Reposted by Erik O’Barrflyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 20hYou do not need to be a learned political theorist to work out why the likes of Elon Musk hates empathy and works to stamp it out. 528730 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrTurkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 12/10/2026New episode drops tomorrow 🎧🎧 Nefise Kahraman discusses Translation Attached (@tra-attached.bsky.social), which brings lesser known Ottoman and Turkish literary gems to an English-reading audience. Stay tuned 👇👇 turkeybooktalk.com turkeybooktalk.substack.com www.patreon.com/u2998854?fan... 132 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrÖzgür Öğret @ozgurogret.bsky.social · 06/10/2026CPJ is closely monitoring an escalating online crackdown by Turkish authorities, who have blocked independent news websites and the social media accounts of dozens of journalists and rights defender groups in recent weeks. mlsaturkey.com/en/journalis...mlsaturkey.comJournalists’ X accounts are being blocked one by one: “They’re taking away your livelihood”Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) | Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği 142 0
Reposted by Erik O’Barr"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 24/09/2026To paraphrase Tom Wolfe, we are witnesses one of the great unexplained phenomena of modern astronomy: namely that the dark night of AI-Job-Replacement is always descending on the humanities and yet lands only in math and computer science. 14726102 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrFathel @fath0039.bsky.social · 19/09/2026With the gutting of so much of the humanities, especially gender studies, ethnic studies, and religious studies, it feels like we are seeing an all-out assault on the legacy of Said and all the scholarship he helped inspire. 162 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrLisa Diedrich @lisadiedrich.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Public universities have led the way in creating popular ethnic & gender studies programs, which are now being destroyed by aggressively regressive politicians & administrators, not because students aren't interested in these subjects, but because they are. www.texastribune.org/2026/09/17/u...texastribune.orgMajors related to race, gender cut at University of TexasThe University of Texas at Austin rejected a department’s plan to keep the majors, a decision that came without public knowledge, an interim department chair told faculty. 9491214 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrAyla Albayrak @aylushka.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Turkish journalist, our friend Tuğba Tekerek has been detained together with others as part of the anti-LGBTI+ crackdown. The operations have lasted for days, launched with absurd slogan "My Family is Safe" -- nobody is, of course 0118 0
Reposted by Erik O’Barrbianet English @bianet-eng.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Widespread police raids, online censorship target Turkey’s LGBTI+ community in new crackdown bianet.org/haber/widesp...bianet.orgWidespread police raids, online censorship target Turkey’s LGBTI+ community in new crackdown 11217 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrNate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 13/09/2026The list of detained and raided here is all the LGBTQ movement groups I can think of at least, which despite everything have been working in Turkey for decades 2396149 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrArife Kose @arifekose.bsky.social · 13/09/2026LGBTQ+ people's houses, associations and workplaces were raided by the police last night in Turkey. So far 26 people have been taken into custody. Strikingly the operation is called "My Family is Safe.' Legal proceedings were launched against 162 people, 9 associations, and 13 businesses in+ 1813 0
Reposted by Erik O’Barroedemography.bsky.social @oedemography.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Explore our new and improved search feature, designed to make discovering historical records easier than ever. Search for a specific location or individual by entering a first name, family name, occupation, or even information related to a disability.oedemography.orgOttoman Empire Demography - Research PortalOttoman Demographic, Social and Family History Research Group at Binghamton University 043 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrPeter @notalawyer.bsky.social · 22/08/2026look at how seamlessly they transitioned from “we must evaluate Arday’s life and work no matter the motives of his critics” to the opposite position: defending Cofnas because of his critics’ motivations, no matter the quality of his work 161588248 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrMore like I-ACK @mumbly-joe.bsky.social · 22/08/2026The thing is, Cofnas is a white supremacist, was a white supremacist the day he was hired, and is now bringing Ghent precisely the institutional disrepute for having hired him that hundreds of students, faculty, and staff warned when he was brought in several years ago. 360397 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrSumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 20/08/2026When I first moved to SoCal and took my child to the city library (as one does, first thing), this book title had me confused for several minutes. 18517119 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrDr Gul Sen @guel-sen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026A year ago today, on July 29, Machiel Kiel passed away. Here is my small tribute to his remarkable legacy. 👇 www.linkedin.com/pulse/machie... #OttomanHistory #MachielKiellinkedin.comMachiel Kiel and the Ottoman Heritage in the Balkans: Why His Scholarship Still MattersA year ago today, on July 29, 2025, Machiel Kiel passed away. Few scholars have done more to document, interpret, and preserve the Ottoman heritage of the Balkans. 