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James Dorsey

Dr. James M. Dorsey, a non-resident senior associate at the BESA Center, is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and co-director of the University of Würzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture.

Afghanistan may be a bellwether for Saudi-Iranian rivalry

In an ironic twist, the Islamic Republic and the Saudi kingdom could both end up backing the Taliban if it comes to power in Kabul.

James Dorsey

Sept. 2, 2021

Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace in Kabul. Source: Screenshot.

Who are the Taliban who conquered Afghanistan?

The Taliban want the world to believe they have changed in the 20 years since they ruled Afghanistan, but only time will tell.

James Dorsey

Aug. 18, 2021

Boys at an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip, September 2011. Credit: Shareef Sarhan/U.N. Photo.

Mideast powers vie to shape the next generation of Muslims

Education is emerging as a major flashpoint in competing visions of a future Muslim world. Rival concepts are likely to shape what amounts to a battle for the soul of Islam.

James Dorsey

Aug. 15, 2021

King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2018. Photo by Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock.

King Abdallah’s upcoming visit to Washington: Implications for Jerusalem

By granting the Jordanian monarch the honor of being the first Arab leader to visit the new president, the U.S. administration is putting wind in Jordan’s sails as it seeks to fend off Saudi claims regarding custodianship of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

James Dorsey

July 18, 2021

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Credit: Usman Malik via Flickr.

Pakistan, quo vadis?

Pakistan’s place in the new world order is anybody’s guess. Recent policy moves suggest options that run the gamut.

James Dorsey

July 12, 2021

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Saudi Arabia steps up effort to replace UAE and Qatar as regional hub

From sports to energy to international shipping, the Saudis are looking to position themselves as the regional powerhouse.

James Dorsey

July 6, 2021

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Photo by Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock.

Turkish, not Saudi, schoolbooks under scrutiny

In a sign of the times, Turkish texts have replaced Saudi ones as the focus of criticism of intolerant curricula in the Muslim world.

James Dorsey

April 28, 2021

Signatures on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Iran. On the top left side is Persian handwriting by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, July 14, 2015. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The clause that could scupper the Iran nuclear accord

A little-acknowledged provision of the JCPOA that curbed Tehran’s nuclear program explains the jockeying over the modalities of a U.S. return to the deal.

James Dorsey

April 1, 2021

Flag of the Republic of Turkey. Credit: Zeynel Cebeci via Wikimedia Commons.

Turkey signals sweeping regional ambitions

A Turkish nationalist TV station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently aired a map outlining Turkey’s projected sphere of influence in 2050, rustling Russian and Iranian feathers.

James Dorsey

March 11, 2021