Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
3542 N. Geronimo Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
520 333-2577 phone
520 207-3166 fax
Letter to the Sudanese Head of State and Defense Minister regarding the presidential decree to revoke the license of the Khartoum Branch of the Cairo University. The campus has been renamed Nilein University and the Egyptian president has been replaced with a Sudanese president.
Letter to the President of Yugoslavia expressing dismay over reported destruction of Muslim institutions and monuments by Serbian forces including an attack on the Institute for Oriental Studies in Sarajevo during which invaluable collections were destroyed.
Letter to the Yugoslavian President expressing concern over discriminatory policies which have resulted in Albanian professors and teachers losing their jobs and the closure of educational institutions in Kosovo which are acts of discrimination against the Albanian population of the city.
Letter to the President of the University of New Haven regarding their intent to open a campus in a location under Israeli military control which could serve to legitimize Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, would make it inaccessible to Palestinian students and faculty, and would violate international law undermining the peace process.
Letter to Sudanese Head of State and Defense Minister expressing concern over the wide range of human rights abuses affecting academic freedom in Sudan including: dismissal of university professors and administrators, imprisonment and possible torture of university professors and students, closure, occupation or interference at university campuses by security forces and the Islamization or Arabization of universities.
Letter to the Egyptian President regarding the decree to dissolve the AWSA being upheld in the Judicial Courts and refused to grant an injunction to allow AWSA to continue operating while awaiting the outcome of its appeal. (See 18/2/1992; 16/9/1991)
Letter to the Syrian President expressing concern over the trial, detention, and mistreatment of Muhammad Ali Habib, Lecturer at University of al-Lathiqiyya and member of the Committee for the Defense of Democratic Reforms and Human Rights in Syria. Dr. Habib was sentenced to nine years imprisonment after a trial that was devoid of the basic elements of due process.
Letter to the Israeli Prime Minister expressing concern of the decision of the Israeli Security Office to deny Dr. Khalil Shikaki, professor of political science at al-Najah University permission to return to his home in the West Bank despite having the proper permits to do so.
Letter to Egyptian President expressing continued concern over the dissolution of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and requesting the government reconsider the closure. (See 16/9/1991 Egypt)
Letter to Israeli Minister of Defense encouraging there to be a full investigation into the death of Professor Albert Glock at Bir Zeit University.
Letter to the Israeli Prime Minister expressing concern over the continuation of the closure of Bir Zeit University into its fourth consecutive year. Bir Zeit is the last university to remain closed and the students and faculty continue to be denied access to classes and educational facilities. (See 20/11/1990; 21/6/1990)
Letter to Kuwaiti Amir expressing delight at reopening of the University of Kuwait but concern that non-Kuwaiti students have been excluded from studying, including those who were already enrolled at the university seriously affecting members of the biduun community and Palestinians who would face difficulties in obtaining necessary documents to study at universities outside of Kuwait.
Letter to the Egyptian President expressing concern over the government’s decision to dissolve the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association (AWSA), a group that brings together Arab and foreign scholars to examine issues related to the status of women in the Arab world. AWSA is an internationally recognized organization and its closure will contribute to the restriction of intellectual freedom in Egypt.
Second letter to Tunisian authorities regarding the imprisonment of Prof. Moncef ben Salem of the University of Sfax and his deteriorating health due to the harsh prison conditions leading to his hospitalization in April.
Second Letter to Syrian President regarding detention of Syrian academics expressing concern over the continued suppression of academic freedom. Although several detainees have been released, they were all dismissed from their academic jobs and have been unable to resume their positions. Additionally, a number of academics remain detained without access to adequate medical care and allegations of incidents of torture in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Letter to Tunisian President de la Rebublique (French).
Letter to Israeli Prime Minister concerning the administrative detention of Dr. Sari Husseibeh of Bir Zeit University and sentencing to six months imprisonment without charge, evidence or entitlement to a trial.
Letter to His Royal Majesty of Saudi Arabia regarding reports that six female professors of the University of Riyadh were dismissed for participating in demonstration protesting restraints on driving for women. If true, this dismissal is a serious breach of human rights and academic freedom as the right to participate in a non-violent protest is protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Letter to Syrian President expressing concern over the detention of a number of Syrian academics without charge or trial in violation of the principles of academic freedom and human rights. Detainees have been incarcerated many years without being allowed visits from family members, legal representation or access to adequate medical care. Additionally, many of these academics have lost their university positions in addition to their incarceration.
Third Letter to Sudanese Head of State and Defense Minister regarding the transfer of Dr. Bashir Omer for extended detention despite an absence of evidence that he has committed any criminal offenses.
Letter to Iraqi President expressing concern over the state of academic freedom in Kuwait under Iraqi occupation and the apparent contravening of the Fourth Geneva Conventions of 1949 measures which prohibit collective punishment of persons living in occupied territories as well as requiring the occupying power to facilitate the proper working of educational institutions and forbids destruction of property.
Second letter to Sudanese Head of State and Defense Minister regarding further violations of human rights of detained academics including denial of travel visas for health reasons, harsh treatment of detainees and intimidation by government officials. There is additional concern due to the indefinite closure of Khartoum University following a student strike cutting off students and professors from their place of study.
Second Letter to Israeli Prime Minister expressing approval for the reopening of Bethlehem University after three years but concern that other leading universities in the West Bank and Gaza remain closed depriving students and professors of their places of study and work.