In the midst of a bloody civil war, protesters in Idlib use humor against Bashar al-Assad (Image source: FreedomHouse2 via Flickr).
As a brutal civil war continues in Syria between the rebel groups of the Free Syrian Army and forces loyal to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, website Latitude News shows how one Bay Ridge hair salon owner is using social media sites such as Facebook, as well as an interactive smart phone app, to keep tabs on loved ones back in his native country.
Reporter Justin Mitchell introduces us to 25-year-old Shadi Batal, who has been running a successful hair salon on 3rd Avenue for 5 years. While Batal is in many ways living the American dream, the true indicators of his happiness are much more complex than material accomplishments in his adopted home.
As someone who was born – and still has family – in Idlib, the northwestern stronghold of the FSA in Syria, he knows all to well what it’s like to mourn relatives killed in a conflict taking place halfway across the world from the safety of Brooklyn. Continue reading »
