Jadaliyya Six Years On

Jadaliyya Six Years On

Jadaliyya Six Years On

By : Jadaliyya Co-Editors

This fall, Jadaliyya turns six!

When Jadaliyya published its very first articles, the seismic political shifts that would engulf the Middle East starting in late 2010 had not yet started. Once those events and their resulting transformations got under way, Jadaliyya became ideally situated to reflect, interpret, and contribute to discussions about these changes—both in the West and the Middle East. A key reason behind Jadaliyya’s rise was the ability to deliver incisive, hard-hitting, nuanced, and critical content at this crucial time, in both English and Arabic. In the few years that followed, Jadaliyya was not simply a conduit for analysis; it also became an active organic platform for the mobilized voices on the margins of public discourse. We provided one of the few spaces to question the “experts” and the growing cult that sustained them.

In the last six years, Jadaliyya editors and many of our contributors like the peoples of the Middle East more broadly, have been on an intense roller coaster of hope and despair. After an initial euphoria, apathy and cynicism have stifled a range of imaginative possibilities, as the early promise of Tunis and Cairo has been overshadowed by the bloody realities of Libya, Syria, Yemen, the Gaza Strip and of course the Islamic State. With the region’s social justice struggles becoming increasingly convoluted by late 2013 and with counterrevolutionary forces on the ascendency, Jadaliyya faced a submission slump in sophisticated and intellectually-grounded critical material. In times of hope, the impulse to write and document was at a record high, on Jadaliyya and elsewhere. As the Middle East has become an intensified space of war, repression, and ethnic cleansing from multiple sides, many analysts and researchers have written much less, taking pause to make critical sense, much less explain, the rapidly changing facts—and in many cases catastrophic and heartbreaking conditions—on the ground. This has made our work considerably more difficult. Not only in terms of retaining and expanding our readership base, but also in terms of sustaining and expanding our own involvement and commitment to providing critical analysis about the most urgent causes.

Nonetheless, there remains a strong need for critical analysis about and from the region, especially at a time when mainstream media has abandoned their (short-lived) interest in the aspirations of the people of the region as part of their (sometimes overly) celebratory coverage of the Arab uprisings. This is why we are embarking on a broad and sustained effort this year, along with Jadaliyya’s sister organizations (here), to produce yet another round of hard-hitting analyses of the violent and often reactionary unfolding of the uprisings.

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Media Matters 

Many analysts have now reverted back to their traditional focus on the “threats” the region poses to the national security interests of the United States and Western Europe, be it violence, radicalization, or refugees. Alternatively, many platforms that purport to offer unadulterated critical perspectives from the region are so deeply politicized either through their funding sources and/or their political allegiances that they have become part of the problem in terms of knowledge production. The marriage of militarization and petrodollars defines most mainstream and even some alternative media from the region. A prevailing tendency toward double standards in the reporting on offer by these platforms robs audiences of sound holistic analysis. Whether it is speaking on Syria with cynicism or ignoring Yemen altogether, whether it is sidestepping Saudi Arabia or jubilating over militarization in Egypt, whether it is sugar-coating tyranny in Jordan or placing Palestine on a back burner, the state of media-produced knowledge on the region is truly abysmal.  

It was at this particularly vital juncture that we decided not to succumb to the market-driven values of more production at reduced quality. Instead we employed a policy wholly the opposite. By intentionally raising the bar on quality we decreased the overall volume of content on Jadaliyya. Mainstream and corporate imperatives would consider this decision counterintuitive, but for independent alternative and critical publications whose integrity lies largely in the quality of their output, we were not interested in turning to “reporting.” Our goal was not to “cover” everything in the region, but to offer meaningful analysis on issues that we have a distinct familiarity with and are cable of speaking to. By not becoming pawns in the growing “cult of expertise” on all things related to the region, we avoided turning Jadaliyya into an otherwise expendable “Jack of all Trades.”

Beyond the collective despair, and despite the widespread curtailment of social movements for justice in the region, activists, researchers, and intellectuals in and from the Middle East, continue to distinguish Jadaliyya as one of the few places to read and learn about the ongoing struggle for freedom and dignity. This struggle that united us six years ago, continues to rally us today. That is why we consider the present phase to be nothing less than crucial. In this vein, we are particularly indebted to our continuously growing list of contributors, all of whom have taken the time to share their research and analysis, without remuneration, and in collaboration with our sometimes laborious review process.

