January 24, 2019
by Robert Hamd In 2017, the Lebanese government brought in the international consultancy firm, McKinsey, to analyze Lebanon’s public and private sectors. On Wednesday, January 2, the Ministry of Economy released the report, describing what they saw as Lebanon’s crippling political stalemate in government. The 1,200-page report warns that the […]
January 17, 2019
by Mike kuhn I recently learned that Eugene Peterson, author, pastor and Bible translator, passed away. At the same time, I was also reflecting on the death of a cherished and esteemed leader of the church in the Middle East—Ghassan Khalaf, pastor, mentor, theologian and Bible translator who also served […]
January 10, 2019
by Wissam Nasrallah After an overdose of podcasts, I turned on the radio in the hope of finding something “light” to listen to, as I was desperately trying to make my way through the organized anarchy of traffic in Beirut.
January 3, 2019
Dear Reader, At the beginning of 2019, the IMES team would like to thank you for accompanying us on our journey over the past year through the various countries of the MENA region. Today, we are preparing for new tours, which we begin today. We always examine critical issues […]
December 20, 2018
Taking a break from the hustle and bustle, the members of the IMES team reflected on the meaning of Christmas and how it is embodied in their work within the Institute. Our team members share their reflections below, along with their Christmas greetings.
December 13, 2018
By Brent Hamoud How do we share a world with over 68 million victims of displacement? This is a defining question of the 21st century as unprecedented numbers of individuals have been uprooted from their homes and thrust into precarious existences on the fringes of our global systems. The phenomenon […]
December 6, 2018
Dear Reader, Socio-economic realities in the MENA are not improving. In our Regional Brief for December 2018, we highlight issues of concern from Lebanon, Egypt, Mauritania, Sudan, Palestine and Iraq. Endemic corruption and the absence of reform in the educational system persists without any real transformation. Suffering and grief […]
November 29, 2018
By Martin Accad Two sheikhs, three priests, and an evangelical theologian walk out of a mosque in the warm breeze of a late afternoon in June. Cars slow down and stare at the unlikely crew, as they move slowly beneath the elegant spire of the Aisha Bint Abi Bakr mosque […]