Does The Strongest Horse Always Win in Syria?

 Nadene Goldfoot                               

Arab culture places immense value on the Arabian horse, historically prized for speed, intelligence, and endurance in desert warfare. While not a "voting" system, the "strong horse" principle often dictates that communities, particularly in the Middle East, favor the strong, swift horse for leadership, prestige, and victory in competition.

                                 Desert Sky Arabian

• The "Strong Horse" Principle: This philosophy, often cited in regional politics, reflects a preference for strength over weakness.
  
  
  
• Metaphor of Speed: The "fast horse" is also used as a metaphor for leadership and in proverbs, where a horse exerts all energy to win, similar to how people should approach their goals.
• Cultural Significance: Arabian horses were deemed a divine gift and a crucial asset.  Horses were the vehicle for survival, war, and status, with breeds like the Akhal-Teke (often related to Turkmen desert horses) known as "Flying Wings".
  
  
  
• Historical Context: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) valued fast horses, with several recorded as used for transportation and battle, such as ath-Thirf (fast) and as-Sakbu (swift).  Furthermore, a popular story often shared about the Prophet PBUH indicates that even a slow horse  can become the fastest by his blessing, showing that "fastest" isn't just about speed, but also about the barakah (blessing) in it.
• Syria is renowned as a foundational home of the Arabian horse, with key figures including Damascus-based breeder Ahmad Ibish, and modern breeders Nizar J. Al As'ad and Saleh Khaddam Srouji.
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• Historically, Syrian Bedouin tribes, specifically the Anazeh and Shammar, have preserved the purest strains, including Kehilan, Seglawi, and Abeyan. Al Khamsa horses were prized for their endurance and beauty. They  have historically been the most prominent breeders of the authentic Arabian horse in the Syrian desert, with their herds serving as key sources for modern Arabian bloodlines. These tribes resided in the Al Jazeerah region and along the Euphrates River, treating their horses—particularly mares—as treasured, almost familial possessions essential for warfare and prestige.

• Some of our leaders today are in their position just because they were deemed the strong horse-thus  the best, such as the one leading Syria, a former terrorist.  Because he has leadership abilities has become accepted by all the other country leaders.  There are others out there in Syria who would be better in that position, eager to improve everyone's lives, which has been ruined, as far as they are concerned.   Too bad they do not have have a real electoral system. 
  
        Cyprus, April 2026 leaders meeting, man with beard
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• Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa AKA terrorist leader,Jolani,  said that there was a lack of infrastructure to allow for direct election, and Syrian human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni said that "the absence of political work, parties, and political activism", in addition to the need to register displaced people and deceased people, as well as the Assad regime granting citizenship to large numbers of Iranian militants, meaning that the indirect system was 'logical' until the infrastructure for direct elections could be established, which could take up to four years to organise.                    
  
  Ali Khamenei, 2nd to be the leader,  (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran war.  They seem to have a string of more strong horses willing to take on the position so far, at least before the Pakistan meeting soon to take place just like Ali.  That's the problem.    
• Interesting, because we all know that Iran controls so many of the Middle East countries causing terrorist groups there to attack Israel being they are in a closer position.  They all received weapons to use against Israel.  Now that Trump and Netanyahu are in a new position, Iran has been knocked down but for how long is a question.  The Ayatollah's have lost their strong horse, Ayatollah Ali.  
  
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• The strong horse leading the young people of Iran today that are being machine-gunned down by Revolutionary Guards is Crown Prince is Reza Pahlavi, son of former Shah of Iran.  Being a new racer, he's not getting enough attention.  I hope he wins the race.  In his recent trip through Germany, a man splashed red paint  over the back of his suit jacket.  He should have had better security there.  
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