--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Syrian people do not recognize…" description: "\"The Syrian people do not recognize themselves in the elite politics of the Muslim Brotherhood or the left, each of which is looking for an external pow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg" --- # The Syrian people do not recognize themselves in the elite… ![“The Syrian people do not recognize themselves in the elite politics of the Muslim Brotherhood or the left, each of which is looking for an external power rather than the people's own self-activity.” quote by Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg) > “The Syrian people do not recognize themselves in the elite politics of the Muslim Brotherhood or the left, each of which is looking for an external power rather than the people's own self-activity.” [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Syrians reject elite politics from both the Muslim Brotherhood and the left, preferring self‑determination over external influence. **In simple terms:** Syrians want self‑activity, not external control. Key Takeaway Support grassroots empowerment and local agency. Themes identity politics self‑determination external influence elite vs. people Mood critical hopeful Type political social When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - civil society development Key Concepts nationalism political sociology Questions to Reflect On - How can external powers respect Syrian self‑activity? - What mechanisms foster genuine local leadership? A Different Perspective External actors may still shape outcomes despite local desires. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Elites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elites/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Muslim brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslim-brotherhood/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Syrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syrian/) ## Related quotes > [The members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria are also part of the Syrian people, and they have the right to exercise their democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/the-members-of-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-syria-are-also-part-of-the/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [Syrian people have right to fight for democracy and freedom in their country but they don't need the penetration of foreign elements, fundamentalist ideologies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burhan-sonmez/syrian-people-have-right-to-fight-for-democracy-and-freedom-in-their/) [Burhan Sonmez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burhan-sonmez/) > [If you want to kill the Syrian people, who's going to support us as a government, as officials? No one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/if-you-want-to-kill-the-syrian-people-who-s-going-to-support-us-as-a/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [If there is any change regarding that hope, we should ask the Syrian people, not anyone else in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/if-there-is-any-change-regarding-that-hope-we-should-ask-the-syrian/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [There is a positive and personal relationship between the Egyptian people and the Syrian people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-morsi/there-is-a-positive-and-personal-relationship-between-the-egyptian/) [Mohammed Morsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-morsi/) > [It is only up to the Syrian people living in Syria to determine who, how and based on what principles should rule their country,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/it-is-only-up-to-the-syrian-people-living-in-syria-to-determine-who/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [It's not about me, again, this fight is not my fight, it's not the fight of the government ; it's the fight of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/it-s-not-about-me-again-this-fight-is-not-my-fight-it-s-not-the-fight/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [If you want a show to talk about politics or the Muslim ban or whatever - someone should make that show. That's not what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramy-youssef/if-you-want-a-show-to-talk-about-politics-or-the-muslim-ban-or/) [Ramy Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramy-youssef/) > [The Syrian people will never forget those who extended their hand to help them rid of their dictatorship. The Syrian people also would love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burhan-ghalioun/the-syrian-people-will-never-forget-those-who-extended-their-hand-to/) [Burhan Ghalioun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burhan-ghalioun/) > [A majority of the Syrian people believe in the regime and support Bashar al-Assad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-nasrallah/a-majority-of-the-syrian-people-believe-in-the-regime-and-support/) [Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-nasrallah/) > [Some people think that the Syrian people are from another planet. On the contrary, I think that we all live inside the same boat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-alomar/some-people-think-that-the-syrian-people-are-from-another-planet-on/) [Osama Alomar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-alomar/) > [The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-jumblatt/the-syrian-people-the-egyptian-people-all-say-that-something-is/) [Walid Jumblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-jumblatt/) > [The Department of Justice has become a de-facto legal arm for Muslim Brotherhood groups. I mean, they are suing towns, they are suing schools,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-geller/the-department-of-justice-has-become-a-de-facto-legal-arm-for-muslim/) [Pamela Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-geller/) > [Saying that the origin of the Islamic State (IS) is within the Muslim Brotherhood organisation only strengthens IS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/saying-that-the-origin-of-the-islamic-state-is-is-within-the-muslim/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) ## More by Nigel Gibson > [Spaces of liberation are, in a certain way, some kind of social spaces where people can not only get together and think about something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/spaces-of-liberation-are-in-a-certain-way-some-kind-of-social-spaces/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [The colonial regime makes sure, often with the help of surrogates, that radical leaders and those honest principled intellectuals and activists who refuse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-colonial-regime-makes-sure-often-with-the-help-of-surrogates-that/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [If you look at social movements in Latin America, there are spaces where alternative politics are thought about on the ground, at the grassroots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/if-you-look-at-social-movements-in-latin-america-there-are-spaces/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [What is interesting about the revolts is that they show that there is never anything purely spontaneous, and there is always some thinking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/what-is-interesting-about-the-revolts-is-that-they-show-that-there-is/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Fifty years is the long time to think about a thinker's relevance or to think of the relevance of their work to a contemporary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/fifty-years-is-the-long-time-to-think-about-a-thinker-s-relevance-or/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [For Fanon, becoming actional is connected to his idea of a new humanism, which is explicitly critical of European humanism so intimately connected with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/for-fanon-becoming-actional-is-connected-to-his-idea-of-a-new/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [There is an arc of spontaneous revolts, beautiful in their creative beginnings, which traverses boundaries and borders and creates new solidarities and imaginations but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/there-is-an-arc-of-spontaneous-revolts-beautiful-in-their-creative/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Violence is used to suppress a people in a most blatantly crude way. We can historicize and contextualize it. We can analyze the Algerian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/violence-is-used-to-suppress-a-people-in-a-most-blatantly-crude-way/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Political change does not really lead to any fundamental change for most of the people, indeed because politics (even if it calls itself democratic)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/political-change-does-not-really-lead-to-any-fundamental-change-for/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Counter-violence against the colonial regime is liberatory because it is an act, and by acting, the absolute power of colonialism, internalized by the colonized,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/counter-violence-against-the-colonial-regime-is-liberatory-because-it/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [The only way that we can prove the relevance of Fanon in a certain way outside of some academic circles is to ask, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-only-way-that-we-can-prove-the-relevance-of-fanon-in-a-certain/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Many of the democratization projects are a real threat to real democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/many-of-the-democratization-projects-are-a-real-threat-to-real/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [The military defeat of an oppressive regime is important, but it does not answer our problems. It is where our problems begin, since social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-military-defeat-of-an-oppressive-regime-is-important-but-it-does/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Manicheanism is like a vacuum, it is an either or situation that curtails or destroys the development of liberatory thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/manicheanism-is-like-a-vacuum-it-is-an-either-or-situation-that/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Fanon calls his ideology a new humanism, not only in contrast to the elite humanism of the West, but also on the axiom that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/fanon-calls-his-ideology-a-new-humanism-not-only-in-contrast-to-the/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) [Explore all 22 Nigel Gibson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) ## More Activity quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. 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If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) Gero Miesenbock > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Syrian people do not recognize themselves in the elite politics of the Muslim Brotherhood or the left, each of which is looking for an external power rather than the people's own self-activity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nigel Gibson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-themselves-in-the-elite-politics/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-themselves-in-the-elite-politics/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/nigel-gibson-26310_activity_the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-thems_2176041.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Syrian people do not recognize themselves in the elite politics of the Muslim Brotherhood or the left…” — Nigel Gibson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nigel Gibson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Syrian people do not recognize...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-themselves-in-the-elite-politics/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-syrian-people-do-not-recognize-themselves-in-the-elite-politics/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```