Comments on abufares said...the world according to a tartoussi: Blogging Syria

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2009-03-25T23:52:00.000+02:00

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could someone try to work on a post that tries to ...

2008-11-29T05:20:00.000+02:00

could someone try to work on a post that tries to compile all the blogs written by syrians out there?

@jimmyThank you for your very encouraging feedback...

2008-05-16T20:37:00.000+03:00

@jimmy
Thank you for your very encouraging feedback.
You're absolutely right. Blogs are indeed bundled per region but this is an inherent issue in blogging. I mean they will have to be grouped under a heading of some sort. I try my best to diversify my blog reading but I'm afraid that there's never enough time. I enjoy what I read tremendously and I agree with you that Syrian blogs, in general, are quite good and of a high standard.
Again, I must thank you for your visit and comment. Please come again.

thanks for the excellent analysis there abufares.a...

2008-05-16T18:21:00.000+03:00

thanks for the excellent analysis there abufares.

as a faithful yet rather silent reader of middle eastern blogs, i must say i am proud of the quality of many arab and english blogs out there. but i find it unfortunate that regional blogs are generally bundled on premises of nationality. a paradigm i would definitely wish to break have i had the knowledge and the time. it's never too late anyway.

syrian blogs in general have succeeded in shedding a fascinating light on the beauties of syria as a nation and on its regions, something few arab countries have managed to achieve (at least to my knowledge).

thank you and all the other syrian bloggers for feeding our appetite for more amazing little syrian secrets.

you are right in your comparison with newspapers. ...

2008-05-07T13:32:00.000+03:00

you are right in your comparison with newspapers. But blogging is not better than books.

@Yazan & RimeYou're certainly most welcome. What I...

2008-04-27T23:22:00.000+03:00

@Yazan & Rime
You're certainly most welcome. What I wrote is the least of what comes to mind.

Az3ar's FanGreat News and thank you for the wonder...

2008-04-27T23:17:00.000+03:00

Az3ar's Fan
Great News and thank you for the wonderful link to this great post by Fouad...

لماذا ندون؟
يوليو 15, 2007

1- لأننا نؤمن بأن لدينا آراء تستحق أن يسمع لها. وعقولاً يجب التوقف عندها.
2- لأن المجتمعات لا تتقدم إلا عندم يتم إحترام رأي أفرادها. ونحن نتمنى التقدم والرقي لمجتمعنا.
3- لأن التدوين هو المنفذ الوحيد لنا. فلا إعلام حر مفتوح لنا، ولا يسمح لنا بحرية التجمع.
4- لأننا نريد أن نخضع آرائنا للنقاش.
5- لأننا نفكر.
6- لأننا نهتم.
7- لأن التدوين أثر بشكل إيجابي في المجتمعات الأخرى ونريد أن نرى نفس النتيجة في مجتمعنا.
8- لأن التدوين هو إنعكاس لحياة أفراد المجتمع. ونحن أحياء.
9- لأن التدوين يلقى إهتماماً متزايداً من قبل الإعلام والحكومات. نريد منهم أن يستمعوا لنا.
10- لأننا لا نخاف.
11- لأننا نرفض عقلية القطيع.
12- لأننا نرحب بتعدد الآراء.
13- لأن الوطن للجميع. ونحن جزء منه.
14- لأننا نريد أن نصل للجميع.
15- لأننا نرفض أن نكون صدى.
16- لأننا لسنا بأقل من مدوني المجتمعات الأخرى.
17- لأن نبحث عن الحقيقة.
18- لأن ديننا يحثنا على التعبير عن الرأي.
19- لأننا سئمنا نفاق الإعلام السعودي.
20- لأننا إيجابيين.
21- لأن التدوين هو أداة يمكن أن يستفيد منها المجتمع بقوة.
22- لأننا نتأثر ونؤثر.
23- لأننا نحب وطننا.
24- لأننا نستمتع بالحوار ولا ننفر منه.
25- لأننا صادقين.

لماذا تدون؟

My dear Abufares, now you've added even more press...

2008-04-27T23:15:00.000+03:00

My dear Abufares, now you've added even more pressure and the guilt about writing will increase. Thank you for your kind words which I am sure are not entirely deserved, but which I will choose to believe. I can only promise that I will do my best to persevere.

