R&R Syria

#شاهد: بالحق بالدين.. بدنا المعتقلين. المحتجون في ساحة السير/الكرامة وسط السويداء، يطالبون بالإفراج عن جميع المعتقلين السوريين.

Lebanon has for decades churned out highly skilled graduates who went to work in the Gulf and elsewhere, sending remittances that helped keep their families - and the country's economy - afloat. Now extended school closures amid the crisis are raising fears of a lost generation

What an incredible loss. Dr. Bassma Kodmani, an-ward winning Syrian French academic, author, and political activist has passed away at age 64. Dr. Kodmani was a co-founder of Syria’s first opposition coalition and a long time advocate of democracy and political reform in the Arab World as the Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative. She was the also the recipient of ‘the national de la Légion d'honneur,’ the highest French order of merit. This morning, as I replayed the last audio message I received from her, which was on Nov 9, I felt as if she was talking to me from the beyond. I had urged her to come to the US for treatment but she was content with the medical care she was receiving in Paris. Bassma, whose name means “beaming smile” will leave a huge void not only in the Syrian and Arab political and intellectual landscape but also in the hearts of people who knew her. #بسمة_قضماني رحمها الله، غفر لها الله، آنسها الله، وعوّضها الجنّة.