Part 1 – September 8th
COVID-19
Jadaliyya’s new Environment Page has produced content discussing how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the region. Engaging both contemporary and historical perspectives, these pieces offer critical analyses of the relationship between the pandemic, public health, and environmental justice. Also listed are other recent Jadaliyya pieces on the pandemic, including a bouquet on COVID-19 and social mobilization.
-
Middle East History in the Time of COVID-19: A Roundtable on Disease, Environment, and Medicine by Joelle Abi-Rached, A. Tylor Brand, Christopher Rose, Seçil Yılmaz, and the Environment Page Editors
-
Quick Thoughts: Carly A. Krakow on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Environmental Racism by Carly A. Krakow
-
Water Scarcity, Climate Change, and COVID-19 in Yemen: An Interview with Helen Lackner by Carly A. Krakow and Helen Lackner
-
As the Hirak in Algeria Goes Online Due to COVID-19, so Does Repression by Youcef Oussama Bounab
-
Introduction to the Bouquet on COVID-19 and Social Mobilization by Kylie Broderick
-
Roundtable: Protest and Social Mobilization in the Time of COVID-19 by Anthony Alessandrini, Zahra Ali, Kylie Broderick, Juan Doe, Nadim El-Kak, Rhea Rahman, and Ghiwa Sayegh
-
“This is the Voice of Algeria:” Radio Corona International Carries the Torch of the Hirak by Muriam Haleh Davis
-
The Algerian Healthcare System in the Time of COVID-19 by Thomas Serres
-
COVID-19 and Feminism in the Global South: Challenges, Initiatives, and Developments by Nadje Al-Ali
-
Time to Strike: Academic Workers and the Tactic of Withholding Gradesby UCSC Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Agitation Committee
Lebanon
The August 4th explosion in Beirut left the city devastated, and many are still trying to make sense of the catastrophe. In several Jadaliyya pieces and events, our Lebanon experts have grappled with the latest developments. They address the role of Lebanon’s political class in the crisis, relief efforts, how the explosion affected Beirut's urban landscape, unanswered questions about the cause of the explosion, and much more. Also included are two NEWTON (New Texts Out Now) pieces. Watch the episode to hear from Mona Harb about her Quick Thoughts piece on Beirut!
Status/الوضع
Our Audio-Visual Magazine, Status/الوضع, launched a new podcast series with Jadaliyya’s Environment Page titled “Environment in Context,” and two recent episodes are listed here. Also listed is a Status/الوضع episode on the relationship between gender and Islamic studies, an interview with Ziad Abu-Rish on the Beirut explosion, and an episode on political prisoners and proletarian feminism.
Syria
Though Syria appears less and less in the news, ASI has continued to keep track and analyze developments there. Most recently, ASI has produced content that reflects on the last two decades of Bashar al-Asad’s rule, summarizes latest developments, and calls for revitalizing an ongoing conversation in the context of these developments.
Maghreb
Jadaliyya’s new Photography and Audio-Visual Narratives Page, and the Arab Studies Journal, have published several pieces on the Maghreb, ranging from Algerian history and film, to the Moroccan Green March, to post-Qaddafi Libya.
Palestine
ASI’s team grappled with new developments in Palestine and Palestinian Studies, analyzing the implications of Israel’s intended formal annexation of the West Bank, Israel’s extrajudicial killing of Ahmad Erakat, as well as the more hopeful news regarding the creation of the first endowed chair for Palestinian Studies in the US. Also listed are collections of materials regarding Palestinian history and politics. Watch the episode to hear from Beshara Doumani about the Mahmoud Darwish Chair in Palestinian Studies!
Independent Content
Robert Vitalis’s new book, Oilcraft, takes on conventional beliefs on oil, and offers a corrective analysis that dispels predominant mystifications in economic, military, and diplomatic policy. By exposing suspect fears of oil scarcity and conflict, Vitalis investigates the geopolitical repercussions of those false beliefs. Watch the episode to hear from Robert Vitalis about Oilcraft!
Part 2 – September 10th
Pedagogy
ASI’s Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative, or MESPI, is an educational resource that curates and collects Middle East studies material for both educators and students of a variety of levels. Listed here are MESPI’s initiatives and recent publications. Watch the episode to hear more about MESPI’s work!
Egypt
Recent materials published include a New Texts Out Now (NEWTON) piece regarding the issues of market-based development, as well as an Essential Readings collection on the Left’s history in Egypt.
Iran
Jadaliyya’s Iran Page published material addressing the history behind the translation of Frantz Fanon’s work into Persian. Other recent publications include a review for a new book addressing the development of Iranian pop music in Southern California, and a roundtable conversation on Iranian prison politics. Also listed are materials on socialism, communism, and feminism in Iran. Watch the episode to hear from the authors of the “Is Abolition Global?” roundtable!
Turkey
Jadaliyya’s Turkey Page addressed the question of populism in the recent move to reconvert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Other recent publications include a piece on the implications of recent campaigns to address femicide in Turkey. Below you will also find two New Texts Out Now (NEWTON) pieces on masculinity, disability, and political violence in Turkey; and on urban activism, coup d'état, and memory.
Independent Materials
Call for Interns
ASI is looking for candidates who are self-motivated, prone to collaborative efforts, and eager to develop their skills in a variety of respects. Despite specialization in particular areas, ASI interns will be trained to develop various sets of skills (including writing, typesetting, editing, networking, managing, and/or administrating), especially if they remain on board for more than one term.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Internships involve a ten- to fifteen-hour weekly commitment, mostly via cyberspace. The location of applicants need not be in Washington DC in most cases. Inquiries may be sent to info@ArabStudiesInstitute.org.
For more information on ASI’s branches and positions available, go to our website.