Alison Tahmizian Meuse is contributing editor for Syria Deeply https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/contributor/alison-tahmizian-meuse-2/rss en Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs War Economy Mon, 06 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2014/01/06/use-of-dangerous-cheap-local-fuel-surges-throughout-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2014/01/06/use-of-dangerous-cheap-local-fuel-surges-throughout-syria With record snowfalls and rising fuel costs, Syrians in rebel-held areas are turning to dangerous, cheaper options like locally processed gas as a way to heat their homes and stores. Civil Society Education Tue, 24 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/24/syrias-school-curricula-reflect-divisions-on-the-ground https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/24/syrias-school-curricula-reflect-divisions-on-the-ground GAZIANTEP — The divisions between the Syrian regime and rebel factions are not only reflected on the battlefield, but also in the classroom, with school curricula ranging from Baathist textbooks to Quran classes. Human Rights Mon, 16 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/16/lebanese-fear-loss-of-land-to-syrian-refugees https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/16/lebanese-fear-loss-of-land-to-syrian-refugees BAALBEK — Twenty-eight-year-old Serena was once set to inherit a sizable chunk of land from her grandfather in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. Today that land is unrecognizable, as it’s now part of the sprawling Burj al-Shamali Palestinian camp. . Human Rights Sat, 14 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/14/in-focus-on-lebanese-border-unregistered-syrian-refugees-left-out-in-the-cold https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/14/in-focus-on-lebanese-border-unregistered-syrian-refugees-left-out-in-the-cold ARSAL — In the midst of snowstorm Alexa, tens of thousands of unregistered Syrian refugees in this Lebanese border town have been left outdoors. Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Education Tue, 03 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/03/a-new-education-center-in-the-damascus-suburbs https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/12/03/a-new-education-center-in-the-damascus-suburbs Many teachers are among those who have fled Syria as the country’s conflict worsens. But in the Damascus suburbs, a group of activists are working to fill the knowledge gap with a new education center. . Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/22/syrian-refugees-hit-end-of-the-line-in-arsal https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/22/syrian-refugees-hit-end-of-the-line-in-arsal ARSAL, Lebanon — Thousands of Syrians refugees have been driven from town to town before ending up in Arsal, a dusty, rebel-friendly border town in Lebanon. For civilians, prospects for return are dim. For fighters on the mend, the goal is to rejoin the battle against President Bashar al Assad. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/20/beirut-attack-strengthens-hezbollahs-resolve-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/20/beirut-attack-strengthens-hezbollahs-resolve-in-syria BIR HASSAN, BEIRUT — Hezbollah members and leaders say their resolve to fight in Syria has deepened, after a double suicide attack on the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. The attack killed 25 people on Tuesday. . Civil Society Fri, 08 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/08/conversations-a-teacher-under-siege https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/08/conversations-a-teacher-under-siege As part of our effort to highlight civilian stories, below is a conversation between Syria Deeply and an English teacher in eastern Ghouta, which is under a regime-imposed siege that prevents any goods or people from entering or exiting. Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Wed, 06 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/06/amid-new-setbacks-united-rebel-command-in-doubt https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/11/06/amid-new-setbacks-united-rebel-command-in-doubt The Free Syrian Army (FSA) suffered two blows over the past week: the loss of the key northern town of Safira to regime forces, and the subsequent resignation of a respected commander, Colonel Abdel Jabbar Okaidi. . Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/31/geneva-in-doubt-without-military-clout https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/31/geneva-in-doubt-without-military-clout Plans for high-level Syrian peace talks have stumbled this week, with the U.S.-backed Syrian National Council undecided on whether to attend and how to engage the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Human Rights Religious & Ethnic Groups Wed, 30 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/30/in-show-of-supremacy-syria-al-qaida-branch-torches-church https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/30/in-show-of-supremacy-syria-al-qaida-branch-torches-church BEIRUT—Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) set fire to an Armenian church in Tal Abyad on Syria’s northern border with Turkey before dawn on Tuesday, activists and a human rights watchdog said. Civil Society Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/24/conversations-photographing-the-front-lines-of-wadi-daif https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/24/conversations-photographing-the-front-lines-of-wadi-daif Omar, 21, dropped out of university to join the Syrian revolution in March 2011 and has taken photos on the battlefield ever since. Civil Society Education Health Tue, 15 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/15/conversations-a-medical-student-in-hama https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/10/15/conversations-a-medical-student-in-hama As part of our effort to highlight civilian stories, below is a conversation between Syria Deeply and a Hama-based medical student in his 20s who used the pseudonym Adam for security reasons. Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/20/raqqas-fsa-brigades-join-jabhat-al-nusra https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/20/raqqas-fsa-brigades-join-jabhat-al-nusra On Thursday, Raqqa’s Free Syrian Army (FSA) Division 11 raised a new flag: the black banner of the jihadist group Jabhat al-Nusra. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/18/social-media-buzz-frustration-with-global-inaction https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/18/social-media-buzz-frustration-with-global-inaction As the U.S. and Russia made a deal to secure Syria’s chemical weapons supplies, life continued as usual for Syrians on the ground. Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Religious & Ethnic Groups Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/18/an-isolated-life-in-the-island-district-of-homs https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/18/an-isolated-life-in-the-island-district-of-homs Al-Waer is the largest district in Homs, home to tens of thousands of displaced people. Today, it is increasingly isolated from the rest of the city, surrounded by the army, island-like. Residents like this humanitarian volunteer, who asked to remain anonymous, are fearful of what is to come.   . Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Mon, 09 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/09/refugees-in-lebanon-find-shelter-where-they-can https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/09/refugees-in-lebanon-find-shelter-where-they-can On the side of the highway in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, Mohammed, a 14-year-old Syrian boy, sells baby chickens. Dyed neon, they wait in a cage for new owners. They are only 500 Lebanese Lira ($0.33), commonly purchased as gifts for young children. Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Wed, 04 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/04/the-student-turned-fighter-in-douma https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/04/the-student-turned-fighter-in-douma Maher, 25, was only two months away from a university degree when he abandoned his studies to join the nascent Syrian revolution. He went from being a peaceful activist to a fighter within five months. Civil Society Mon, 02 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/02/social-media-buzz-syrians-debate-u-s-intervention https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/02/social-media-buzz-syrians-debate-u-s-intervention Millions of Syrians are using social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Skype to disseminate and discuss the conflict. Syria Deeply monitors the online conversation in English and Arabic, pulling out the highlights in a feature called the Social Media Buzz. Human Rights Fri, 30 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Alison Tahmizian Meuse https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/08/30/with-strikes-looming-syrians-pour-across-lebanese-border https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/08/30/with-strikes-looming-syrians-pour-across-lebanese-border MASNAA, Lebanon / On Thursday, a large bus bearing the license plates of Syria’s Idlib province drove across Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing. It was one of thousands of vehicles to cross since Wednesday, transporting Syrians who were fleeing in fear of a potential strike by the U.S. military. .