Arrest and detention of Dr. Fariba Adelkhah
Letter to Iranian authorities protesting the detention and unsubstantiated accusation of espionage of Dr. Fariba Adelkhah.
Contact CAF
Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
3542 N. Geronimo Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
520 333-2577 phone
520 207-3166 fax
- Interventions
Limitations and restrictions to foreign nationals teaching at Palestinian universities
Letter demanding Israel lift the restrictions preventing international academics from staying and working in the West Bank, refrain from imposing arbitrary restrictions on the duration of stay or extension of stay for international academics, and order the publication of a clear and lawful procedure for issuing entry visas and work permits for international academics in the West Bank, to enable the university to manage and maintain its academic freedom.
New evidence in investigation of murder of PhD student Giulio Regeni
Letter demanding that the Egyptian government investigate new information provided by Italian authorities on suspects in the murder of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni and end government obstruction of the investigation into his death.
Discouraging collaborations between SOAS and the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK)
Letter acknowledging SOAS for cancelling an event organized by the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and calling upon SOAS and other reputable institutions to refrain from collaborating with YÖK as long as the current climate of repression for academics persists in Turkey.
Threats against Iraqi academics highlighting cases of corruption
Letter to Iraqi authorities expressing concern over the threats made against academics who highlight cases of corruption by Iraqi members of parliament.
Continued prosecution and imprisonment of scholars of signatories of “Academics for Peace Petition”
Letter regarding recent developments in the prosecution and specifically imprisonment of scholars who signed the declaration “We will not be a party to this crime”—commonly referred to as the “Academics for Peace Petition.”
Termination of AUC Endowed Chair
Letter to the administration of the American University in Cairo to express concerns regarding the termination of the Abdulhadi H. Taher Endowed Chair.
Denial of a US Visa to Hanan Ashrawi
Letter protesting the US government's denial of a visa to Palestinian leader Hanan Ashrawi.
Health Concerns for Ahmed Mansoor
Letter to UAE authorities expressing concern at reports that the health of internationally-recognized human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor has deteriorated significantly.
Israel’s Ruling on Deportation of Omar Shakir
Letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Supreme Court Justices and Registrars, Ministers Shaked and Deri expressing grave concerns regarding the Jerusalem District Court’s decision to uphold the deportation of Mr. Omar Shakir on the basis of his human rights advocacy. CAF calls on the Israeli Supreme Court to reverse the district court’s decision. CAF also calls on the Interior Ministry to cease deporting or barring people from entry on the basis of their political views.
Contract renewal of Thomas Abowd at Tufts University
Letter calling on Tufts University to adhere to accepted standards of equity and transparency with regard to Dr. Thomas Abowd's contract renewal and to uphold the principles of academic freedom.
US denial of entry to Omar Barghouti
Letter to Secretary of State Pompeo protesting the decision to deny Omar Barghouti entry to the U.S.
Arbitrary arrests of Birzeit University students
Letter to Israeli authorities condemning the continued harassment and arbitrary arrests of Palestinian university students by Israeli occupying forces. These arrests and campus incursions violate the right to education and academic freedom, and we call upon Israel to cease these attacks on Palestinian universities.
Calling on Kingsborough Community College to defend faculty free speech rights and academic freedom
Letter to the president of Kingsborough Community College and the interim chancellor of the City University of New York calling on them to defend faculty members subjected to baseless accusations of anti-Semitism and harassment, and to uphold the right to free speech and the principles of academic freedom.
Prolonged Detention of Academics in Iran
Letter to Iranian authorities protesting the prolonged detention of Iranian, dual-national, and foreign national academics in Iran.
Florida House Bill conflates criticism of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism
Letter criticizing the definition of anti-Semitism in HB 741, a bill under consideration by the Florida House of Representatives, because it conflates criticism of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism, thereby threatening the right to free speech and academic freedom at Florida's institutions of higher education.
Recent developments concerning the prosecution of Peace Petition signatories and targeting of scholars
Letter regarding recent developments in the prosecution of scholars who signed the declaration “We will not be a party to this crime”—commonly referred to as the “Academics for Peace Petition”—as well as the ongoing targeting of scholars whose research exposes threats emanating from the Turkish government’s policies in areas such as public health and environmental regulation.
Public Smear Campaign against Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian and Hebrew University’s Failure to Protect Her
Letter denouncing the aggressive public smear campaign against Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian related to her research and expressing concern regarding the Hebrew University’s failure to protect her.
ATCA’s Effect on the Right to Education for Palestinian Students
Letter to President Trump, Secretary Pompeo, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives expressing opposition to the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA) of 2018, as it results in the denial of the right to education to Palestinian students from the West Bank and Gaza Strip in a MEPI program. CAF calls on Congress and the President to cancel ATCA.
Israeli Arrests of Palestinian Students and Professors, Israeli Assaults on Palestinian Campuses
Letter condemning the arbitrary arrests and detention of Palestinian students and professors as well as the assaults on Palestinian universities. These measures are a clear violation of Palestinian academic freedom.
State Security Court upholds 10 year prison sentence of Ahmed Mansoor
Letter to UAE authorities protesting the decision of the State Security Court of the Federal Supreme Court to uphold the 10 year prison sentence imposed on human rights advocate Ahmed Mansoor in 2018.
Concern for health of Nasser bin Ghaith, sentenced to 10 years in 2017
Letter to UAE authorities expressing concern for the health of Nasser bin Ghaith, a professor of economics sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in 2017 for "insulting" the UAE in public statements and tweets, who is on hunger-strike.
Detentions of Academic Visitors in Iran*
Letter to Iranian authorities condemning the continued detention of visiting academics on the basis of what appear to be fabricated charges
Senators Introduce Revised Israel Anti-Boycott Act
Letter expressing concern over the most recent version of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S. 720) which continues to criminalize participation in what it terms “politically motivated” boycotts directed at Israel.
British PhD Student Matthew Hedges Given Life Sentence
Letter (co-signed by Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) to UAE authorities condemning the sentencing of British PhD student Matthew Hedges to life imprisonment for ‘spying’ supposedly on behalf of the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service.