[The Political Economy Project`s Summer Institute is part of a larger pedagogical project. Click below for more.]

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A Pedagogy Initiative

It is for this reason that we intend to focus our attention on our greatest priority as educators. With the hope of historicizing, contextualizing, and reconfiguring knowledge production on the region, Jadaliyya will invest in its urgent responsibility as a resource and a starting point of departure for inquisitive research. This is what we are calling Jadaliyya’s “pedagogical turn.” While this was already underway three years ago with our JadMags (short and focused publications on particular themes), Audio Journal Status/الوضع  (an ever expanding audiovisual database of lectures, programs, conferences, panels, and workshops), and further collaborations with our sister organization Tadween Publishing (producing books that are inspired by, or in dialogue with, works on Jadaliyya and beyond), our next phase will bring together these and additional efforts under the rubric of Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative. In a sense, we aim to become a platform not solely for critical online reflection—our raison d’être—but also for curating the work of academics, activists, artists, and journalists through the creation of a space where these voices coalesce and cohabitate. We are keen on doing so while resisting the tokenism of differentiation and the oppressiveness of unanimity. It is our hope that the content we publish on Jadaliyya continues to challenge the hegemony of “authoritative” voices and to expand our capacity to present a range of voices from and on the region.

[Our latest issue of the Arab Studies Journal is hot off the press this week! Click below for more.]

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Our Solid Ground

Today, we publish both on-the-spot analysis as well as longer form research articles. This affords us the flexibility to comment on current events in a deep and critical way without sacrificing our sensitivity and dedication to well-researched analytic pieces, and vice versa. Jadaliyya is also the platform of choice for a wide range of outputs, from interviews to NEWTON book features, extensive and wide-ranging media roundups from across locales and themes, photo-essays, and reviews. While it is not easy to sustain a heavy stream of stellar work in the context of a principally volunteer-based organization (and one that does not pay for content), we have been able to provide our readers with consistent and resource-oriented material over the past six years, in both Arabic and English, with occasional publications in Turkish and French. Notably, while our English production output has slowed down since the euphoria of the uprisings waned, our Arabic language production has thrived. In the last few years, we have been able to attract as many readers from the region as local publications have, with an uptake in critical cultural material. The fact is that our audience base is so wide-ranging and our production is sufficiently diverse that it is difficult to identify ebbs and flows from a bird’s eye viewpoint. 

In the coming months and years, we will be making this all the more apparent visually with a new website, a more technologically accessible interface, and a reinvigorated sense of purpose that will build on our sister projects, not least the Knowledge Production Project, a mammoth undertaking that will debut at MESA 2016 in Boston. We will also be building on the myriad networks of scholars and activists we brought together as part of various projects and workshops with our sister organization, FAMA (Forum on Arab and Muslim Affairs). Many of our readers will also be introduced more fully to our audio-visual production, curated by Quilting Point. Finally, we will be benefitting from the stellar scholarly footing and related networks provided by our sister organization, Arab Studies Journal.

[Our new releases from Tadween Publishing. Click Below for more.]

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Back to Basics

Our consistent commitment to thinking and writing about the Middle East from a transnational framework allows for fluency within the interconnections and specificities of the region’s societies, political systems, and economies. Of the many things that set Jadaliyya apart is the optic that allows us to see predicaments and possibilities transnationally. The unpacking of the fault-lines between transnational social movements, cultural production, and analytic frames (including but not limited to settler colonialism, political economy, and anti-blackness) will continue to set us apart. On the other hand, mainstream media’s reporting on the region since 2010 has gone from surprise to enthusiasm to “Whatever happened to the Arab Spring?” type of reporting to “well, that was a disaster!” Indeed, mainstream media have resorted to frameworks and clichés that have long dominated reporting on the Middle East, seeing everything through the lens of terrorism, ethno-sectarian strife, religion, geopolitics, and energy security.

For six years, we have attempted to push back against this backdrop by problematizing, complicating, and localizing discussions about the region in a manner that challenges both the naive cheerleading and haplessly pessimistic tones of knee-jerk journalism. We will continue to provide a different kind of analysis, since understanding the region is about grounded, diligent, sensitive, and empathetic coverage, not the occasional parachuting in and out when some cataclysm unfolds. For six years, we have attempted to showcase the complexities of revolutionary movements, their milieus and their aftermaths. For six years, we have searched for new modes of analysis to best articulate the new realities that continue to emerge. For six years, Jadaliyya has been synonymous with a durably independent, critical, and rooted discussion about the region.

