Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Najib Hourani

Najib Hourani is an associate professor of anthropology and Global Urban Studies at Michigan State University and a member of MERIP’s editorial committee.

Rebuilding Douma—Syria's Reconstruction from Below — Umm Mohammed and her husband drink coffee at their destroyed home in Douma, March 23, 2017. She raises chickens as a source of food and income. Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty ImagesArtist’s rendering of one of many building plans for Marota City as seen on their website and Facebook page.

MER Article

Rebuilding Douma—Syria's Reconstruction from Below

Before the war, Douma was a city on the rise. A district seat in the Governorate of the Damascus Countryside (Muhafizat Rif Dimashq) and a market town, it served as a bridge, of sorts, between the agricultural areas of Ghouta and Damascus and was famous for its grape production. In

Najib Hourani, Safa Rawashdeh • 13 min read

Capturing the Complexity of Lebanon’s Civil War and Its Legacies — MERIP Reports no. 108/109, September-October 1982. Cover by Kamal Boullata.Middle East Report no. 162, January-February 1990. Cover design by Kamal Boullata, photo by Alfred Yaghobzadeh.Middle East Report no. 236, Fall 2005. Cover design by Geoff Hartman, photo by Sharif Karim.

MER Article

Capturing the Complexity of Lebanon’s Civil War and Its Legacies

The current political and economic crises in Lebanon reveal the myriad ways that the Lebanese continue to deal with the aftereffects of the 1975–1990 civil war. The roots of many of today’s crises—a collapsing currency, shortages of basic goods like medicine, fuel and electricity, rising poverty and

Najib Hourani • 9 min read

Capturing the Complexity of Lebanon’s Civil War and Its Legacies — MERIP Reports no. 108/109, September-October 1982. Cover by Kamal Boulatta.Middle East Report no. 162, January-February 1990. Cover design by Kamal Boulatta, photo by Alfred Yaghobzadeh.Middle East Report no. 236, Fall 2005. Cover design by Geoff Hartman, photo by Sharif Karim.

Current Analysis

Capturing the Complexity of Lebanon’s Civil War and Its Legacies

The current political and economic crises in Lebanon reveal the myriad ways that the Lebanese continue to deal with the effects of the 1975–1990 civil war. Najib Hourani explores MERIP's deep coverage of Lebanon since the early 1970s. He finds that "MERIP’s commitment to foregrounding local social s

Najib Hourani • 9 min read