narrative by echoing Schabler's account. <br /><br /><br /><br /> rajahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00096519713481146930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post-40233649495140070642014-10-21T17:32:25.265+02:002014-10-21T17:32:25.265+02:00Hi Anon, this is a very interesting video which cl...Hi Anon, this is a very interesting video which clearly illustrates how serious the situation was-still I saw no proof that the regime killed some of the protesters (which is far from unlikely of course). It's very good that you challenge the narrative of the 2000-events and I will dedicate a blogentry about it.Tobias Langhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17582578702837028223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post-2483164013765675062014-10-15T20:01:47.821+02:002014-10-15T20:01:47.821+02:00I've gathered the little I could using Google....I've gathered the little I could using Google. Given the time and place of the events in question, I feel very lucky to have found one Youtube video purporting to show the demonstrations, including security personnel firing their weapons. Furthermore, I have also discovered two relatively recent articles written about Sweida in which reference to those events are made. <br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsp1_elSzhY<br /><br />http://www.tayyarcanada.org/articles/2012/0512/08051215.html<br /><br />http://www.aleftoday.info/article.php?id=8099<br /><br /><br />In going through the articles published during or immediately after the events (even articles published by Saudi publications and Reuters), I was very surprised to discover that all the deaths were attributed to clashes between the Druze and Bedou. It would therefore appear that even media publications prop up Schäbler's narrative. <br /><br />Upon closer examination of the articles themselves however, as well as conditions within Syria and the region in general (while keeping technological developments in mind) holes start to appear in the coverage. The fact that the sample of articles I reviewed were all written by journalists based in Damascus, if at all in Syria, for example, pretty much ensures that they were echoing the state's narrative. Furthermore, not one of the articles I read even quoted someone from the supposedly warring factions (i.e. the Bedou or Druze from Sweida). <br /><br />Given the broader setting within which those events transpired, I find these "journalistic shortcomings" understandable. However, the unanimity of press coverage at the time of the events genuinely shocked me. Anonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06839019318889489327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post-39931697418228352832014-10-15T09:33:16.500+02:002014-10-15T09:33:16.500+02:00Thank you for these interesting insights! Of cours...Thank you for these interesting insights! Of course I have to rely on alredy existing work on the 2000 events, and Prof. Schäbler's work seems to be nearly the only scholarly account available. It's the first time I hear that most victims were shot by the security forces, do you have any further links?Tobias Langhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17582578702837028223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668178159331484572.post-33404216353760231402014-10-15T07:59:13.662+02:002014-10-15T07:59:13.662+02:00Tobias, thank you for a revealing and insightful p...Tobias, thank you for a revealing and insightful piece. I wish to point something out regarding the 2000 events which you briefly describe, citing Schäbler as your source. Simply put, the narrative in my mind does not match hers. <br /><br />The stories that have reached my ears from first responders and eye witnesses point to approximately 20 deaths and 50 injured. As noted above, the actual clashes between the Druze and Bedou lead to the deaths a two, maybe three individuals. The majority of those killed therefore, were victims of bullets fired by security forces who were shooting at unarmed protesters (a scene that we have become very familiar with over the past three years). <br /><br />The protesters were calling for either the confiscation of weapons held by the bedou, or alternatively for the government to allow the Druze to arm themselves. It was said that as Druze youth raided Bedouin camps and homes, they found impressive stashes of weaponry that included automatic rifles, grenades, etc.... This discovery proved particularly shocking because of the strict enforcement of laws banning the possession of weapons among the Druze. This hypocrisy / double-standard lead to the protests, which reached the governor's office in Sweida city.<br /><br />Is this narrative one you could cite? I am afraid not. It's not coming from Schäbler or Schilcher; nor is it a Youtube video that you could post. Nevertheless, I convey it to you with the hope that you may conduct your own interviews and dig a little deeper into those particular events. The facts, as I have come to understand them, simply do not match those put forward by Schäbler.<br /><br /> Anonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06839019318889489327noreply@blogger.com