Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
3542 N. Geronimo Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
520 333-2577 phone
520 207-3166 fax
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Disciplinary charges which Baylor University has brought against Professor Marc Ellis and about his removal from his teaching and administrative duties without a hearing.
Letter to University of California President Mark G. Yudof regarding police violence toward the campus communities engaged in peaceful protest on university campuses.
Letter to Assembly of Turkish-American Associations President Ergun Kirlikovali regarding allegations that Prof. Keith Watenpaugh had defamed the organization.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Letter to Pennsylvania senators regarding senate resolution 315. In its current state, SR315 threatens academic freedom and freedom of expression by deploying an overly broad and vague definition of anti-Semitism. In addition, SR315 makes unsupported and inaccurate allegations against a number of universities and colleges, as well as against unnamed departments of Middle Eastern studies.
Letter to University of California, Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake expressing concern about the university's disproportionate response (severe disciplinary action and possible criminal prosecution) to the disruptive behavior of 11 students during a public talk by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren on February 8, 2010.
CAF-endorsed open letter to Yale University President Richard Levin and members of the Yale Corporation written by the National Coalition Against Censorship protesting the decision to remove all images of Mohammed from Jyette Klausen's forthcoming book The Cartoons that Shook the World published by Yale University Press.
Letter to University of California, Santa Barbara Academic Senate Chair Joel Michaelsen regarding the alleged misconduct and investigation of sociology professor William Robinson.
Response from John Bassett to April 23, 2009 letter regarding the cancellation of Professor Norman Finkelstein's lecture at Clark University.
Letter to John Bassett, President Clark University on the cancellation of Professor Norman Finkelstein's lecture at Clark University. [Reply received on April 29, 2009.]
Response from Leon Botstein to March 4, 2009 letter regarding the decision not to renew Joel Kovel’s appointment as Distinguished Professor of Social Studies at Bard College.
CAF expresses concern about the circumstances surrounding the administration’s decision not to renew Joel Kovel’s appointment as Distinguished Professor of Social Studies at Bard College. [Response from President Leon Botstein received March 9, 2009.]
Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the State Department’s failure to respond in a timely fashion to the visa request of Professor Mahmoud Abossowa.
Letter to LTG Robert M. Williams, Commandant U.S. Army War College regarding the treatment of Dr. Sherifa Zuhur.
Joint letter with Human Rights Watch and the American Anthropological Association to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding Fulbright grants for Palestinian students living in the Gaza Strip.