173 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrOlúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026one tendency that comes out about period films is the insistence that XYZ moral thought would not have occurred to anyone in the ancient world. to be sure there are moral innovations and changes but the existence of thorough dissatisfaction with the present moral order is not a modern phenomenon 482269268 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrGreg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 28/07/2026"Universities like Columbia are not better off for having capitulated last year. They compromised their independence and suffered reputational damage, yet are still subject to [Trump's] arbitrary behavior." Read @ryanenos.bsky.social on need to resist Trump: www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/27/o...bostonglobe.comYale shouldn’t cut a deal with Trump - The Boston GlobeYale should resist rather than negotiate away its independence. 17602190 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrCrystal A. Ennis @crystalennis.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Do you work on the Gulf & Arabian Peninsula, or know a graduate student who does? The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula (AGAPS) 2026 awards calls are now open! Deadline for the Gwenn Okruhlik Dissertation Award & AGAPS Graduate Paper Prize is 15 July. agaps.org/calls-for-20... #menaskyagaps.orgCalls for 2026 AGAPS awards now open (Dissertation, Graduate Paper & Travel). 053 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrErin Grievances @erinbartram.bsky.social · 19/06/2026Counterpoint: the only thing this set of people want to get rid of more than academic research is serious teaching. 15724141 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrJun Akiba @jun-naibzade.bsky.social · 09/06/2026今年はイェニチェリ廃止の200周年記念だった International Symposium: The Cultural Impact of Janissaries in the Ottoman Periphery 14 June 2026 · 11:00 (Turkey Time, UTC+3) Live on YouTube forumtauripress.com/janissary-sy...forumtauripress.comJanissary Symposium - Forum Tauri Press14 June 2026 · 11:00 (Turkey Time, UTC+3) 063 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrOlúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 08/06/20262026: me, timid, behind schedule: *anxiously cites volumes of work across multiple disciplines for even basic claims about 'the literature'* 1986: chad Galen Strawson, self-assured, prolific: *cites exactly two philosophers. first endnote, verbatim: "Dogs, dolphins, human beings, Martians, etc." 1121321 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrCarsten Timmermann @ctimmermann.bsky.social · 06/06/2026This is what we need Language-based Area Studies for. People who know language, culture and history. You know, the kind of departments they are currently closing down everywhere. 012612 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrNaomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 05/06/2026every time I say this, someone didn't know: you can get the NYRB, the New Yorker, the LRB, Paris Review, The Spectator (weirdly not New Statesman), The Week, both French & Italian Vogue & New Scientist among many many other magazines FREE via the Libby app from your local library? 261526605 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrNicholas Danforth @nicholasdanfort.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Fantastic Selim Koru review of two great books by Suzy Hansen and Alex Christie-Miller foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/29/t...foreignpolicy.comAuthoritarian Transformation in Istanbul’s Old CityTwo new books seek to capture the changing reality of Turkey and the world. 174 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrOxford Bibliographical Society @obs1922.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Borna Izadpanah on 'Printing the Qur’an across Empires' All welcome to our final event of the academic year - in person in Oxford, or online (email secretary@oxbibsoc.org.uk). 0115 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrPaisley_Trees (شروین) @paisley-trees.bsky.social · 30/05/2026So happy to see my article out and part of this amazing series on Gender in Islamic Architecture. I’m so grateful for all the support from my amazing friends, partner, and advisors that guided me through this process. intellectdiscover.com/content/jour...intellectdiscover.comGender in Islamic Architecture | IntellectIntellect Discover is the platform where Intellect's content lives: Browse publications for scholars and practitioners teaching and researching in the arts, media and creative industries. 193 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrThe Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association @andottoman.bsky.social · 27/05/2026This Friday, May 29! Register: ucdavis.zoom.us/.../register... 013 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrMert Kartal @mertkartal.bsky.social · 24/05/2026In case anyone outside Turkey still cares, today marks another turning point for Turkish “democracy.” A major threshold has been crossed. 01711 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrJames Ryan @jdryan08.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Man this sucks. Saad’s is to West Philly what John’s Roast Pork is to South Philly. 021 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrAsheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 21/05/2026There has been this steady stream of legacy media bs about higher ed in general and the humanities in particular that, while part of a long culture war against universities, really accelerated after 2020-2021. The New York Times became a genteel version of Dinesh D'Souza & David Horowitz. 413324 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrSinem Adar @sinemadar.