Yazan, yes you are missed and I also wish we'd hear more from you, but you have a rock-solid excuse. At least we get to meet occasionally on various blogs, especially when hosted by our favorite Tartousi!

I am delighted to hear that our fellow blogger Fouad, from Saudi Arabia, has been freed.

http://www.alfarhan.org/archives/11

2008-04-27T19:32:00.000+03:00

http://www.alfarhan.org/archives/11

Abu Fares,Fouad has been freed. freefouad.com

2008-04-27T19:30:00.000+03:00

Abu Fares,

Fouad has been freed.

freefouad.com

You're words flatter me ya Abu fares, more than I ...

2008-04-27T18:44:00.000+03:00

You're words flatter me ya Abu fares, more than I deserve.

I admit, I have been a bit of an absent blogger. I had a very rough last term with school, and needed the two months holiday to regain my balance, because I have a do-or-die battle with credits this term. So I wasn't in the perfect place to write, I preferred keeping myself busy with reading the wonderful things other bloggers are writing and trying to amplify them through other projects I'm a part of.
I have been nonetheless pining to start writing again, and receiving comments, it's one of the small pleasures in life that I miss at the moment. So, I promise I will be writing more often, once I get the rust out of my keyboard :)...

cheers my friend.

@ anonymousI wrote:"I truly believe that some of t...

2008-04-27T18:02:00.000+03:00

@ anonymous

I wrote:
"I truly believe that some of the best contemporary writing in Syria is being published on the couple of hundreds blogs out there... Syria in print, be it through droning newspapers or incongruous magazines of various types, is nothing short of pathetic."
I'm clearly comparing blogs to newspapers & magazines. Syrian Blogs to Syrian Newspapers & Magazines.

Rime & YazanI think I needed words of reassurance ...

2008-04-27T17:52:00.000+03:00

Rime & Yazan

I think I needed words of reassurance from close friends which you two happen to be.
The self-doubt phase is behind me now. Yet I feel glad that I had it as it implies that at least I still possess the ability of self-criticism.
I never thought for a moment that we are in any way similar to neo or old orientalists. However, I felt the presence of the gap. Some Arabic-writing Syrian bloggers resented foreign-writing Syrian bloggers while we, in general ignored them. This what I believe to be wrong. Although many of them might be masters of more than their native language we can never be sure. However, we are certain that the vast majority of us, foreign-writing Syrian bloggers do read and understand Arabic. That's why I reckoned that it's our role to take the first step and participate in one way or another.

You two are among the bloggers I consider to be writing much less than you ought to. Both of you are extremely talented and your blogs are written and read with vigor. Kind of like a luscious ice-cream or a much deserved glass of cognac.
Rime is my primary source of political analysis (and once you get to know Rime, dear reader, you would enjoy her writing even if it were about crochet and needle work). Well come to think of it, Crochet is certainly more exciting a topic than new-baathists yet I not only read Rime's words but truly analyze them afterwards.
As for Yazan, a man of your age with such exceptional abilities and gifts is wrong not to write more often, much more often that is. When I stated that Syrian bloggers are defining the new literary scene of the country you were on my mind because you have time on your side to make that dent.
Again, thank you both for being a part of what I call my "reading conscience". I don't miss a word you write and I'm extending my appeal beyond you both to the others who are making the Syrian Blogsphere one of the most delightful places to visit inside and outside the country.

How can you assert that "some of the best writting...

2008-04-27T17:50:00.000+03:00

How can you assert that "some of the best writting" in modern Syria is on blogs? I mean what are you comparing these blogs to?

Thank you.

Abu Fares,Stating a personal generalization based ...

2008-04-27T16:37:00.000+03:00

Abu Fares,
Stating a personal generalization based on preference and personal experience does not make someone an elitist. I didn't hear you say English blogs hold more thought, rather, Syrian blogs written in English seem to offer more substance, which i agree with. For a multitude of reasons, that have [I think] very little to do with the actual language.
Because of my field of study, I spend at least 8hours/day online, with very few exceptions, I can safely say I read every single post that appears on Syria planet, and yes it is a trend I have noticed. Arabic blogging has not yet made a real impact. But again, a year ago, I could not count a single quality syrian blog written in arabic. Now, I can name a few right on top of my head.

