The Damascus Bureau

Real news and stories from Syria

The Jazeera drought in pictures

SMN No. 2, May 24, 2010 A recent series of photographs picturing the daily predicament of Syrian internal refugees captured the attention of the Syrian online community. The photos, which aim to raise awareness of the plight of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have been displaced from the Jazeera area in the drought-hit northeast [...]

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Bloggers campaign for museum protection

SMN No. 2, May 24, 2010 Syrian officials have revoked a decision allowing museums and national monuments to be hired for private occasions after a campaign in the Syrian blogosphere, a move hailed as a triumph for alternative electronic media On April 24, the pro-government website Syria News highlighted news that a Syrian couple were [...]

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Spare our eyes!

SMN No. 2, May 24, 2010 Some 680 Facebook members have joined a new group against what they see as visual pollution in Syria. The group called on people to work on making Syria “the most beautiful country” and deplored the different kinds of visual pollution that citizens are subjected to, like advertising posters on [...]

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Anti-Smoking Ban Divides Online Community

SMN, May 24, 2010 A recent ban on smoking in public areas and restaurants has sparked a mixed reaction among the Syrian online community. On the social network site Facebook, Syrian users have created groups both for and against the new law, which started being enforced in April. Under its provisions, smoking is forbidden in [...]

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Matchsticks in the spotlight

SMN No. 2, May 24, 2010 He comments on corruption, politics, social phenomena in Syria and the Arab world - Abdul-Salam Ismael, 31, runs one of the most popular Syrian blogs, Matchsticks. Ismael, a Syrian national who lives and works in Kuwait, started blogging in 2008. “Most of my posts are about politics, the social [...]

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Facebook Group against early marriage

SMN No. 2, May 24, 2010 Online activists have started a campaign against the marriage of underage girls in Syria. The group “No to marrying little girls” was created in April to raise awareness about what it said was the common practice of Syrian girls being married against their will before they reach the age [...]

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Enough Silence!

SMN 1, May 2, 2010 A group of Syrians have decided to speak out about human rights abuses in their country, creating an interactive group on Facebook, called Kafasamtan or Enough Silence. The initiative, which started in March, engages in a range of activities, from the production of videos, posting of Twitter messages and creation [...]

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Unblock Facebook!

SMN 1, May 2, 2010 Syrian internet users are increasing efforts to put pressure on the government to allow access to the popular social internet utility Facebook. In February, a group, initiated by a user who identified himself as a Damascus University student, has been calling on authorities to lift the ban on the website. [...]

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Campaign for Civil Marriage

SMN 1, May 2, 2010 Civil rights activists in Syria are using Facebook to promote the cause of civil marriage in the country. In a short time, the group has gathered more than 450 members in support of allowing civil marriage in Syria. Although Syrian society is multi-confessional, civil unions between members of different religious [...]

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Nowruz Shooting on Video

SMN 1, May 2 2010 It starts with the sound of a woman screaming in Kurdish “someone has been shot”, before the rattling of guns takes over. A young man is then seen lying on the ground, his head covered in blood. In the background, the scene is chaotic with people trying to escape hurriedly [...]

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