Freedom of Speech and Peacful Assembly Worsening on Egypt’s University Campuses
– Letter to PM Hazem al-Beblawy about the worsening climate for free speech and peaceable assembly on university campuses in Egypt.
Contact CAF
Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
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Bahraini Academics and Others Citizenship Revoked
Revocation of citizenship from 31 Bahraini nationals, including MESA member Dr. Abdulhadi Khalaf, with no cause and without following even the minimal standards of procedure.
Imprisonment and Maltreatment of Dr. Al-Singace Serving Life Sentence in Jaw Prison
Letter to Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa regarding Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a noted human rights activist, who was sentenced to life in prison on charges of attempting to overthrow the government. CAF, along with Scholars at Risk, believes that Dr. Al-Singace is a prisoner of conscience, a man jailed solely for the non-violent expression of his political beliefs.
Reprisal Actions to Those in Support of the Gezi Protests
Letter to PM Erdoğan expressing concern over reports of reprisal actions against university students and professors as a consequence of their support of the “Gezi Protests.”
Highly-Politicized Charges Associated with Three Mass Trials Creating Climate of Intimidation on University Campuses
Letter to PM Erdoğan regarding three mass trials that included academics who were tried, together with dozens of others, based on highly politicized charges and without appropriate procedural protections, contributing to a climate of intimidation on university campuses.
Repeated Attacks against Al-Quds University Vampus in Abu Dis
Letter to Israeli dignitaries expressing concern about the recent repeated attacks against Al-Quds University campus in Abu Dis carried out by IDF forces. Such attacks against an educational institution constitute a direct infringement on academic freedom in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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.
Arrest and Detention in Egypt of Canadian Professors Tarek Loubani and John Greyson
Letter to Prime Minister Hazem AlBeblawi expressing concern about the August 16 arrest and detention of two Canadian citizens - film-maker and York University professor John Greyson and physician and University of Western Ontario professor Tarek Loubani.
Concern about Response to On-campus Political Advocacy at York University
Letter to York University President Mamdouh Shukri expressing concern about the response to on-campus political advocacy including sanctioning a student by banning him from being on York University property until April 2014.
Concern Over Evaluation of Research Proposal by University of Toronto Professor to Social Science and Humanities Research Council
Letter to Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada President Chad Gaffield expressing concern about his organization's use of a politicized referee's report to evaluate a research proposal submitted by University of Toronto Professor Jens Hanssen.
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.
Incidents at Kilis 7 Aralık University Impeding Academic Freedom
Letter regarding incidents at Kilis 7 Aralık University that have created an atmosphere on campus that negatively impacts teaching, academic research and scholarly production which continue despite efforts by faculty members at the university to seek redress through the Higher Education Council (YÖK).
Investigation and Informal Suspension Without Pay of Suez University Professor Mona Prince
Letter to Suez University President Maher Musbah protesting the current investigation and informal suspension without pay of Dr. Mona Prince who is accused by one of her students of expressing untoward sentiments about Islam during a class discussion about the problem of sectarian tensions in Egypt.
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.
Imprisonment of Two Saudi Professors based on False Charges
Letter regarding the imprisonment of professors Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Shamiri and Dr. Musa Al Qarni, who were arrested, detained, maltreated, tried, and convicted on false and politically motivated charges.
UAE Officials Denying Entry to Kristian Coates Ulrichsen for Views De-legitimizing the Bahraini Monarchy
Complaint to UAE officials for denying entry to Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Co-Director of the Kuwait Research Programme at the London School of Economics (LSE), who on February 22 was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates “for consistently propagated views de-legitimizing the Bahraini monarchy.”
Police Violence at Middle East Technical University Responding to Student Protests
Letter regarding police violence at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University on December 18, 2012, when an extraordinarily large police contingent was deployed. Students were protesting government policies on the regulation of higher education and the attendant violation of student rights during PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the METU campus in connection to the launching of the Göktürk-2 satellite.
Open Letter Regarding Syrian Armed Attacks on University Campuses
Latest attack by Syrian forces at the University of Aleppo where 80 or more are said to have lost their lives, and more than 150 people were injured.
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.
Intimidation and Persecution at Marmara University
Mounting reports of intimidation and persecution of students and faculty on Marmara University’s campus and alleged actions of the Dean of the Faculty of Communications, Yusuf Devran, which threaten freedom of thought and freedom of research at the university.
Imprisonment and Maltreatment of University of Texas Student Omid Kokabee
Concern regarding the imprisonment and maltreatment of Omid Kokabee, a doctoral student in physics at the University of Texas at Austin, who was arrested in February 2011 during a visit to Iran and incarcerated at Evin Prison without clear charges or a trial for 15 months. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on unsubstantiated charges.
Arrests and Detentions of Academic Community Based on Scholarship Concerning Kurdish Issues.
Ongoing pattern of arrests and detentions of academics, scholars and students on the basis of their research and scholarship concerning Kurdish issues.
Legal Battle by Pinar Selek Depicting Climate of Intimidation
The fourteen-year-long cycle of trials and acquittals that has subjected Pınar Selek, a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Strasbourg, to prolonged denial of justice. Selek’s plight has also contributed to a climate of intimidation confronting all scholars, within and outside of Turkey, who wish to conduct research and writing on Kurdish issues.
Censorship at Turkish Universities
Allegations of censorship at several Turkish universities where scholarly publications have touched on sensitive subjects such as racism against Africans in Turkey, Kurdish rights or environmental issues.
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.