Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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MER Article

From the Oil Weapon to Boycott, Mobilizing in Support of Palestine in the Gulf
Protesters during a solidarity sit-in with the Gaza Strip, in Manama, Bahrain, on November 17, 2023. Mazen Mahdi/AFP via Getty ImagesAn Instagram post by BDS Kuwait calling on people in the region to use the “weapon of boycott” against global companies enabling Israel’s war on Gaza.
MER Article

From the Oil Weapon to Boycott, Mobilizing in Support of Palestine in the Gulf

50 years after the 1973 oil embargo, some Gulf citizens oppose normalization with their wallets.
Samar Alwan • 5 min read
Reflections from the Present on the Future of Political Action for Palestine
Activists protesting against the bombing of Gaza blockade the entrance to the Instro Precision factory, a subsidiary of the Israeli military contractor Elbit systems, on October 26, 2023, in Sandwich, England. Guy Smallman/Getty Images
MER Article

Reflections from the Present on the Future of Political Action for Palestine

[su_dropcap style="simple" size="4"]F[/su_dropcap]ollowing October 7, 2023, the world has witnessed an unprecedented assault on Gaza and across historic Palestine. At the same time, these months have given rise to an unprecedented surge of global solidarity. New meanings and modes
(Author not identified) • 9 min read
The Kurdish Women's Movement and Turkey's Transnational 'Feminicide'
Demonstrators hold portraits of victims of the December 23, 2022 Enghien Street shooting in Paris, as well as those of the La Fayette street murders in 2013, to express solidarity with the Kurdish community, Paris, December 26, 2022. Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

The Kurdish Women's Movement and Turkey's Transnational 'Feminicide'

[su_dropcap style="simple" size="4"]O[/su_dropcap]n January 9, 2023, thousands of demonstrators from across Europe gathered in Paris to participate in marches organized by Kurdish groups. Demonstrators were mourning a triple killing of Kurdish activists that occurred in Paris just two weeks
Elif Genc, Anna Özbek • 14 min read
Transnational Repression Against Exiled Women Activists
A projection on the Louvre Museum in Paris by Amnesty International depicts jailed Saudi human rights activists including Loujain Al-Athloul (C) and reads “Mr Macron, demand their release,” ahead of the virtual G20 summit in November 2020. Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images

Transnational Repression Against Exiled Women Activists

In Spring 2011, as the uprising against Bashar Al-Assad erupted in Syria, Sana, the daughter of Syrian exiles living in Canada, began engaging in online activism. Her support for the revolution rapidly gained traction among fellow Syrians and a widening global audience. But as her voice grew louder, she found
Noura Aljizawi, Siena Anstis, Marcus Michaelsen • 13 min read
How a Tree Became a Voice—A Collective Reflection on the Iraqi Media Platform, Jummar
Inspired by Jawad Selim’s painting “Siesta” (1950). Designed by Atef Al-Jaffal/Jummar.Jummar explains that the small sun represents hope in general. In this specific design, it represents the people of al-Miqdadiyah (a city in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq). The city is historically known for its religious diversity and cultural harmony, as it is inhabited by Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and Turkmen. Designed by Atef Al-Jaffal/Jummar.

How a Tree Became a Voice—A Collective Reflection on the Iraqi Media Platform, Jummar

We launched the Iraqi independent media platform, Jummar, in October of 2022 with the goal of serving as “an independent Iraqi media initiative that seeks to pave the way for creative and ethical journalism in and about Iraq.”[1] The publication of this collective piece, co-authored by five members of
Zainab Al-Mashat, Atef Al Jaffal, Laila Al-Aajeeb, Omar Al-Jaffal, Haneen Naamneh • 11 min read