MERIP updates MERIP Joins Second Statement Condemning Mada Masr’s Shutdown, Standing with Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah Dear Friends and Comrades, Following last Friday’s statement condemning the referral to trial of Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent Egyptian media outlet Mada Masr, MERIP’s Board of Directors has joined a second statement condemning the conviction of Attalah and the broader crackdown on Mada Masr’ James Ryan • 4 min read
Events Human Rights and the New Regional Order in the Middle East/SWANA November 4, 2026 @ 6PM, Roosevelt House, 47-49 E. 65th Street, New York, NY James Ryan, Ervand Abrahamian, Heba Gowayed, Jillian Schwedler, GABRIEL YOUNG • 1 min read
MERIP updates MERIP Signs Statement In Support of Lina Attalah and Mada Masr Dear Friends and Comrades, MERIP’s Board of Directors has joined the list of 119 civil society and media organizations to condemn an unprecedented attack on Lina Attalah, editor in chief of the independent Egyptian media outlet Mada Masr, who has been referred to trial by Egyptian authorities. Mada Masr’ James Ryan • 5 min read
MERIP updates Sabiha Allouche Joins MERIP Board of Directors Dear Friends and Comrades, Today I am happy to announce that Sabiha Allouche, a longtime MERIP contributor and editor, and Senior Lecturer in Middle East Politics at the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter has been elected to MERIP’s Board of Directors. Her work James Ryan • 1 min read
MERIP updates 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 of James Ryan, Nafiseh Sharifi • 1 min read
MERIP updates Building 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, James Ryan • 2 min read
The MERIP Podcast 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 James Ryan, Lisa Hajjar • 1 min read
Employees count banknotes at a currency exchange office in Yemen's third city of Taez, 2021. Ahmad al-Basha/AFP via Getty Images Yemen 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 Pandey James Ryan, Oshin Pandey, Narayani Sritharan • 1 min read
Jordan The 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 James Ryan, Arran Walshe • 1 min read
Events Mahmoud Khalil: No Land to Stand On September 25, 2026 @ 7 pm, Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA James Ryan • 2 min read
48 Cacti, 2024. Manal Mahamid. Silkscreen print, 120 x 120 cm. Featured in the exhibit "Women at Work: Intersection of Fine Art and Craft," at Dalloul Art Foundation, reviewed in this issue. Art 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 James Ryan • 3 min read
25 Years Since 9/11 And Still No Justice--Here's Why. Sunday, September 13, 5-7PM at Busboys and Poets, 14th and V. Events 25 Years Since 9/11 And Still No Justice—Here's Why September 13, 2026 @ 5PM EST, Busboys and Poets 14th and V Lisa Hajjar • 2 min read