Tag Archives: Arab spring

The Arab youth after the revolution: Civically engaged, yet not empowered

Three years ago, the world was shaken up by a chain of events and revolutions termed the ‘Arab Spring’. The protests and rebellion were driven by the countries’ youths, a sector of the population which had up to then not been able to raise their voices. What has happened to these youngsters? Are they engaged in the political transitions of their countries, or do they remain marginalized and frustrated, forming further incubators of protest?
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Syria: A new destination for only al-Qaida’s Foreign Fighters?

Syria has become a magnet for foreign fighters coming from Iraq, the rebel forces of the Libyan city of Misrata, from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Lebanon. International media and many experts have attributed this massive affluence of foreign fighters to al-Qaida’s call on Muslims to join the Syrian revolution and fight against al-Assad’s regime. However, not all foreign fighters seem to be al-Qaida driven: another transnational Islamic democracy-based ideology is “recruiting” its combatants to help in the Syrian struggle.
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