Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
3542 N. Geronimo Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
520 333-2577 phone
520 207-3166 fax
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.
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.
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.
Letter protesting joint SUNY-YOK discussion.
Letter to the University of Michigan Defending Graduate Student Threatened for Refusing to Write Recommendation Letter
Letter to UAE authorities regarding Matthew Hedges, a British PhD student from Durham University who has been detained by State Security since May 2018 and has been accused of spying for a foreign government.
Letter to the University of Michigan protesting the imposition of disciplinary sanctions against Professor John Cheney-Lippold because of his decision not to write a letter of recommendation for a student applying to a study-abroad program in Israel.
GWU Provost Forrest Maltzman responds to CAF's serious concerns regarding the 10 September 2018 announcement of a "research partnership" between the New York Times and George Washington University's Program on Extremism (POE).
Letter to George Washington University leadership regarding university's partnership with the New York Times to house documents removed from Iraq by Rukmini Callimachi.
Letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees expressing serious concerns about the "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2018" recently introduced as H.R.5924 and S.2940 because the definition of anti-Semitism that it would require the Department of Education to adopt conflates criticism of Israeli policies and of Zionism with anti-Semitism, thereby endangering free speech rights and academic freedom at U.S. institutions of higher education.
The New York Times has responded to several issues raised by CAF's May 2, 2018 letter as well as questions sent in by other readers regarding the nearly 16,000 documents that journalist Rukmini Callimachi and her team removed from Iraq without permission of the relevant Iraqi authorities.
Letter to the New York Times concerning Rukmini Callimachi’s series “The ISIS Files” that employs nearly 16,000 documents removed from Iraq by her and her team without permission of the relevant Iraqi authorities. In addition to the complete disregard for the myriad legal, professional, ethical, and moral issues involved, including endangering individuals by the reckless publication of unredacted documents, their removal from Iraq is a violation of a number of international customary laws.
MESA’s Committee on Academic Freedom has issued a resource guide for college and university leaders on actions they can take to counteract a secretive, political organization called Canary Mission that uses its website to engage in defamatory attacks against college students and faculty who engage in advocacy for Palestinian rights and academic inquiry about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Letter to Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray questioning Kenneth L. Marcus' fitness to serve as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education
NYU responds to letter sent to President Andrew Hamilton asking that the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) not be permitted to participate in the Naturejobs Career Expo sponsored by NYU because of its role in the repression of Turkish academics.
Please see our letter to NYU President Andrew Hamilton asking that the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) not be permitted to participate in the Naturejobs Career Expo sponsored by NYU because of its role in the repression of Turkish academics.
Letter calling on the chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, to take action in response to the posters put up on campus accusing certain faculty and students of being "terrorist supporters”.
Letter to UAE authorities to protest the denial of security clearance and visas to two NYU professors scheduled to teach classes at NYU Abu Dhabi
Letter to the president of NYU regarding the UAE's denial of visas to two NYU professors
Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kelly and CIS Acting Director McAment protesting the decision to deny political asylum to Syrian opposition activist Radwan Ziadeh.
Letter to San Francisco State University President Wong and California State University Chancellor White regarding the Lawfare Project's lawsuit.
Letter to administrators of California State University, Fresno expressing concern that the abrupt cancellation of the search for the Edward Said Professorship in Middle East Studies after the names of the four finalists - all of Arab or Muslim descent - constitutes a violation of academic procedures and violates academic freedom.
Letter to the New York State Assembly regarding two bills sanctioning students and faculty who advocate a boycott of Israel or other 'allied nations'.