Author

Aqil Said Mahfouz 5 posts 0 comments

Aqil Said Mahfoud is a distinguished writer and university professor specializing in political science and international relations at the University of Damascus. He served as the Head of the Studies Department at the Damascus Research and Studies Center, Midad, from 2015 to 2020. His research interests encompass issues of political thought, philosophy, Middle Eastern studies, and Orientalism. Mahfoud has authored numerous books and studies addressing topics related to the Arab region, Turkey, Iran, and the Kurds.

Identity Politics: Transitioning from Community to Society

It is difficult to determine what constitutes a ‘root’ or ‘branch’ in the foundation and meaning of societies (or what are considered societies) in the region, as well as the ‘most influential factors’ or ‘favoring factors’ for their formation at a specific moment or within a particular geographical, human, social, economic, and political context. This […]

Decentralization and National Identity in Syria

In a country like Syria, decentralization and identity are often perceived more as threats than opportunities, and more as sources of division, disruption, weakness, and infiltration than as elements of cohesion, order, strength, and resilience. These perceptions are intrinsic to the emergence of the modern state in Syria and the region following the First World […]

Identity as a Political Actor: From Nationalism to Religion

The Middle East is perhaps one of the most identity-preoccupied regions in the world, with various dimensions and manifestations, particularly religious or sectarian identities that are often intertwined. The presence and impact of identity vary among groups, influenced by differing circumstances, contexts, lived experiences, and socio-economic and political conditions. It is more accurate to discuss […]

Syria: A Crisis in the foundation!

Syria has been plagued by “birth issues” or “state-building problems” since it formed as a state or proto-state in the modern sense following World War I (1914-1918). These problems emerge with every crisis the country experiences, whether large or small. It seems there is little possibility of overcoming them, as no one has attempted it […]

The End of Syria as We Knew It

Syria as we knew it is over. This notion did not arise solely from the fall of the regime; in fact, it predates it. When I wrote in an article several years ago that Syria as we knew it no longer exists, both as a society and a state, and that the use of these […]