Tharwa Foundation

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Syria Reports
Crime on the Rise in Syria Print E-mail
(3 votes, average 3.67 out of 5)
Subhi Muhammad
Monday, January 26, 2009
 
The streets of HomsOn January 26, 2009, the Syrian newspaper Tishreen published a story of a shocking crime perpetrated in the city of Homs.  The article related a raid on a house in the neighborhood of Bayyadah, inside of which was hidden an illegal slaughterhouse.  The animals found inside that slaughterhouse, according to the reported testimony of Director of Health Issues, Dr. Muhammad Ali Ghali, were unfit for human consumption.  They were rotten, kept under clothing rather than in properly sanitized rooms.  The owner of the house admitted that he sold the rotten meat to local butchers, who would mix it with fresh meat, spices and other condiments, and then sell it to consumers as fresh.
 
Cheating Widespread at the University of Damascus Print E-mail
(2 votes, average 5.00 out of 5)
Firas Mohammad Ali
Thursday, January 22, 2009

altRecently, there have been a series of discussions at the University of Damascus about the phenomenon of students cheating on exams.  New rules and methods have been put in place by the administrators of the university to prevent this widespread cheating.  Yet the new measures taken by the school have little chance of success if they are not in some way supported by the student body.
 
Students Forced to Participate in ‘Spontaneous’ Marches in Support of Gaza Print E-mail
(2 votes, average 4.00 out of 5)
Firas Mohammed Ali, student
S
aturday, January 10, 2009

altUnder the current regime in Syria, even spontaneous mass marches and demonstrations are organized by the authorities.  This has been the case for decades: people no longer take part in street marches unless the decision to hold the march has been made by officials in the government.  Such state sponsored marches bear little resemblance to those marches in which people take to the street in order to object or support an issue of their choosing, as an exercise of their right to freedom of expression.

 
Human Trafficking in Syria Print E-mail
Azzam Al Turkmani, Professional Journalist
Sunday, November 25, 2007
    
Human trafficking exploits human beings in the most heinous ways. Victims are used for prostitution, forced labor, slavery, and even for their organs. In Syria, reports of human trafficking range from news about husbands trading their wives to other men for money, to young girls sold by their parents into prostitution.

 
Air pollution and traffic plague Damascus Print E-mail
(2 votes, average 4.00 out of 5)
DAMASCUS -- A Japanese environmental organization had come to Damascus to measure the rate of lead in the air in the Dowelah area of the city.  I was there, helping them.  I will never forget their shock and dismay when they revealed their findings; the air had 86% more lead than unpolluted air, which has at most trace elements of lead in it.  This heavy lead pollution in the air is the result of the constant traffic going in and out of Damascus, the jams and gridlocks that cause cars to spew poisonous fumes as they inch their way towards their destination.  Lead can cause cancer and pulmonary inflammation, yet it is pumped into the air every day by these commuters.
 
Poverty Belt Series: Impoverished man cries, “Can a house like this produce a scientist?” Print E-mail
At first glance, Al-Diabiyyeh doesn’t look as badly off as some of the other districts surrounding Damascus.  Its proximity to Al-Seida Zainah municipality means that is occasionally receives some basic services.  Once away from the main streets, however, the poverty of the district is striking.  The alleys are covered in dirt or mud, depending on how recent the last rain is.  The roofs of the houses are made from zinc and cloth awnings, and leak constantly.
 
Is a new generation of Syrians being raised by satellite television instead of their parents? Print E-mail
In the Arab world, the role a father plays in the upbringing of his children is shifting.  In response to economic necessities and the presence of satellite television, fathers have found themselves spending less time with their children.  They rely on their wives and the educational system to fill in the absences they have left behind.  Yet in Syria, as in countries across the Arab world, the educational system is flawed.  It is based on religion and often does not challenge the students’ minds.  Children are taught in an atmosphere of intimidation, frightened by the corporal punishment still used in many schools.
 
Prostitution on the rise in Syria, expanding into more residential neighborhoods Print E-mail
(1 vote, average 4.00 out of 5)
Azzam Al-Turkmani, professional journalist
Monday, January 28, 2008

There are some issues that people prefer not to speak of.  We turn our eyes away and claim ignorance – our society, we say, is moral, our culture promotes values, and behavior that is incompatible with those claims is an aberration at most.
 
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