On this anniversary, we promise our readers to double down on our core mission and strive for even better analysis and analytical reporting on the Middle East and beyond. Six years later, we believe Jadaliyya is as essential as ever.

[Join us at MESA for the launch of the Knowledge Production Project, and other ASI Projects] 

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      Every year, Ghent University awards the Amnesty International Chair to a person who makes a special contribution in the field of human rights. The laureate gives a public lecture at Ghent University and additional guest lectures for students. This year laureate of the Amnesty International Chair is Noura Erakat, a prominent Palestinian lawyer and activist, whose courageous and relentless work as a human rights academic and attorney has reshaped legal and political discussions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

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    • Jadaliyya Co-Editors Statement on “Impossible Solidarity”

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Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (April 26)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
 

Regional and International Relations

Less than 5 percent of Saudi Aramco to be sold The Saudi company currently produces upward of ten million barrels a day and will now be available for trade in the Saudi stock market.

Oman sets out new 20-year tourism plan As oil revenues drop, Oman places renewed interest in tourism efforts.

Emirati ballerina Alia Al Neyadi has big plans for the UAE’s cultural scene A mother-daughter ballet team takes the stage by storm in an upcoming ballet production.

UAE pledges $4B to boost Egypt’s economy The newest investments signal the United Arab Emirates’ continued support for Egypt’s current regime.

GCC reiterates commitment to narcotic control policy The countries also reiterated their need for a death penalty for drug smuggling, which, if revoked, may encourage operations.

A 30-year-old prince`s bold vision for Saudi Arabia Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s agenda may be seen as overly ambitious, but Saudi Arabia may need drastic new policies to overcome debt.

FIFA Panel to Monitor Labor Conditions at Qatar Stadiums The new decision would give FIFA a stake in the health and safety of World Cup construction workers in Qatar.

A Respite of Soccer for Qatar’s Laborers Day laborers and construction workers get their own piece of the football dream in their Workers Cup tournament.

Consultants flock to Saudi Arabia for ‘mother of all transformation projects’ Economic consultant companies rack up huge profits as Saudi Arabia announces its reform plan, one report reveals.

The Short Century at Sharjah Art Museum highlights events that shaped the Arab world in the 20th century An upcoming art exhibit looks at the historical context of Arab art after World War I and just before the first Gulf War.

2016 World Press Freedom Index Reporters without Borders released their yearly ranking of press freedoms around the world, with poor ratings across the GCC. 

KUWAIT BECOMES FIRST COUNTRY TO COLLECT DNA SAMPLES FROM ALL CITIZENS AND VISITORS: REPORT Kuwait will begin the process of DNA testing at airports possibly later this year, and will include residents already within the country.

Kuwait lost up to $200m during oil strike The three-day strike forced the country to operate at much lower levels of oil production, and has since returned to pre-strike levels.

US State Department approves $260 million missile sale to Qatar Qatar’s latest arms acquisition includes 254 new missiles, though another deal for aircraft still awaits approval.

No jail time for Villaggio fire defendants, Qatar judge rules The defendants will only have to pay blood money to the relatives of the nineteen who passed away in the fire. 

Facebook most popular stock among investors in UAE, rest of GCC Stock investors recently released results for the GCC’s popular stocks, which also included Apple and Halliburton.

The war of words over who does Saudi Arabia`s housework Debates over housework in Saudi Arabia drag on, revived by arguments against impoverished Saudi women doing the work.

Saudi Arabia, 9/11, and what we know about the secret papers that could ignite a diplomatic war An argument wages in Washington over the possible declassification of documents that could establish direct ties between Saudi Arabia and 9/11 events.

Saudi Arabia agrees plans to move away from oil profits An overview of key points from Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision plan.
 

Reports and Opinions

Moving away from oil Months of low oil prices offer a perfect opportunity for GCC countries to undertake massive reforms in everything from economics to migration.

Sponsorship system One Kuwaiti columnist examines the benefits and disadvantages of the sponsorship system on foreign employment.

Saudi Arabia: The devil we know Fareed Zakaria’s editorial for a continued US alliance with Saudi Arabia.

