As antisemitism from both jihadi and white supremacist sources spikes across the West, MEMRI research projects are monitoring and documenting it. The Middle East and the entire Arab and Muslim world, including global jihad and the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, challenge Western understanding in their complexity – not least because of language. Iran continues to expand its influence across the Middle East, and Russia's footprint in the region grows ever bigger.
For over two decades, MEMRI has been bridging the language gap between this region and the West, publishing primary source translations and original analysis that inform governments, policy-makers, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as media, academia, and the general public, so that they may gain a greater understanding of them. Its projects researching antisemitism are supporting legislation on Capitol Hill. MEMRI also publishes translations from the Russian print and broadcast media, in addition to original analyses, focusing on what Russian officials, media, and think tanks are saying about the U.S., the West, NATO, and other topics.
No other organization does the work that MEMRI does. Please help us continue our work.
MEMRI is at work around the clock across the globe, seven days a week, 365 days a year, producing cutting-edge research on the entire region, from the Middle East through Iran and Central and South Asia to Arab and Muslim communities in the West. MEMRI research covers:
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Iran – As U.S.-Iran tension rises, Iranian attacks in the region increase, and talk of Iranian plans to attack U.S. forces emerges, Iran continues to develop its nuclear program. The U.S. designation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which is a major economic force in Iran, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization had evoked harsh responses from the Iranian regime, including designating U.S. entities as terrorist in retaliation.
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Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq – With the recent U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Syrian officials are touting Syria's right to employ armed struggle to regain the area, and a Lebanese academic underlined that the Syrian regime will establish a multinational resistance force to do so. Western former ISIS fighters and members at displacement camps in Syria are expressing regret for their actions and wishing to return home, and in Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies now hold a large majority in the Lebanese government, Iran has offered to equip Lebanon's army, and Hezbollah is opening a new front against Israel. In Iraq, Iran finalizes its control of the Iraqi financial and banking system with the aim of circumventing U.S. sanctions.
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Saudi Arabia and the Gulf – Calls in Saudi Arabia for acting against Iran and its proxy Hizbullah are increasingly heard, as is criticism of Hamas for firing hundreds of rockets into Israel. Additionally, MEMRI continues to monitor the struggles against repression in Saudi Arabia, as it and other Gulf states are increasingly engaging in dialogue with Israel, particularly concerning the Iran threat.
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Turkey – The MEMRI Turkish Media Project is closely monitoring the virulent antisemitism in the country under President Erdoğan and his AKP party, that is coupled with increasing repression of any opposition, including media, and a sharp turn towards Islamism and away from the West. The recent electoral upset for Erdoğan is not expected to change this trajectory.
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Palestinian Authority and Gaza – Hamas's violent suppression of civil unrest in Gaza protesting unemployment and hunger sparks criticism from across the Arab world, as Palestinian Authority officials continue to declare their support for terrorists who kill Israeli civilians and to announce that they will never stop providing allowances for prisoners and the families of "martyrs." Meanwhile, Hamas fires Iranian-made missiles into the heart of Israel – in the face of more criticism from the Arab world and continues to fan violent unrest at the Gaza border. At the same time, writers in other Arab countries call for Arabs and Palestinians to stop rejecting all peace proposals.
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South Asia – MEMRI reports and in-depth research papers track and analyze trends in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, including issues connected to jihadism, cultural and religious freedom, and emerging threats to international security.
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Russia – as it further expands its role and influence more deeply throughout the Middle East, particularly in connection with Iran and Syria, and bolsters its alliances with parts of Europe, South America, and more.
But MEMRI research is an increasingly costly endeavor. Producing MEMRI TV clips demands advanced technology and extensive human expertise – from monitoring, recording, and reviewing raw programming to translating, captioning, and uploading clips. Please help us today to continue this work.
YOUR DONATION HELPS PROJECTS THAT STILL NEED FUNDING IN 2019
With your tax-deductible gift, you can help us fund the following projects for this year:
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Sermons Project – Exposing imams preaching antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and extremism. Recent MEMRI TV clips of hate-filled sermons by imams throughout the U.S. and Canada – in Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Michigan, New York City, New Jersey, and elsewhere – have prompted criticism from political leaders and public apologies from some imams.
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Online Incitement Project – This recently launched initiative researches online incitement against Jews, people of color, Muslims and the LGBTQ+ community, and where white-supremacist incitement coincides and intersects with jihadi incitement, hatred, and extremism on social media.
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The MEMRI Reform Project – Seeking out and amplifying the voices of Arab and Muslim figures and intellectuals who preach tolerance, coexistence, understanding; who promote civil, human, and women's rights; who advocate for democracy; and who speak out against and counter hatred, antisemitism, and jihad.
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The MEMRI Russian Media Studies Project – Translating and analysis of content published by all Russian media outlets fills a critical void in U.S. government capabilities, as Russia further expands its role and influence in the Middle East and parts of Europe.
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The MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project – Monitoring, tracking, and researching organizations and groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and their offshoots and sympathizers across the globe. As ISIS is defeated on the ground yet its fighters and sympathizers continue their efforts online to recruit, fundraise, and spread their ideology, Western jihadis who joined ISIS in the Middle East now seek to return home, and ISIS-inspired "lone wolves" in the West continue to plan attacks. In the past two years, MEMRI has provided U.S. law enforcement with massive amounts of information on jihadis in over 30 U.S. states, and has done the same for authorities across the West – leading, in many cases, to arrests and prosecutions.
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The MEMRI Cyber and Jihad Lab (CJL) – Tracking and researching jihadi and other types of hacktivist groups and activity emanating from the Middle East, Iran, and South Asia, and studying jihadis on social media and online, with a focus on their use of encryption and other technologies. It works with tech companies to help come up with solutions for dealing with jihadis and terrorists online, and with legislatures to help develop laws for tackling this phenomenon.
MEMRI RESEARCH IS MORE CRUCIAL NOW THAN EVER – WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY
Please support MEMRI today so that MEMRI can continue its success. Your donation is tax-deductible. You may donate online at www.memri.org/donate or mail a check to MEMRI, P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837.
In gratitude for your consideration,
