Latest Articles and Blog Posts

Saraya Fursan al-Basil: Aleppo Local Defence Forces Unit

December 12, 2018 at 4:55 pm

The previous post in this series covered Rijal al-Qa'im. I now turn to another Local Defence Forces (LDF) unit: Saraya Fursan al-Basil ("Knights of al-Basil Brigades").

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The Post-Rebellion South: Interview (VI)

December 11, 2018 at 5:30 pm

For prior parts in this series, click here.

The latest interviewee in this series is from the town of Busra al-Sham in eastern Deraa countryside. Busra al-Sham became prominent during the Syrian government's summer campaign to retake southern Syria as a reconciliation deal was struck with Russian mediation. Ahmad al-Awda, the leader of the local Shabab al-Sunna rebel faction, was a key figure in the reconciliation deal. Busra al-Sham has become a key nucleus of the Russian-backed V Corps project in the south.

This interview was conducted on 7 December 2018, with condensing of the general conversation for clarity. Any parenthetical insertions are in square brackets.

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Rijal al-Qa'im: Local Defence Forces Unit

December 8, 2018 at 11:40 am

I have previously written about some units of the Local Defence Forces (LDF). This post concerns another of them: Rijal al-Qa'im. The group was established in 2015 in the Latakia area but originally operated under another name: Owais al-Qarni, who was deemed to be one of the followers of Prophet Muhammad. The present name (meaning "Men of al-Qa'im") refers to the Imam al-Mahdi. From the beginning, the unit was affiliated with the LDF.

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The Hamas-Islamic State Sinai Relationship: Translation and Analysis

December 5, 2018  •  aymennjawad.org

Have there been links between Hamas, which currently controls the Gaza enclave, and the Islamic State's Sinai province? The topic has understandably attracted considerable controversy, as the existence of such links would bolster the narratives of the Israeli and Egyptian governments. Supporters of Israel would also seize on such a point.

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Ælfric's Preface to His Translation of Genesis (Arabic translation)

December 4, 2018 at 6:56 pm

Please follow the link for the text and translation.

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