MER Article From One East to the Other Although direct encounters between the two extremes of Asia began in the seventh century [1] and the Imperial Treasures contain many items from the Middle East dating back more than a thousand years, systematic study of the Middle East in Japan did not emerge until the “modernization process” of the Modjtaba Sadria • 7 min read
MER Article No Debate In 1990, an umbrella organization was created to promote Middle East studies in Europe. The European Association for Middle East Studies (EURAMES) has modest goals and virtually no budget. It has published a directory of Middle East scholars in Europe (with EU funds) and has initiated triennial conf Eugene Rogan • 8 min read
MER Article The Privatization of Russian Middle East Studies The Institute for Oriental Studies in Moscow, once headed by the current Russian foreign minister, Yevgenii Primakov, [1] used to be the premier research establishment for modem history and Soviet policy making concerning the Arab world, Africa and Asia. Like other state-funded academic institutions Garay Menicucci • 7 min read
MER Article Middle East Studies in the Arab World Salim Nasr, a Lebanese sociologist, is a Ford Foundation program officer in the Middle East and North Africa office in Cairo. He spoke with Lisa Hajjar in New York City on May 29, 1997. How would you assess Middle East studies as it is undertaken by scholars based in the region? Salim Nasr • 8 min read
MER Article What is Political Islam? Over the last few decades, Islam has become a central point of reference for a wide range of political activities, arguments and opposition movements. The term “political Islam” has been adopted by many scholars in order to identify this seemingly unprecedented irruption of Islamic religion into the Charles Hirschkind • 4 min read
MER Article Following the Flag In a recent volume, The Cold War and the University, the prominent biologist R. C. Lewontin argued that the Cold War was the “high road to professional prosperity for the great majority.” [1] He is referring to those academics who prospered from extraordinary government largesse in a period when the irene gendzier • 7 min read
MER Article (Re)Made in the USA Over the last two decades, a number of presidents of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) have used their platform at annual meetings to express concern about decline in the field. [1] One is reminded of the Ottomans who, according to many (now discredited) accounts, were also in perpetual dec Lisa Hajjar, Steve Niva • 21 min read
MER Article From the Editor (Winter 1997) Our intent with this issue is simple: to present a critical evaluation of the current state of the field of Middle East studies. We focus centrally on the United States but also look at Middle East studies in other parts of the world, highlighting some of the important issues that have shaped the fi (Author not identified) • 2 min read
MER Article Editor's Picks (Fall 1997) B’tselem. A Policy of Discrimination: Land Expropriation, Planning and Building in East Jerusalem (Jerusalem, 1997). B’tselem. Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories as a Violation of Human Rights: Legal and Conceptual Aspects (Jerusalem, March 1997). B’tselem. The Quiet Deportation: Revoc (Author not identified) • 1 min read
MER Article Letters The special report on Afghanistan (MER 202) left me somewhat bemused. The author, Olivier Roy, may be a skilled anthropologist, but his political analysis can be seriously flawed and quite inconsistent. I was glad to see his article identify US economic and political interests (the oil and gas pipel (Author not identified) • 4 min read
MER Article History as Social Critique in Syrian Film Muhammad Malas’ al-Layl and Ryad Chaia’s al-Lajat History is back in fashion in Syria. The last few years have seen a flurry of Syrian films and TV series treating historical epochs from Zenobia’s Palmyra to the French occupation (1920-1946). The latter has been especially well represented in this Robert Blecher • 6 min read
MER Article M-I-C K-E-Y S-A-'-U-D In the days before globalization, when the US Air Force operated the only television station in his magic kingdom and the adventures of Davy Crockett were standard fare, the Saudi king loved to shower visitors with gifts. While heads of tribes received sacks of gold, Westerners often took home wrist (Author not identified) • 3 min read
