A lot is being shared on social media about Allepo. On Monday I took to social media to express my heartbreak for the destruction of Syria, and the innocent lives lost.

In general, I stopped discussing Syria publicly several years ago. My voice was lost in the noise and attacked by both sides. As an Iranian and a Shia, the prejudice of many would make them deaf to what I would say, jumping on any little point that they didn’t fully agree with. Some of the comments on my post on Monday showed the opposite to be true too. If I say something that doesn’t fully defend “the opposition of the opposition” under all circumstances I will be called a sell-out, Western stooge straight away.

Despite this, I feel compelled to write more; this time focusing on some issues of politics and media.