I don't think it's our role as bloggers to reflect the "general image" of syrians, including the language. I will not write something that I don't believe in, just because 90% of syrians do. On the contrary, the most important message we can send, are self-portraits of us the individuals. And one component of this self-portrait is our process of thought, hence, the language we use.

You know Abufares, I read your post the day it cam...

2008-04-27T16:28:00.000+03:00

You know Abufares, I read your post the day it came out, then re-read it the next day as I tried to figure how I felt about all of this. Of course I agree with most of your points, and I also was looking for a good explanation on why I've been such a lazy blogger; frankly, I can only bring out my trump card again: baby (now toddler, so I don't know how long I can use this excuse).

This also partly explains why I took so long to reply: when I want to give a proper, toughtful response, I sometimes wait to find a quiet moment. Then, it gets a bit late, so I think the response has got to be really good now. Then it gets really late … and you see where I’m going with this. ☺

I am also guilty of not following Arabic language blogs, but I don't think this is an issue I can do much about, given the limited time I have (like everyone of course). Life has put me in a position where English and French (and the countries where they are spoken, especially France) are intrinsic parts of me, and I need them as much as I need Arabic. I've also developped into some sort of "communicator" over the years, whether in marketing or in writing and broadcasting, so I naturally fell into a little slot of a Syrian or Arab talking to the side that is interested in our region. Clearly, English was going to be the default language.

I think we need to stop feeling obliged to explain why we write this way. I recall an Arabic language Syrian blog which recently provoked our responses, and those of several fellow bloggers, as it posed the question of why we were writing in English. Remember? I found a lot of preconceived, and ill-conceived, judgments, and a rather condescending attitude as some tried to “analyze” why we felt this need to address English speakers, as if we suffered from a delusion of grandeur, and as if the only possible way to blog was in Arabic, to Syrians, period. I was not impressed with the level of discourse, and I am certainly not taking that exchange as being representative, but I found it a poor omen.

However, I don’t think that our English blogs are part of this new wave of “Englishizing” Syria, or that they are neo-Orientalist or condescending (at least not by default). In my opinion, we are neither like the “Englishizers,” as we do not pretend to speak to an initially Arabic-speaking readership (whereas the others are speaking English to Arabic speakers), nor are we like the Orientalists, because we are writing about ourselves, and not pretending to pontificate on other cultures.

Do we need to justify what we do to anyone? I think we’re doing just fine blogging as we wish, to whom we wish, and when we wish. Which means you and I agree.

With my apologies for the length of this response.

Hi KarinThank you for your positive feedback. I do...

2008-04-27T09:17:00.000+03:00

Hi Karin
Thank you for your positive feedback. I don't plan on writing in Arabic at all. I have previously thought that I can make the switch at will, if I wanted to. Now I most certainly know better.
You are one of the first bloggers I started to read and you remain one of my closest friends.

CONGRATS to your anniversary ... first of all!I mo...

2008-04-26T17:32:00.000+03:00

CONGRATS to your anniversary ... first of all!

I most certainly do enjoy your blog the way it is NOW!! I LOVE your way of narrating, enjoy beyond believe to be taken to those beautiful places you visit, sense their atmosphere, am litetally able to smell the foods and spiced you describe via your descriptions!

Would you start to write in Arabic though - walla .. I'd run into considerable trouble as, you know, I don't master your wonderful language yet!

I wholeheartedly agree to what Abu Kareem stated though ... to make efforts to bridge the divide between Arabic and non Arabic blogs! It sounds like a fantastic idea as nowadays it's all about bridging ... there are too many divides and gaps wherever you look!

You, dearest friend, do a MOST FANTASTIC job and I highly compliment you on that! I sincerely hope you will continue writing your blog for MANY years to come ... reading and dwelling on it as well as looking at all those wonderful pictures will always be the same pleasure for me it is now!

Again .. ALF ALF MABROUK to your anniversary ya Abu Fares!! ;-)

@Dubai JazzPortraying Syria through the eyes of a ...