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Lurking underneath the accelerating yet enduring repression against the CHP is the transformation of the logic of party system: from representing citizens to elite bargain over resources. This transformation, in my opinion, is also the biggest obstacle to winning an election without major fraud. 0124 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrAna Sekulić @anasekulic.bsky.social · 15/05/2026I'm sure everyone's heard about the Bosnian tattoos by now. I explored the story for the @newlinesmag.bsky.social, and if you’re curious about Ottoman Bosnia, Catholic women, and the stakes of turning complicated histories into myths, take a look: newlinesmag.com/essays/the-o... 13918 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrTranslation Attached @tra-attached.bsky.social · 12/05/2026📢Translation Attached is delighted to announce the publication of Captives: A Play and the Collected Poems by Sabahattin Ali. The book brings together Ali’s only known play with a wide selection of his poetry. Available worldwide on Amazon: amzn.to/4d22V7a #sabahattinali 074 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrBirdget @birdget.bsky.social · 30/04/2026youtu.be/pvcYm6dKKHI?... Such a brilliant set of episodes!!! I’ve been in overlapping Egyptian history and civ7 holes recently and this is such a gift. Thank you @paisley-trees.bsky.social I have been just chewing through your vids!!!youtu.beCivilization VII Leader Spotlight: The History of HatshepsutYouTube video by Paisley_Trees 1103 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrMiddle East Research and Information Project @merip.bsky.social · 29/04/2026NEW: Our latest issue features a roundtable with faculty organizers Lisa Hajjar @lisahajjar.bsky.social, Lara Deeb, Darryl Li, Andrew Ross, Meera Shah on the experience of fighting against repression on their campuses since October 7, 2023.buff.ly‘The University Is a Site of Struggle’—A Roundtable with Faculty Organizers on Repression and Resistance on US CampusesAs part of MER issue 318, Campus Politics—Palestine and the New University Order, MERIP editor Lisa Hajjar organized a roundtable with faculty organizers and a legal advocate. Lara Deeb is professor… 02311 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrM. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 28/04/2026My interview with @sciam.bsky.social and @jackiefmogensen.bsky.social on desalination, environmental risk, Iran, and war in the Gulf. 175 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrTom Pepinsky @tompepinsky.com · 16/04/2026For the cost of one Harvard Professor of the Constitution Only Applies to White People, you could endow 10 professorships of any less commonly taught language at any university in the USA 12986253 0
Reposted by Erik O’Barrdido, lamenting 🥀🔥💀🪦💔 @princessdido.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Forget microplastics, I'm having a hard time keeping my toddler from eating macroplastics 112314 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrLOWρUFO 🇺🇦🇵🇸🌍 @lowrhoufo.bsky.social · 09/04/2026In a decade or two, they're going to put up plaques to them too 0642 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrW.E.D.em Boyz @leftistwonk.bsky.social · 09/04/2026I don’t think “why aren’t there as many campus protestors in year 3 of the genocide risking life and limb under a repressive regime for whom protestors are not a relevant constituency” is a particularly interesting question 427245 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrNathan Goldwag @goldwagnathan.bsky.social · 09/04/2026Fun fact, maintaining the naval blockade through the armistice until the final peace treaty was signed was also what the Allies did to Germany after WWI, so there's real precedent for. 61279210 0
Reposted by Erik O’Barrelia ayoub @ayoub.bsky.social · 08/04/2026There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel has been bombing Lebanon non-stop since last night. If anything Israel is expanding its war on Lebanon. You are being lied to 1040311840 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrArang Keshavarzian @keshavarziana.bsky.social · 07/04/2026All of these people who have offered bullshit analysis about Iran for the past 10-20 years, should just stay quite. Don’t add more harm to what you have done. Media has to hold these “Iran experts” accountable for ripping up the JCPOA, predicting revolution at every turn, and so much more 02214 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Millions of American voters wanted to be villains. They came to believe it’s the key to success, while goodness is weak, woke, loser stuff, done only to signal. Offered the option of unvarnished villainy, they enthusiastically took it. Seeing others suffer more made them feel big. And here we are. 268126783349 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrRima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 04/04/2026University of Washington professor fired from director job after sending email criticizing Iran wartheguardian.comUniversity of Washington professor fired from director job after sending email criticizing Iran warAria Fani of University of Washington’s Middle East Center is latest critic of Israel to lose position at US university 216991 0
Reposted by Erik O’BarrJames Ryan @jdryan08.bsky.social · 03/04/2026If you think all this stuff is helpful in contextualizing the present catastrophe, help us out with a donation! Every donation of $10 or more before May 7 unlocks more money for MERIP during Delco Gives! www.delcogives.org/organization...delcogives.orgSupport Middle East Research and Information Project on Delco GivesThe Middle East Research and Information Project has been supporting critical research and reporting on the Middle East since 1971. We work closely with academics, journalists, analysts and policy pro... 043 0
