- Hooman Majd, New York Times best-selling author
"Nima Shirazi is a rare voice of rational analysis and political insight that provides an eloquent counter to the pervasive absurdities that make up popular political discourse."
- Susan Abulhawa, poet, author of Mornings in Jenin and founder of Playgrounds for Palestine
- Murtaza Hussain, The Intercept
*****
"Nima Shirazi is an indefatigable researcher, insightful analyst and complete smart ass. For all three reasons Wide Asleep in America is a must read."
- Adam Horowitz, journalist and co-editor of Mondoweiss
"Wide Asleep in America is my go-to web locale when I want to be challenged on the conventional wisdom that the media spews about the Middle East. Even when I don't agree with Nima Shirazi, I'm always smarter after reading his work. In a political period where 140 characters can comprise a discourse, his passionate but methodical approach to politics is an absolute treasure. If we existed in a sane world, he'd be on the best-sellers list and Thomas Friedman would be living in a pineapple under the sea."
- Dave Zirin, author and sports editor at The Nation
"Nima's painstaking, exhaustive research and commitment to barging headfirst into uncomfortable truth consistently makes me reassess what I think I already know. Very few commentators rush to where the silence is with Nima's discipline and vigor."
- J.A. Myerson, activist and journalist
"Nima Shirazi is a clear-eyed, independently minded analyst and writer who consistently cuts to the core of many contemporary issues. Such ethically-minded and yet well-informed voices are few in the blogosphere, not to mention the mainstream media. I've learned to respect and even to rely on Nima's writings in forming my own ideas about current events in the Middle East."
- Dr. George Bisharat, Professor of Law, University of California - Hastings College of the Law
******
"Nima Shirazi is a very smart fellow and remarkably well informed. It's worth taking the time to read what he writes."
- Dr. Norman G. Finkelstein, political scientist, scholar and author
******
"Nima Shirazi is a brilliant analyst whose writing gets right to the heart of the issue without any messing around. Reading articles in not only the mainstream media, but also on alternative and independent websites and blogs, is generally a frustrating experience, for the broad adherence of most (actually, almost all) commentators to a limited manufactured framework. Journalists who exercise truly independent thought and are able to articulate ideas factually and logically are a rarity, so Nima's articles are a breath of fresh air. I may be biased in my opinion of his work, because I agree with pretty much everything he writes; but, then, his arguments leave little room for opposing conclusions from the ones he draws."
- Jeremy R. Hammond, founder and editor of Foreign Policy Journal
"Nima Shirazi's work is among the very, very best writing and analysis being done today anywhere. He combines a scrupulous and very extensive sense of history with razor sharp commentary (and abiding sense of humor). To read any one of his fine pieces is to come away far better informed than you started and impatient to act/write/speak out. I am heartened to read him because it reaffirms my belief in the power of reason and passion based on an unquenchable demand for justice. All that and brilliance in writing."
- Dr. Dennis Loo, Professor of Sociology, California Polytechnic State University - Pomona; co-editor/author of Impeach the President: the Case Against Bush and Cheney
"Nima Shirazi's articles are consistently excellently researched and thought-provoking. More importantly, as I learned when reading his commentary on the 2009 Iranian elections, he is able and willing to cut through layers of misdirection, obfuscation, and nonsense to get at the truth, even when it runs up against whatever intellectual fashion is gripping the commentariat, and then to clearly convey it to his readers. A worthwhile resource."
- Max Ajl
"If more people were exposed to Nima Shirazi's incisive analysis, it would make life a lot more difficult for those who seek to induce Americans to support further wars in the Middle East for the sake of Israel."
- Maidhc Ó Cathail
"In a blogosphere dominated by cranks, Nima Shirazi's website Wide Asleep in America has found an honoured place among my Bookmarks. Nima is no crank, but a rational and passionate advocate of and for human rights and political justice. As an American with a multicultural background, he is an embodied refutation of Huntington's "clash of civilizations," and his writings on Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and - last but far from least - the USA are rightly becoming widely disseminated. Bookmark him today!"
- Dr. Raymond Deane
"Why am I a fan of WideAsleepinAmerica.com? Because it mixes great writing skill and skepticism with intelligent, well-documented and sourced analysis on vital issues. What more could I ask for, really?"
- Rostam Pourzal, Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)
"If you are looking for well-researched, incisive commentary, particularly about the situation in the Middle East, Nima Shirazi of Wide Asleep in America does an excellent job. I have appreciated reading his Web site for years and I am never disappointed."
- Richard Jehn, founder of The Rag Blog
"Nima Shirazi can surely be called one of the most informed voices on Iran and the Middle East amidst millions of propagandists who prowl the internet these days. His analysis of the events leading to the Iranian Presidential election last year, as well as the events that followed them, were some of the very few articles on the net that reflected the true picture of what really happened in Iran. Similarly, his in-depth analysis of issues related to Palestine has made scores of people stop, think about, and reflect over their otherwise dogmatic views."
- Saurabh Kumar Shahi, Special Correspondent for International Affairs, The Sunday Indian News
"When one thinks of alternative media, the idea that races to the mind is off-the-cuff commentary, fresh, exciting and with an original viewpoint, but often lacking in scholarship or fact checking. As an analogy, a bit like a run under the water sprinkler on a hot July day; it brings refreshment and entertainment and is what one needs in a pinch, but is nothing like a swim in the sea. Blogging is great and exciting, but many bloggers don't think they need to substantiate anything they say or even to venture into research to bring the discourse to levels where it can affect change. To find a writer who maintains the spirit of blogging with the documentation of the most tenacious Pulitzer journalist is actually a rare and amazing discovery. I know Nima Shirazi is one of those writers. His work caught my eye for its subject matter, which, if your territory is the Middle East, Imperialism, Iran, and Liberation struggles, has a plethora of sites to choose from. But it was the incredible documentation of his thesis, the dynamic unfolding of his presentation, that made me bookmark that site and remember that writer.
His work is part analysis, part journalism, and all of it, extremely engaging and clever. The first time I read him, with delight, I thought, "He won't be able to repeat this", since it is hard to strike the balance between presenting facts and stimulating new tangents of thought. I was also pretty certain that the piece, (containing dozens of fascinating links bringing even more perspective to the issue) was a one-off. It had it all: good writing, originality, topicality, precision. I was wrong. I checked into his next piece, different topic, but every bit as stimulating and complete. I checked through his archives, good stuff...great stuff! The email asking him to join our group couldn't wait to be sent!
I am very proud he is part of the group of contributors to Palestine Think Tank. I am glad a future Pulitzer winner is with us! I don't think Nima would like me saying that, as he doesn't seem to attach too much importance on the recognition of a system that often gives prizes to the least worthy, but he is definitely a journalist to watch and cherish. There aren't many like him around."
- Mary Rizzo, editor and co-founder of Palestine Think Tank
Detestimonials
"see you in hell, communist swine" - hucka hucka
"you is one sick lady. shame on you" - Anonymous