Another wave of terminations from recent emergency decrees
Letter concerning April 29th Emergency Decree 689 removing 484 academics and 98 administrators from their university positions.
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
- All Committee on Academic Freedom
UK Universities cancel scheduled talks by Richard Falk
Professor Richard Falk was subject to defamation and the obstruction or cancellation of scheduled talks after the release of a report, co-authored with Professor Virginia Tilley, on Israeli law and practice, commissioned by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.
Khalil al-Halwachi sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment
Letter to the King of Bahrain to protest the sentencing of educator and instructor Khalil al-Halwachi to ten years’ imprisonment and to urge Bahrain to respect internationally recognized standards of due process and freedom of expression and association.
Concern and Support for Nasser bin Ghaith sentenced to 10 years
Letter to UAE authorities to protest the ten-year prison sentence of economist, academic and prominent human rights defender, Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith about whom CAF-MENA has written several times, and to urge the leadership to intervene promptly to reverse the Court’s decision.
Dismissal of two faculty at Boğaziçi University
Letter to PM Yıldırım concerning the dismissal of two faculty members of Boğaziçi University (Istanbul) by the Higher Education Council of Turkey (YOK) on the basis that they are signatories to the petition with the title “We will not be a Party to this Crime”.
Travel Restriction and Investigation of Omar Barghouti
Letter to Israeli state authorities expressing concern over the recent investigation of Omar Barghouti, permanent resident and BDS co-founder. CAF is concerned the allegations are political and, therefore, violate his right to movement and to non-violent political expression.
Arrest and Detention of Ahmed Mansoor
Letter to UAE authorities regarding the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent human rights activist and 2015 recipient of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.
New York State Senate passes bills to prohibit funding of university groups supporting boycott of allied nations
Letter to the New York State Assembly regarding two bills sanctioning students and faculty who advocate a boycott of Israel or other 'allied nations'.
Travel ban for supporters of boycott of Israel
Letter to Israeli state authorities condemning an amendment to the “Entry into Israel” Law that denies entry to anyone who supports a boycott of Israel and/or all territories under Israeli control, including the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Incarceration of nearly 1000 students
Letter to PM Yıldırım regarding incarcerated students in Turkey, numbering close to 1000, and the alarming deterioration in conditions of their detention. Credible reports suggest that evidence for terrorism-related charges is weak, while students are subjected to lengthy detentions as pre-trial punishment.
Maltreatment of political prisoner Abduljalil Al-Singace
Letter to the King of Bahrain urging the release, but at minimum, proper medical care and family visits for Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace.
“Code of Ethics” for Israeli academics
Letter to Israeli state authorities expressing concern about a possible “code of ethics” for academics in Israeli universities.
Peaceful protesters experience excessive police force and detention
Letter to PM Yıldırım regarding the excessive police force at Ankara University targeting peaceful protesters and the subsequent detentions that occurred at a demonstration on 10 February 2017 protesting the dismissal of academics en masse from the university. The dismissal was direct result of the emergency decree issued on 7 February 2017, Kanun Hükmünde Kararname (KHK) 686, which resulted in the dismissal of 330 academics in general, 95 of which were from Ankara University.For information on Rector Erkan İbiş’s violations of academic freedom at Ankara University see our letters dating 12 January 2017, 3 November 2015, and 12 December 2012. For more on the emergency decree KHK 686, see our letter dated 8 February 2017.
Exclusion of Baha’is from higher education
Letter to the Iranian authorities vigorously protesting the Islamic Republic of Iran’s longstanding discrimination against Baha’is in higher education.
More Termination of Academics at 49 Universities
Letter to Turkish PM Yıldırım regarding the February 7th Emergency Decree (KHK 686) removing 330 academics from their positions at 49 public universities in Turkey.
Ahmadreza Djalali death sentence after forced confession
Letter to the Iranian authorities urging them to release Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, a permanent resident of Sweden, who has been accused of undermining Iran’s national security and has been sentenced to death.
Concern over UAE trend to silence academics and public intellectuals
Letter to UAE authorities protesting deteriorating conditions relative to academic freedom and freedom of expression.
Hamid Babaei’s Visitation Rights Needed
Third letter to the Iranian authorities urging them to re-instate Hamid Babaei's visitation rights, to ensure that he receives necessary medical care while in custody, and to overturn the conviction related to his academic activities.
Denial by Dean to Recognize Fordham’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine
Letter to Fordham dean Keith Eldredge protesting his decision to deny recognition to Fordham's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
Response from President Hamilton to January 4, 2017 Letter
Regarding research and travel ban of Kristina Bogos.
KHK 677 Removing 242 Academics
Letter concerning November 22, 2016 Emergency Decree 677 removing 242 academics (including public health specialists) from their university positions and terminating the right to education for students who are incarcerated or held in pre-trial detention.
January 6th Emergency Decree 679
Letter concerning January 6th Emergency Decree 679 removing 631 academics from their university positions, including Peace Petition signatories and left-leaning faculty from some of Turkey’s best established universities
Repression of Ankara University Rector
Letter to PM Yıldırım regarding violations of academic freedom by Ankara University Rector Erkan İbiş—a nuclear medicine specialist, including the initiation of over 60 frivolous disciplinary investigations, and his apparent collusion with the government in securing the subsequent termination by emergency decree of Ankara University faculty. The faculty terminated by recent emergency decrees are those that he had previously targeted with disciplinary investigations for publishing critical research findings deemed undesirable by the government or for using social media to advance criticisms of his administration or the Turkish Higher Education Council or actions by the Turkish government.Başbakan Yıldırım’a hitaben, Ankara Üniversitesi Rektörü ve nükleer tıp uzmanı Erkan İbiş’in akademik özgürlük ihlalleri ile hükümet ile işbirliği içerisinde kanun hükmünde kararnamelerle ihraç ettiği anlaşılan akademisyenlere istinaden yazılmış mektup. Kanun hükmünde kararnamelerle işten atılan akademisyenlerin bir çoğu, Rektör İbiş tarafından daha önce haklarında, eleştirel çalışma, duruş veya yayın konuları ve/veya sosyal medyada ve başka mecralarda hükümet politikalarını, üniversite yönetimini veya Yükseköğretim Kuru
Blacklisting and harassment of scholars
Letter to Qatari king protesting the denial of a student visa to Kristina Bogos, and to Qatari and Emirati authorities for engaging in blacklisting and forms of harassment of certain scholars.