Lebanese Journalist Hanin Ghaddar Joins The Washington Institute
Inaugural Friedmann Visiting Fellow is expert on Shi'ite politics
Washington, D.C. – Intrepid Beirut-based journalist Hanin Ghaddar has joined The Washington Institute as its inaugural Friedmann Visiting Fellow, the research organization announced today. Ghaddar, the longtime managing editor of Lebanon's NOW news website, will focus her research on Shi'ite politics throughout the Levant.
"Hanin is one of the most courageous and thought-provoking journalists in the Middle East," said Institute Executive Director Robert Satloff. "Her unique insight into the Shi'ite community inside Lebanon and throughout the Levant will contribute enormously to Washington's understanding of this critical aspect of regional politics."
Ghaddar's fellowship was made possible through a generous grant from Institute Trustees Regan and Philip Friedmann of Chicago.
As managing editor of NOW, Ghaddar has shed light on a broad range of cutting-edge issues, from the evolution of Hezbollah inside Lebanon's fractured political system to Iran's growing influence throughout the Middle East. In addition, she has contributed to a number of U.S.-based magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times and Foreign Policy.
"I am delighted to join the community of experts at The Washington Institute," said Ghaddar. "I especially welcome the opportunity to research and write work on how Shi'ite politics is changing in Lebanon, Syria and throughout the region," said Ghaddar.
Prior to joining NOW in 2007, Ghaddar wrote for Lebanese newspapers As-Safir, An-Nahar, and Al-Hayat, and also worked as a researcher for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) regional office. A native of Al-Ghazieh, Lebanon, Ghaddar holds a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a master's degree in Middle Eastern studies, both from the American University in Beirut.
About the Washington Institute: The Washington Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution funded exclusively by U.S. citizens that seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.
Media Contact: Ian Byrne, 202-452-0650, email