Geneive Abdo is a Fellow in Stimson’s Middle East program as well as a Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She specializes in issues regarding modern Iran and political Islam. She directs the U.S.-Iran Advisory Group, a program on Iran, in conjunction with Heinrich Boell Stiftung, North America. She is also the author of the recently published monograph, “The New Sectarianism: The Arab Uprisings and the Rebirth of the Shi’a- Sunni Divide,” published in April 2013 by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.
She was formerly the Liaison Officer for the Alliance of Civilizations, a United Nations initiative established by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which aims to improve relations between Islamic and Western societies.
Before joining the U. N., Abdo was a Foreign Correspondent. Her 20-year career focused on coverage of the Middle East and the Muslim world. From 1998-2001, Abdo was the Iran Correspondent for the British newspaper the Guardian and a regular contributor to The Economist and the International Herald Tribune. She was the first American journalist to be based in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and was forced to flee the country, after the regime threatened her with prosecution for her articles over the course of three years.
Abdo is the author of three books, including, “No God But God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam” (Oxford University Press, 2000).
From 2001-2002, Abdo was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. That year, she also received the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim award.
Abdo is regularly sought by the media to comment on Islam and the Middle East.
Selected Publications
- Sorry Hardliners, Iran Wants a Nuclear Deal June 9, 2015. The National Interest
- Why Arab Countries Fear the Iran Deal April 7, 2015. The National Interest
- Salafists and Sectarianism: Twitter and Communal Conflict in the Middle East March 26, 2015. Brookings
- Freedom of Speech with Islamic Characteristics March 17, 2015. The National Interest
- Day of Reckoning: Islam’s Civil War Engulfs Lebanon Februrary 12, 2015. The National Interest
- Falling Dominos: Bahrain’s Sectarian Turmoil December 31, 2014. The National Interest
- Beware the Siren Song of ISIS November 13, 2014. The National Interest
- Arming Syrian rebels: Deja vu all over again September 25, 2014. The Hill
- Opinion: Arab public has no faith in US September 19, 2014. CNN
- What Some Fear an Iran Deal Could Mean… July 29, 2014. The National Interest
- As Nuclear Talks Progress, Rouhani’s Critics Grow Bold, March 6, 2014. Brookings
- The End of Rouhani’s Honeymoon, February 18, 2014, Al Jazeera
- After Geneva, how will the US and Iran reach a final deal? November 27, 2013, Al Jazeera
- Lebanese Salafis amidst Syria’s war, November 22, 2013, Foreign Policy
- After Geneva, can an Iran nuclear deal be done?, November 13, 2013, Al Jazeera
- Rouhani is wakling a political tightrope at home, October 3, 2013, Al Jazeera
- Can the US and Iran strike a nuke deal?, September 24, 2013, Al Jazeera
- Iran’s Opportunity for negotiations, September 23, 2013, Foreign Policy
- What an attack on Syria would mean for US-Iran relations, September 10, 2013, Al Jazeera
- How Morsy’s fall empowers Islamists, July 18, 2013, CNN
- Rouhani’s warm words won’t bring thaw in Saudi ties, July 8, 2013, CNN
- Why Sunni-Shia conflict is worsening, June 7, 2013, CNN
- Ahmadinejad shows no signs of going quietly, May 7, 2013, CNN
- Boston attacks should not be labeled “homegrown” terrorism, April 23, 2013, Newsday
Multimedia
- Video: “The Sunni-Shia Divide,” 2014, Council on Foreign Relations
- Video: “Iran Greets the World,” December 16, 2013, TVO
- Audio: “After 35 Year Diplomatic Hiatus, United States and Iran Begin Talks,” September 27, 2013, The Takeaway
Events
- Reform Under Rouhani: Assessing Positive Change in Iran, September 30, 2013
