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Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.
3542 N. Geronimo Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
520 333-2577 phone
520 207-3166 fax
Response to the July 7, 2011, Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA) report whose loose and overly broad definition of antisemitism may threaten freedom of speech and violate the principles of academic freedom by defining criticism of Israeli policies, of Zionism or of Israel as a self-defined Jewish state as inherently antisemitic.
Letter to HH Shaykh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan over the arrest of economics professor Nasser bin Ghaith at the Abu Dhabi branch of France’s Sorbonne University.
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.
Remarks by two members of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly, and by Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, with regard to the contents of a thesis accepted by a master’s program at the University of Toronto. These assertions inappropriately conflate criticism of Zionism and Israel with anti-Semitism. They also evince a disregard for the principles of academic freedom and threaten the autonomy of Canadian universities.
Since the disputed election of 2009, the Iranian authorities have intensified their repression and persecution of non-violent student activists and scholars on and off university campuses. Hundreds of students on campuses throughout Iran have been banned from study, arrested, given arbitrary and harsh sentences, imprisoned, and tortured. The letter calls for immediate and unconditional release of all students and scholars of conscience imprisoned in Iran for their political views and non-violent activism.
Letter to Bar-Ilan University President Moshe Kaveh regarding the tenure case of Dr. Ariela Azoulay. She may have been denied tenure as a result of opaque and improper evaluation procedures and because of her political views, rather than on the basis of her record as a scholar, teacher, and member of her university and academic communities.
Letter to Egyptian President Husni Mubarak and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Hany Mahfouz Helal expressing grave concern over numerous recent violations of the rights of university students to engage in lawful, peaceful activism. According to numerous media reports, university security officers and administrators systematically suppressed student activities prior to student union elections on October 18. Students have been verbally abused, beaten, detained, arrested, and suspended.
Letter concerning the recent spate of harsh and unwarranted sentencing of a number of prominent scholars, intellectuals, and academic rights activists, including the continued persecution of Mr. Emadeddin Baghi and the announcement by Iranian authorities on September 21, 2010, that he has been sentenced to an additional six years imprisonment. Mr. Baghi is an internationally-renowned independent scholar and a prolific author, a prominent journalist, and a leading human rights and prisoners’ rights defender, who also has campaigned against capital punishment and torture in Iran.
Letter to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Rachid Haraoubia expressing deep concern about a set of directives to the heads of Algerian institutions of higher education and research on a new set of procedures for the participation of Algerian scholars in conferences, colloquia, seminars, and workshops held outside the country. The document permits Algerian scholars to accept invitations to attend such meetings only with the prior approval of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS). International gatherings to be held in Algeria must also receive prior approval from the Ministry.
Letter to University of Aden Rector Abd al-Aziz Saleh Bin Habtoor protesting the two-year suspension of Mr. Wa’el al-Qubati, a fourth-year student in the Journalism and Mass Communications Faculty. Mr. al-Qubati was suspended without due process or notification, apparently for writing newspaper articles critical of the university administration.
Letter to Suez Canal University President al-Zoghby protesting the dismissal of Mr. Ahmad Galal, a student in his final year in the Faculty of Medicine. Last April Mr. Galal was the victim of a severe beating by the University Security Forces (USF) for distributing a magazine on campus. Rather than protest against this flagrant violation of academic freedom, a University Disciplinary Committee issued a suspension order against Mr. Galal. No disciplinary action is known to have been taken against the members of the USF involved in the incident.
Letter concerning Israel’s ongoing travel restrictions and new military orders which effectively ban over 400 Palestinian students from Gaza from studying in West Bank universities.
Letter concerning the recent death sentences and executions, as well as continued harassment, imprisonment, and expulsions targeting university faculty and administrators, teachers, and non-violent student activists in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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.
Letter to Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior Lt. General Sheikh Jabir al-Khaled al-Jabir al-Sabah regarding two scholars who were barred from entering Kuwait. As a result, these prominent scholars were unable to present their research at professional meetings to which they had been invited. In both cases, the scholars were issued entry visas by Kuwait that were later revoked.
Letter to Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to express concern about the recent closure of the Université Libre de Tunis(ULT), Tunisia’s first and pre-eminent private university, and the withdrawal of that institution’s authorization to operate for the next three academic years.
Letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei expressing the grave concern over the violent treatment, arrest, and harsh sentencing of students and activists across Iran since the Ashura demonstrations of late December 2009.
Letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei regarding the December 7, 2009, national Student Day anniversary in Iran, which was marked by large-scale violence carried out against protesting students across the country by the Iranian security forces.
Letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli’s Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George J. Mitchell, and Israeli Ambassador Michael B. Oren regarding the arrest and subsequent deportation to Gaza by Israeli authorities of Ms. Berlanty Azzam who was weeks away from completing her degree at Bethlehem University.
Letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei expressing shock and dismay at the arrest, conviction, and harsh sentencing of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh.