Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Jose Ciro Martinez

Jose Ciro Martinez is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge.

MER Article

Starvation, Submission and Survival

On December 23, 2012, following a week of imposed scarcity, the Syrian town of Halfaya received 100 sacks of flour from an Islamic charity. The town’s main bakery started churning out bread, an all too infrequent occurrence since violence between the Asad regime and opposition forces escalated earli

Brent Eng, Jose Ciro Martinez • 14 min read

MER Article

Bread Is Life

‘Abd al-Qadir is tall, handsome and unassumingly stylish. With his well-cropped beard, Bob Marley T-shirt and Nike kicks, the young man would not look out of place on the gentrified streets of Brooklyn, the art scene of Belleville or the bustling beaches of his dream destination, Rio de Janeiro. Ins

Jose Ciro Martinez • 17 min read