2008-04-26T12:34:00.000+03:00

@Dubai Jazz

Portraying Syria through the eyes of a tartoussi. If i can claim to have achieved this goal, i'd be a very content man. I would love very much that you write more, that's true.
Thank you for your words of praise, you always make me feel good about myself. Perhaps you should try this trick on women ;-) since you're so good at it.

Back to the serious part of your comment. You know what! After I wrote this post and published it, I tried as I said to keep my word and start getting involved more with Arabic written blogs. You put it so well: "the denominator is different". But why is that so? I am a better thinker, thus writer, in English than Arabic. But, although I'm risking a lot with this statement, why do English written Syrian blogs carry more thought and thus better writing than those written in Arabic? May be I should've held my peace and kept this thought to myself because whatever I might add would portray me as an individual with elitist tendencies. But I'm not like that at all. I like to think of myself as a down to earth man. This is again contradictory in a way. If I'm what I claim to be then why is it of any importance to tell the rest of the world about my affinity to being a down to earth man? I must possess a certain degree of vanity to blog in the first place and secondly and more importantly to blog in English.

What I'm saying apply to other bloggers as well. A couple of days ago I commented on a post by our one and only Rime:

http://www.rimeallaf.com/mosaics/index.php?entry=entry080423-102035

and I wrote that I totally agree with her, and I do, I truly do. Yet wasn't I agreeing that the new wave of Englishizing Syria is similarly annoying and patronizing as the neo Orientalists with their condescending attitude?

@sean longI think you're right. I might be oversta...

2008-04-26T12:07:00.000+03:00

@sean long
I think you're right. I might be overstating the significance of some disturbing thoughts I went through during my perusal of some Arabic written blogs.

@oryxmSo nice of you to drop by dear sis. Please c...

2008-04-26T12:05:00.000+03:00

@oryxm
So nice of you to drop by dear sis. Please come again and I look forward reading your blog.

Abu Fares, I can only second Sean. ..As much as th...

2008-04-25T21:18:00.000+03:00

Abu Fares, I can only second Sean. ..
As much as the capacity of one person could allow, I think you are doing a great job of featuring Tartous, Syria and the Levant for the whole world to see. I think it was mentioned earlier in the comment section but I'll say it again anyway: screw all the tourists' leaflets and pamphlets and screw all the promotion programs ever made about Syria by any official entity; I only need to reference any acquaintance to your blog to show them what the real Syria looks like. Okay; maybe Syria through the eyes of a Tartousi but Syria nonetheless! If that doesn't make your blog complete and your mission statement complete then what else does? :)

As for the gap between Arabic and English blogs…I really don't think there is a gap; it's merely a different scope and different approach. And more importantly, the denominator is different. I even noticed that my own writings in Arabic (in my blog and otherwise) are quite different than those in English even though I don't even come close to your proficiency in English…

And I support your call for the sluggish bloggers out there to get more active (that includes me to some degree, I guesss). ...

Thanks again for the lovely post and happy anniversary : )

I don't think it's a case of 'more real' or 'less ...

2008-04-25T19:11:00.000+03:00

I don't think it's a case of 'more real' or 'less real' at all. As you say, you like writing in English, and you hope to reach some people outside the Middle East.

So it's only natural that you write in English. It's just a difference in scope and intended audience, that's all. There's certainly no need for you to worry about authenticity!

Very well-expressed, and ingenious, as always, bro...

2008-04-25T00:34:00.000+03:00

Very well-expressed, and ingenious, as always, bro!

I'm so proud of you and wish I could have the time and/or effort to create a blog of my own.

Maybe one day, who knows?

Happy Anniversary and many more to come :-)

@ YazanUnfortunately I never looked beyond syplane...

2008-04-24T18:41:00.000+03:00

@ Yazan
Unfortunately I never looked beyond syplanet for Syrian blogs.
Today, in trying to make good on my word, I read a few Arabic written Syrian blogs. A disturbing point nagged at me. I felt uncomfortable after 30 minutes or so. I really felt the gap expanding. Logic tells me that they (writing in Arabic) must be more real than me. I only appreciate a few, a very few Syrian blogs written in Arabic but in all honesty I think I might be the outsider not them. A very disturbing thought indeed.