WATCH: Fareed Zakaria And Reza Aslan Discuss Saudi Arabia’s Influence On Terrorism A new talk show explores the lives of the 9/11 hijackers and their ties to Saudi Arabia. 

How Obama is Benefiting Iran by the US-GCC Summit? One analyst looks at why Obama needs to balance the diplomatic and economic power of Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s Changing International Role Foreign policy experts discuss the nature of Saudi Arabia’s latest diplomatic endeavors.

Don’t Let Americans Sue Saudi Arabia A new congressional bill could threaten US relations with Saudi Arabia over 9/11 responsibilities.

Why Dubai Is a Perfect Setting for Grand Theft Auto A plea for Dubai to become the next location for a popular car-racing video game.
 

Crisis in Yemen 

As Saudis Continue Deadly Bombing of Yemen, Is Obama Trading Cluster Munitions for Riyadh`s Loyalty? One analyst questions American arms sales to Saudi Arabia and their deadly role in the war in Yemen.

AQAP Forced Out of Major Port City in Yemen A coalition of Saudi forces and Yemeni groups fought to push out AQAP from Mukalla.

Yemen Peace Effort Falters as Houthis Refuse to Attend Talks Initial days of Kuwait-held peace talks got off to a shaky start.

AL-QAEDA MILITANTS KILLED IN PUSH TO FREE YEMEN CITY 30 AQAP militants were killed in the latest attacks on Mukalla.

Canada should act quickly to provide aid for Yemen One researcher’s plea to provide humanitarian aid to Yemenis in their post-war recovery.

GCC, U.S. agree joint patrols to block Iran arms to Yemen: Zayani Iran denies sending weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Lawmakers launch bipartisan effort to restrict U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, citing war crimes in Yemen US congressmen speak out against US involvement in Saudi’s war in Yemen, and hope to pass legislation to prevent future arms sales.
 

Human Rights 

KSA calls on UN to stop politicizing human rights Saudi Arabia affirms the fact that the country already has measures to protect human rights violations, including mechanisms to prevent unlawful torture.

Saudi Arabia: Counter-terror court sentences human rights activist in relentless onslaught against civil society Amnesty International calls upon Saudi Arabia to release members of a human rights organization that fought for peaceful reform.

International Actors Still Do Not Hold Bahraini Government Accountable for Its Violations on Human Rights A factsheet on arrests and prison sentences of Bahraini citizens in 2015. 

U.S. prisoner in Bahrain says he has been freed via royal pardon The royal pardon also included the payment of a fee, in order for the dual citizen to be released from Bahraini police custody.

The Guggenheim Doesn’t Want Labor Activists Interfering With Its Luxurious Abu Dhabi Outpost Activists known as the Gulf Labor Coalition face routine suppression in the UAE, and calls for better labor policies at the Guggenheim’s new museum are largely ignored.

Arabic

انطلاق مفاوضات الكويت اليمنية: الفشل ليس خياراً!
تقرير عن بدء المفاوضات في الكويت بعد تأخير دام ثلاثة أيام.

اليمن: الحوثيون يشاركون في مباحثات السلام
وافق الحوثيون على الانضمام الى مباحثات السلام التي ترعاها الامم المتحدة في الكويت بعد تلقيهم ضمانات دولية بشأن وقف اطلاق النار. 

جولة واحدة في الكويت لا تكفي: درب المفاوضات طويل
لقمان عبدالله يؤكد ان مفاوضات الكويت ستكرس الهدنة بين الأطراف اليمنية وتعمل على مأسستها من خلال لجان اشراف دولي بينما سترحل القضايا الأساسية إلى جولات أخرى. 

المحادثات تسير ببطء: خلافٌ على الأولويات
الجلسة الثانية في مفاوضات الكويت تثبت وقف إطلاق النار الساري بينما لا تنبئ بتقريب يذكر في مواقف طرفي الصراع.

تركيا تجمّد أصول علي عبد الله صالح
أوردت الجريدة الرسمية التركية تجميد الاصول التي يملكها الرئيس اليمني السابق علي عبدالله صالح في تركيا، بموجب قرارات مجلس الامن الدولي. 

«البذخ» العسكري لم ينقذ السعودية في اليمن
تقرير عن تحقيق لوكالة “رويترز” عن الواقع السعودي الصعب في اليمن على الرغم من “البذخ” السعودي عبر صفقات التسلح. 

