Oppression of Issawiya neighborhood
Letter to Hebrew University condemning its complicity in Jerusalem police harassment of al-Issawiya neighborhood.
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NEH Announces $30.9 Million for 188 Humanities Projects Nationwide
Seven projects in Middle East studies have received NEH grants.
Detention of Director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Ubai Aboudi
Letter to Israeli officials condemning the detention of Ubai Aboudi, a Palestinian-American scholar and Director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and calling for a halt to arbitrary raids of Palestinian civil and human rights organizations and abductions of their leaders.
Letter Criticizing President Trump’s Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism
Letter calling on President Trump to revoke the Executive Order on anti-Semitism, and expressing grave concern over this counterproductive approach to a real issue by relying upon a problematic definition with vague examples, which might encourage the Department of Education to infringe upon academic freedoms and restrict free speech on US campuses.
Memo on Public Records Harassment and Defense
This memo offers preliminary guidance for those facing overly broad public records requests, particularly when public records laws are abused for the purposes of harassment and intimidation of scholars or centers for ideological reasons. Please contact tfchr@mesana.org for more information.
Middle East Scholars Give 2019 Academic Freedom Award to Homa Hoodfar
The 2019 MESA Academic Freedom Award has been given to Canadian anthropologist Dr. Homa Hoodfar of Concordia University.
Press release concerning the protection of academic freedom
At its 53rd annual meeting in New Orleans, MESA's Board of Directors issued a statement affirming the protection of academic freedoms.
Arrest and Detention of French Sociologist Dr. Roland Marchal
Letter to Iranian authorities protesting the detention of Dr. Roland Marchal since June 2019 with no formal charges filed against him.
Concerns regarding the recent arrest and sentencing of four Cairo University academics
Letter to Egyptian authorities expressing grave concerns regarding the arrest and sentencing of four Cairo University academics, as well as the mass roundup of peaceful demonstrators following the 20 September protest.
Deteriorating health of imprisoned professor Abduljalil Al-Singace
Letter to the King of Bahrain to protest the continuing detention and deteriorating health of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, a Bahraini professor of engineering sentenced to life in prison after taking part in peaceful political protests in 2011.
Recent Israeli Arrests of Palestinian Students and Professor
Letter to Israeli authorities protesting the arrests of Palestinian students and professors and demanding their immediate and unconditional release.
Canadian government’s definition of antisemitism
Letter to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Heritage Minister Rodriguez objecting to the flawed definition of antisemitism used by the government's antiracism strategy.
2019 Teaching Literature Book Award
Congratulations to Michelle Hartman for receiving honorable mention for "Teaching Modern Arabic Literature in Translation" for the 2019 Teaching Literature Book Award.
Press Release on foreign academics working restrictions in Palestine
MESA and other scholarly organizations have written to Israeli authorities regarding procedures for visas and work permits for international academics working in Palestine.
Arrest and detention of Dr. Kameel Ahmady
Letter to Iranian authorities on behalf of Dr. Kameel Ahmady, protesting his arrest and detention on the basis of what appear to be politically motivated charges.
End probationary measures on PhD student Walid Salem
Letter to the Egyptian government requesting that it end all probationary measures placed on University of Washington doctoral student, Walid Salem -- who was released from prison in December 2018 after 6 months in detention without any charges against him -- and allow him to travel freely and continue his work.
In Memoriam, John Masson Smith (1930-2019)
MESA mourns the passing of Professor Emeritus John Masson Smith of the University of California, Berkeley.
Alarm over Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s transfer to an undisclosed location and threats of execution
Fifth letter to Iranian authorities on behalf of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, expressing alarm over his recent transfer to an undisclosed location, raising new threats of torture and execution.
Resources on Academic Freedom
A list of resources and links to websites related to academic freedom.
Arrest and detention of Dr. Fariba Adelkhah
Letter to Iranian authorities protesting the detention and unsubstantiated accusation of espionage of Dr. Fariba Adelkhah.
UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies receives Mellon Grant
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a two-year grant of $350,000 to UCLA to support a pilot project seeking to reframe how Middle Eastern studies are conceptualized and taught.
In Memoriam, Michael Bonner (1952-2019)
MESA mourns the passing of University of Michigan Professor Michael Bonner.