Showing the Softer Side of Syria

Syrian Blogger Ammar Abdulhamid was exiled for saying on his blog that President Bashar Assad is a thug, as noted by my post in early June.

But Imad Moustapha is showing a more diplomatic view of the country, notes the Associated Press.

That would make sense. Moustapha must represent Syria as the ambassador to the U.S. as Cheney and his evil team of robots is linking Syria with Iran in a showdown in Iraq.

Moustapha's blog is mostly about his interests, his family, and living life. His vacations look like those of any well-to-do U.S. family, but only in the coastal region of Syria.

His post on changing the diapers of his newborn baby and introducing her to the sounds of Mozart make Moustapha appear much more gentle than tough-talking swashbucklers in Washington.

He speaks effortlessly on the brilliance of Syria's businesswomen as ambassadors to the world and speaks fondly of his university professor wife, Rafif, who holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science.

"I have a very, very difficult post and you need an outlet, a way of escape," Moustapha told the AP of the blog. He said he tries to steer clear of politics on the forum.

The human depth certainly challenges assumptions of the Arab world, even if there is a possibility that it is written by a "ghost blogger." U.S. foreign policy ought to take a look at who it considers an enemy, and instead seek for the underlying layers of humanity.

Even Cheney-bot has his wife and kid.