LA City Council Considering Resolution Threatens Free Speech for Students
Letter to the members of the Los Angeles City Council concerning a proposed resolution that may threaten the free speech rights of UCLA students
Contact CAF
Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
3542 N. Geronimo Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
520 333-2577 phone
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Latest Military Attacks against Palestinian Higher Education Institutions
Letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the latest series of military attacks against Palestinian institutions of higher education
İsmail Beşikçi Denied Travel to US Despite Valid VIsas
Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson regarding the refusal to allow Dr. İsmail Beşikçi (and his traveling companion) to board their flight to the United States for a lecture at American University despite possession of valid visas.
Travel denied to Dr. İsmail Beşikçi despite having valid US Visa
Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson regarding the refusal to allow Dr. İsmail Beşikçi (and his traveling companion) to board their flight to the United States for a lecture at American University despite possession of valid visas.
H.R. 4009 Prohibits Use of Higher Education Act Funds
Letter expressing concern about H.R. 4009, which would prohibit the use of Higher Education Act funds for colleges and universities "participating" in a boycott of Israeli academic institutions or scholars.
Maryland Bill Threatens Academic Freedom
Letter to Maryland Senator Joan Carter Conway about Senate Bill 647 who introduced bill that would prohibit the use of state funds by colleges and universities to support faculty membership in, or travel to, the academic conferences of “an organization that has issued a public resolution or statement or taken an official action boycotting a country that has ratified a declaration of cooperation with the state or the country’s institutions of higher education.”
New York State Assembly Bill A8392A
Letter expressing concern about New York State Assembly bill A8392A, which would prohibit the use of state funds by colleges and universities for faculty memberships in, or travel to meetings sponsored by, academic organizations which have adopted boycott resolutions.
Condemnation by Indiana University of the ASA Proposed Boycott of Institutions of Higher Education in Israel
Letter to Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie regarding his statement on the American Studies Association's call for a boycott of Israeli institutions of higher education.
Florida Atlantic University Response to Students for Justice in Palestine Protest
Letter to Florida Atlantic University Interim President about the university’s response to a protest organized on April 19, 2013, by Students for Justice in Palestine.
Controversy Over San Jose University Workshop for Teachers and Community College Faculty about Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Letter to University President Mohammad Qayoumi expressing concern about the response of San José State to the ongoing controversy surrounding the recent workshop for high school teachers and community college faculty on teaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was organized by Professor Persis Karim.
Urging Claremont McKenna College to Uphold Free Speech and Academic Freedom Principles regarding SJP Protest
Letter urging the Claremont McKenna College administration and faculty to investigate in a thorough and even-handed manner so as to uphold the principles of free speech and academic freedom regarding the demonstration on March 4 held by Students for Justice in Palestine.
Commending Brooklyn College President Karen Gould For Stance Against Demands to Cancel Public Forum on BDS
Support of Brooklyn College President Karen Gould’s principled stance regarding the public forum on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that took place at Brooklyn College on February 7, 2013.
Scholarship Freeze for Gazan Students Seeking to Study in West Bank
Letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the recent decision by the US Department of State to freeze scholarships in the 2012-13 academic year for Palestinian students from Gaza who seek to further their studies in the West Bank.
Response from University of California President to August 8 Letter
Letter from University of California President Mark Yudof responding to CAF's concerns about the report on Jewish Student Campus Climate and the definition of hate crimes.
University of California Report on Jewish Student Campus Climate
Letter to University of California President Mark G. Yudof expressing concerns about the recent report on “University of California Jewish Student Campus Climate” and its recommendations for new hate speech guidelines.
NYT Advertisement by David Horowitz Freedom Center Listing Professors to Shame and Condemn for Support of BDS
New York Times advertisement placed by the David Horowitz Freedom Center that lists 14 professors by name, describing them (in most cases without any specific accusations) as people who “should be publicly shamed and condemned for the crimes their hatred incites.” It thereby suggests that these scholars are complicit in hate crimes merely for expressing their support for the BDS campaign.
TEACH Cross-cultural Program Asked to Introduce Participants to Education Sector in Bahrain
Letter to the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce regarding its program, Teachers Educating Across Cultures in Harmony (TEACH), aimed at cross cultural exchanges and increased knowledge between educators in the United States and the Arab World. The 5th annual educator trip is planned for the Kingdom of Bahrain and State of Qatar “to raise awareness, understanding, and cooperation between educators in the United States and the Middle East.” The letter asks that the program introduce its participants to the situation of the educational sector in Bahrain.
Removal of Baylor University Professor Marc Ellis
Disciplinary charges which Baylor University has brought against Professor Marc Ellis and about his removal from his teaching and administrative duties without a hearing.
Police Force used on University of California Campuses against Peace Protestors
Letter to University of California President Mark G. Yudof regarding police violence toward the campus communities engaged in peaceful protest on university campuses.
Assembly of Turkish-American Associations Allegations that Keith Watenpaugh Defamed Organization
Letter to Assembly of Turkish-American Associations President Ergun Kirlikovali regarding allegations that Prof. Keith Watenpaugh had defamed the organization.
Response by Yale University Provost to July 5 Letter
Letter from Yale University Provost Peter Salovey regarding CAF's request for an investigation into possible improper government influence on the University's 2006 decisoin not to hire Juan Cole.
Government Investigation into Juan Cole May Have Influenced Yale University Position
Letter to Yale University's president and provost asking for an investigation into possible improper government influence on or communication regarding the university's 2006 decision not to hire Professor Juan Cole, as recommended by two departments. A June 15, 2011 New York Times article indicated that during that same time period the Bush administration was apparently seeking to have the CIA collect and provide information that might be used to discredit him.
Allegations against Claremont McKenna College Professor Bassam Frangieh that Appeared in Local Publications
Letter to Claremont McKenna Vice President Gregory D. Hess regarding allegations made against Professor Bassam Frangieh in articles that appeared in at least two local publications. The allegations and the resulting calls for Professor Frangieh’s dismissal threaten not only the right to free speech but also the principles of academic freedom.
Prosecutor Decision to Bring Misdemeanor Conspiracy Charges against 11 UC Irvine Students for Protesting Israeli Ambassador Speech
Letter to Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas expressing concern about the decision to bring misdemeanor conspiracy charges against eleven university students in connection with their disruption of a speech by Israeli ambassador Michael Oren at UC Irvine on February 8, 2010.
Turkish Coalition of America Lawsuit against University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Letter to the Turkish Coalition of America on its decision to file a lawsuit against the University of Minnesota and its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, allegedly prompted by the Center’s listing of the organization’s website as an “unreliable” source with respect to the history of Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.