سيناريوهات للتراجع عن اتفاقية تيران وصنافير؟
مصادر مصرية تؤكد ل”الاخبار” ان الرئاسة تدرس سيناريوهات للتراجع عن اتفاقية ترسيم الحدود البحرية مع السعودية اذا تحرك الشارع المصري بصورة كبيرة.

مصر والسعودية: اتفاق مُجحٍف وشرعية تهتزّ
مصطفى اللباد يبحث تداعيات تنازل مصر عن جزيرتي تيران وصنافير للسعودية. 

بيان القمة الخليجية ـ الأميركية
لم يختلف بيان القمة الخليجية-الأميركية في الرياض عن مفردات القمة الإسلامية واحتلت إيران حيزاً كبيراً منه. 

أوباما يودِّع الخليجيين: عليكم بالإصلاح وكفى صراعاً مع إيران
الرئيس الأميركي سعى الى طمأنة دول الخليج وحثهم ضمنياً على المزيد من المشتريات للسلاح الأميركي.

هكذا تشتري «أرامكو» النفوذ لآل سعود
علي مراد يؤكد ان المال النفطي أنقذ الرياض كثيراً وخصوصاً العدوان الطويل على اليمن، إسقاط المحاكم الأميركية لدعاوى دفع الرياض تعويضات لعلائات صحايا هجمات ١١ ايلول، حماية أميركية مباشرة للنظام السعودي، وتصدير اسلحة أميركية متطورة إلى المملكة. 

السعودية وأوباما ولعنة «11 أيلول»
منير الخطيب يبحث زيارة أوباما للسعودية والصفحات السرية في تقرير اللجنة الخاصة بهجمات ١١ أيلول.

أوباما في الرياض: لا مصلحة لأحد في خوض نزاعٍ مع إيران
الرئيس الأميركي يتطرق الى العلاقة مع ايران خلال زيارته الى السعودية، موضحاً ان لا مصلحة لاي دولة في خوض صراع مع طهران. 

تركي الفيصل: لإعادة تقييم العلاقة مع واشنطن
آعتبر رئيس الاستخبارات السعودية السابق ان “الايام الخوالى” بين المملكة والولايات المتحدة انتهت إلى غير رجعة وانه يجب أن “يعاد تقييم” العلاقة بين البلدين. 

كارتر: واشنطن سرّعت وتيرة تعاونها العسكري مع الخليج
أعلن وزير الدفاع الأميركي ان بلاده سرعت منذ عام وتيرة تعاونها العسكري مع دول الخليج القلقة من التهديد الإيراني. 

مشروع قانون في الكونغرس يفرض قيوداً على تسليح السعودية
تقدم السيناتور الديموقراطي كريس مورفي والسيناتور الجمهوري راند بول بمشروع قانون يضع قيوداً على بيع صواريخ جو-أرض للسعودية.

زوجة رائف بدوي «تأمل» بعفو ملكي
أعلنت إنصاف حيدر، زوجة المدون السعودي رائف بدوي المسجون في السعودية منذ العام ٢٠١٢، انها ما زالت “تأمل” ان يعفو الملك سلمان عن زوجها.

أول قرض اجنبي للسعودية منذ 15 سنة
تعتزم السعودية اقتراض عشرة مليارات دولار من مصارف أجنبية لتغطية جانب من العجز في ماليتها العامة، جراء انخفاض اسعار النفط، في خطوة هي الاولى من نوعها منذ ١٥ سنة. 

الكويت: ضغوط تدفع عمال النفط إلى إنهاء إضرابهم
أنهى عمال النفط في الكويت إضرابهم، بعد ثلاثة أيام، بعد ان سارعت الحكومة إلى تحذيرهم من أنها لن تستجيب لأي مطالب تحت الضغظ.

الشيخ النمر في مرافعة الكرامة: حياتي ليست أهم من كرامتي
صحيفة “مرآة البحرين” ومركز “كيتوس” الثقافي يصدران كتاب الشيخ نمر النمر بعنوان “مرافعة كرامة.”

أيّ عُمرٍ بقيَ لقناة «الجزيرة»؟ 
محمد فارس جرادات يؤكد رحلة “الجزيرة” في الكهولة المبكرة بدأت منذ استقالة وضاح خنفر.