Senior fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
[Singapore]
James M. Dorsey is a scholar and award-winning journalist.
James M. Dorsey is a scholar and award-winning journalist. A senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture, James is one of the pioneers of the exploration of the political, social and economic aspects of Middle Eastern and North African soccer.
James has published widely in scholarly journals, writes a syndicated column, is the author of the acclaimed blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer and a recently published book with the same title.
His book, Comparative Political Transitions between Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa( co-authored with Teresita Cruz-Del Rosario), was published in July 2016.
He is currently working on three forthcoming books: China and the Middle East: Venturing into the Maelstrom, Creating Frankenstein: Saudi Arabia’s Export of Ultra-conservative Islam, and Shifting Sands: Volatile Transitions in the Middle East and North Africa, Essays on Sports and Politics
A two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and a 2013 finalist for the European Press Award, James started covering ethnic and religious conflict as a foreign correspondent in the 1970s.
He served as a foreign correspondent for Dutch newspaper Trouw, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, The Christian Science Monitor and Dutch and Belgian radio and television. James was based in Beirut, Jerusalem, Cairo, Teheran, Kuwait, Riyadh, Dubai, Larnaca, Athens, Istanbul, Washington, Lima, London, Paris and Amsterdam.
Beyond the Middle East and North Africa, James has also reported over the past four decades from most major conflicts zones in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia, including Afghanistan, former Yugoslavia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, Congo, Eritrea, Yemen, the Western Sahara, Columbia, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Kashmir, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Turkey, Israel and Syria have been playing a complex tightrope act balancing their international ties and commitments, while keeping a wary eye on Russia’s imperialistic designs.
What kind of Russian occupation – as in Afghanistan? Iraq? Abkhazia? Chechnya? Imagining the day after a Russian conquest of Kyiv is not a pretty picture – also not for Vladimir Putin.
Iranian support for Arab militias has long threatened Iran's enemies. Now, the tide may be turning. The Iran-sponsored militias may be losing their usefulness for Iran.
The Chinese-dominated Pakistani port city of Gwadar -- the crown jewel of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- increasingly looks like a powder keg that has exploded.
One fallout from the coronavirus pandemic will be popular calls to put deficient health care on par with committing crimes against humanity during times of war.
From Israel and Pakistan to India, ultra-conservative communities have emerged as virus-spreading clusters. This is not helped by governments reluctant to disrupt ultra-orthodox life by enforcing public health measures.
Syria’s announcement of its first COVID-19 case highlights the public health threat posed by war zones that produce millions of refugees and displaced persons.
The moves on the Iraqi gameboard show that when it comes to warfare, military strategy and conflict management, Iran plays chess while the US plays backgammon.
Erdogan neglected alternative options that could have strengthened Turkey’s position -- without sparking the ire of much of the international community.
The Kashmir crisis spotlights what a civilizational world looks like. Modi, Netanyahu, Xi and Trump stand united in their disregard for international law.
A draft U.S. resolution, destined for the UN Security Council and which would designate a Pakistani militant as a global terrorist, challenges China on Xinjiang.
To counter possible U.S. pressure, the kingdom is trying to diversify its arms suppliers and bolster domestic support for crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Message to Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Tel Aviv: Don’t worry, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has no intention of meeting his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, unconditionally.
The surrender of a Brussels mosque offers hope that Saudi Arabia is serious about shaving off the sharp edges of its brand of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism. Or does it?
Across Asia, governments not only refuse to recognize a quest for cultural, ethnic, national or political rights, but are often willing to suppress them with brutal force.
Unlike Qatar, Israel is not really in the business of fostering opposition or regime change in the region. Israel largely feels that autocratic rulers are more reliable partners.
In the Middle East and North Africa, the transition toward equitable economic development and transparent and accountable rule of law will take a very long time.
How the Gulf crisis and global pressure related to the 2022 World Cup may have induced Qatar’s leaders to launch important reform to advance social change.
The U.S. government under Trump may be on the verge of returning to the old policy of transaction-based support of autocratic regimes in the Middle East.
