Qifa Nabki
Qifa Nabki
Al-Qusayr: Salafist Emirate or Frontier of the Future Alawite State?
What exactly is happening in al-Qusayr? I have no idea, but I’m going to tell you what I think anyway, seeing as how the biggest beneficiaries of the media blackout on Syria are the bloggers, tweeters, and other distant readers whose impressionistic musings are based almost entirely on a process of triangulating between other second-hand … Continue reading
Ubiquitous Liberalism: Amr Shalakany on Law and Revolution in Egypt
I went to an excellent talk a couple nights ago at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies, to hear the very talented legal scholar Amr Shalakany discuss his new book, Izdihār wa-Inhiyār al-Nukhba al-Qānūniyya al-Miṣriyya, 1805-2005 (“The Rise and Fall of the Egyptian Legal Elite, 1805-2005”). Amr is the Aga Khan Distinguished Visiting Professor of … Continue reading
Our Oily Future
Lebanon’s Ministry of Energy and Water has launched a new campaign promoting the benefits of off-shore oil exploration for the average citizen. The ads contain shots of smiling people aside captions like: “My children and I are staying in Lebanon“… or “My future is in Lebanon“… or… “I’m going back to work in Lebanon!” Another … Continue reading
Dissertation Prizes, Fake Twitter Followers, and Imad Mughniyyeh
The semester is drawing to a close, and I’m looking forward to a long summer of book research and some more consistent blogging. A couple quick notes: Syria Offed Imad Mughniyeh? Check out this Foreign Policy article about the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh. The author, Mark Perry, promises a big reveal and doesn’t fully deliver but … Continue reading
On Syria, What Separates Assir From Hizbullah & Hariri?
Everyone is wringing their hands over Lebanese Salafist leader Shaykh Ahmad al-Assir’s call to send jihadists to help Syria’s rebels. On Monday, he announced the formation of resistance battalions that were prepared to join the side of the uprising, saying: “There is a religious duty on every Muslim who is able to do so… to … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…