Middle East Law and Governance

In this episode, Ezra Karmel speaks with Prof. F Gregory Gause III. The discussion focuses on current developments in the Middle East (including the recent conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States) and considers how Gause's analytical framework helps us understand contemporary regional politics. The conversation is inspired by a recent Middle East Law and Governance roundtable in whi...

In this episode, Ezra Karmel speaks with Sean Yom and Pete Moore about their recent special issue in MELG, "Reconceptualizing Security and Political Economy in the Modern Middle East," which includes articles on Syria and Yemen. We focus on their own contribution in the issue, which focuses on the extreme militarization, delving into how this system is perpetuated discussing the centrality of Jord...

In collaboration with the Governance Uncovered podcast of the Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD), Ellen Lust moderates a discussion on decentralisation and local governance in the Middle East and North Africa, focusing in particular on Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. She is joined by Intissar Kherigi, Christiana Parreira, and Ezra Karmel.

In this episode, Ezra Karmel speaks with Francesco Cavatorta and Hendrik Kraetzschmar about their recent special issue in MELG examining multiparty coalition government in the Arab MENA. We discuss key features of coalition formation, composition, and duration/durability, why they have grown in prevalence, what they can teach us about coalitions in other contexts (including Israel).

In this episode, we speak with Dana and Diana about the recent special issue in MELG focusing on recentering society in the study of Palestinian politics. We discuss what the post-Oslo period looks like, how resistance is changing, and where research on Palestine could develop. You can check out the special issue we are discussing on the Brill website: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/14/3/mel...

In this episode, Ezra speaks with Jillian Schwedler about her new book, "Protesting Jordan: Geographies of Power and Dissent". She discusses the relationship between space and protest – and the long history of protest in the Kingdom.

In this episode, Meriem Guetat and Meriem Agrebi discuss governance in Tunisia amidst Covid-19, highlighting what the situation tells us about the narrative of Tunisia’s democratic exceptionalism following the 2011 revolution. The podcast revolves around the recent article that they co-wrote as part of part of MELG’s recent special issue on governance in the MENA amidst Covid. You can read the art...

In this episode, we speak with Mona Harb and Ahmad Gharbieh about the varying modalities of Covid governance in Lebanon. We discuss the different responses of sectarian and non-sectarian actors to the pandemic and how they played out geographically. The podcast revolves around the recent article that they co-wrote with Mona Fawaz and Luna Dayekh. The articles is part of MELG’s upcoming special iss...

In this episode, we speak with Jan Völkel and Paul Esber about their new special issue, "Parliaments in the Middle East and North Africa: A Struggle for Relevance”. You can read the issue here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/13/3/melg.13.issue-3.xml

In this episode, we speak with Erika Biagini and Lucia Ardovini about continuity and change in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood since the 2013 coup. The discussion draws from a recent MELG special issue co-edited by Lucia and Erika: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/13/2/melg.13.issue-2.xml

In this episode, we speak with Jacob Mundy about the decade of unrest since the revolution in Libya and the encouraging recent establishment of the Government of National Unity. The podcast draws both from Jacob's 2018 book (Libya) and the recent MELG special collection he edited on Libya's protracted interregnum: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/13/1/melg.13.issue-1.xml

In this episode, we speak with Rima Majed about the "double liminality" that Lebanon has experience as a result of a year of protest and pandemic. The podcast draws from Rima's recent article in MELG: Living Revolution, Financial Collapse and Pandemic in Beirut: Notes on Temporality, Spatiality, and “Double Liminality”. It is available here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/12/3/article-p305_3...

In this podcast, we speak with Ibrahim Halawi and Bassel Salloukh about their upcoming field note, which reflects on the Gramscian dilemma that anti-sectarian, post-war protests in Lebanon have faced. The field note being discussed is not yet published, but Ibrahim’s earlier article mentioned in the podcast can be found here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sena.12328

In this episode, we speak with Haala Hweio about the history of Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and its important for the future of the global movement. The discussion focuses on Hala's recent article in MELG, which can be found in advanced copy here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/aop/article-10.1163-18763375-01202001/article-10.1163-18763375-01202001.xml

In this episode, we speak with Bozena Welborne about her upcoming article in MELG, "On Their Own? Women Running as Independent Candidates in the Middle East, in which she examines the growing number of women running as independent electoral candidates in the Middle East.

In this episode, we speak with José Ciro Martínez about his 2018 MELG article, "Site of Resistance or Apparatus of Acquiescence? Tactics at the Bakery" as well as some more recent develops in Jordan around bread politics and COVID-19. Martinez's article (which is open access) is available here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/10/2/article-p160_160.xml?language=en

In this episode, we speak with Joas Wagemakers about the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, its historical evolution, and the splits that have emerged within the movement. Joas recently published an article in MELG focusing specifically on the divergent responses of the Brotherhood to the "Arab Spring". The article is available here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/12/1/article-p35_35.xml

In this episode, we speak with Annelle Sheline about her recent article in which she demonstrates how Middle East monarchies have used the label of "moderate" as a reputation strategy. Her article is available to read here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/12/1/article-p109_109.xml

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jillian Schwedler about different approaches to studying politics and protests in the Middle East, with a specific focus on protests in Jordan.

In this episode, we speak with Michelle Weitzel about soundscapes, affect, emotions, the Arab Uprisings, and her recent article in MELG: "Engineering Affect: Street Politics and Microfoundations of Governance", which can be found here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/11/2/article-p203_203.xml

In this episode, we talk with AUB's Dr. Carmen Geha about the resilience of the power sharing system in Lebanon and the effects of the current protests on that system. Dr. Geha wrote an article about the resilience of the power sharing system for MELG, which can be accessed here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/11/1/article-p65_65.xml

In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Dr. Simon Mabon to discusses sectarianism and his recent article in MELG where he focuses on the regulation of sect-based identities in Bahrain and Iraq. The article can be found here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/11/3/article-p283_283.xml

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Anver Emon to Discuss prevalent approaches to studying Islam and Muslims and his suggested way forward. He recently authored a fieldnote on this topic for MELG: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/11/3/article-p347_347.xml

In this episode, we sit down with MELG's new Editor-In-Chief, Dr. Janine A. Clark, to discuss the future of MELG and opportunities to engage with the journal.