James Ryan
James Ryan is the Executive Director of the Middle East Research and Information Project
The MERIP Podcast Episode 30: Nafiseh Sharifi
Today on the MERIP Podcast we’re sharing an interview with Nafiseh Sharifi about her recent article in Middle East Report, “Soundtrack of Dissent–Protest Music in Iran.” Sharifi is an Iranian anthropologist and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University ofBuilding a Sustainable Future for MERIP
Dear Friends and Comrades, When I came on board at MERIP in 2024 the task at hand was clear: find ways to engage our audience and our supporters more deeply and remain accessible to a wide audience. We’ve come a long way in accomplishing that goal. Our new website,The MERIP Podcast Episode 29: 25 Years Since 9/11 And Still No Justice--Here's Why
Today on the MERIP Podcast we’re sharing a recording of a live event featuring Lisa Hajjar and John Ryan discussing their last two decades of reporting, researching and writing from Guantánamo Bay. This event, which took place in Washington, DC, at Busboys and Poets on September 13th, marked the
NEW: Remittances at Risk–War, Sanctions and Financial Insecurity in Yemen
Dear Friends and Comrades, With the conflict in Yemen taking a dramatic turn this week, we are sharing a new article that examines how the sanctions regime imposed on Houthi territory has impacted households across the country. In “Remittances at Risk–War, Sanctions and Informal Finance in Yemen,” Oshin PandeyThe MERIP Podcast Episode 28: Arran Walshe
Today on the MERIP Podcast James Ryan talks with Arran Walshe, a journalist and researcher based in Amman. Walshe is the author of “Alternative Amman–Making Counterculture in the Jordanian Capital,” which appeared in our summer issue of Middle East Report, Art at Work–People, Power and Cultural Production. This
MER 319: Art at Work–People, Power and Cultural Production
Dear Friends and Comrades, We’re thrilled to share Issue 319 of Middle East Report, “Art at Work–People, Power and Cultural Production.” Across the region today, art is being made, redefined and reimagined under extreme conditions of war, political upheaval and the interplay of state and market capital. Through
NEW: Arab AI Slop and the Precarious Politics of Digital Kitsch
Dear Friends and Comrades, If you spend any time on social media, you’ve seen the uncannily rendered videos and memes known colloquially as AI slop, crudely generated videos playing on stereotypes meant to generate viral outrage. In our upcoming summer issue of Middle East Report, Nermin Elsherif looks at