BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom
The BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom was set up to monitor and defend academic freedom in the research, study and teaching of Middle East Studies in the UK and anywhere in the world, including in academic institutions in the Middle East and North Africa.
To learn more about how the committee works, please see the Terms of Reference.
Latest Letters
On 24 August, the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University and to the UK government to express our alarm at the conviction and jailing of Leeds University PhD student Salma al-Shehab. We are appalled Mrs. Al-Shehab has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for peacefully expressing her views on Twitter, advocating for women's rights and supporting human rights defenders also unjustly persecuted and jailed by Saudi Arabia.
Previous Letters
2022
- Letter to the University of Edinburgh and LSE urging them to clarify and restate their commitment to academic freedom in light of their partnerships with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) whose annual conference, COP27, is scheduled to be hosted by Egypt in November 2022.
- 17 August 2022 - Letters to Diaa Rashwan, Coordinator of the National Dialogue in Egypt, to express our deep concern about the ongoing detention of:
- Alexandria University Assistant Professor of Political Science, Dr Ahmed Al-Tohamy Abdel-Hay - Read letter
- Helwan University’s former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr Elsayed Hassan Shehabeldin Abo Zaid - Read letter
- Former Cairo University Engineering Professor Dr Essam Hashish - Read letter
- Egyptian Professor of Engineering Dr Mohamed Ali Beshr - Read letter
- Egyptian scholar Dr Salah Soltan, who is also a resident of the United States - Read letter
- Alexandria University Assistant Professor of Political Science, Dr Ahmed Al-Tohamy Abdel-Hay - Read letter
- Letter to Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna to express our serious and urgent concern regarding the cancellation of a talk by Dr Walaa Alqaisiya scheduled for May 30 at the Institute for Art Theory and Cultural Studies as part of its Spring Curatorial Program 2022, Art Geographies - 27 May 2022
- Letter to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet to protest against Israeli violations of Palestinian academic freedom and to call on the Prime Minister to cancel the recently announced “Procedure for Entry and Residency of Foreigners in Judea and Samaria Region” - 6 April 2022
- Letter to Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor University of Manchester, to express our concerns about the University’s treatment of Alistair Hudson, Director, Whitworth Art Gallery (WAG) - 8 March 2022
- Letter to Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University regarding the investigation of Shahd Abusalama and cancellation of the class she was scheduled to teach - 25 January 2022
2021
- Letter to the UK Home Secretary to express our concern about statements made by the Home Secretary following LSE student protests against the Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely - 16 November 2021
- Report on meeting between BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom and the Minister for Universities, Michelle Donelan, and Baroness Barran, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education, in follow-up to our correspondence with the Minister regarding the IHRA working definition of antisemitism - 28 October 2021
- Letter to Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal of University of Glasgow, regarding the University's ‘Protocol for Managing Speakers and Events’ and the University’s decision to adopt the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and their implications for Middle East Studies and academic freedom.
- 19 October 2021- Response from University of Glasgow - 21 October 2021
- Response from BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom - 27 October 2021
- Response from University of Glasgow - 21 October 2021
- Letter to Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor of Bristol University, regarding the University's decision to fire Professor David Miller following an investigation into comments that he made that were critical of Israeli government policy, Zionism and pro-Israel groups.
- 12 October 2021 - Joint letter to Professor Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the Univeristy of Cambridge, from BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom and the Board of Directors of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) regarding the proposed academic deal between the University of Cambridge and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- 18 August 2021 - Letter to Egyptian President regarding the arrest and interrogation of Dr Alia Mossallam, an EUME (Europe in Nahen Osten) Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Berlin, Germany.
- 15 July 2021 - Letter to Professor Chamovitz, President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, regarding events that took place on 11 May 2021 on and near the university campus in Beer Shava.
- 9 June 2021 - Letter to UK Minister of State for Universities regarding the IHRA definition of antisemitism and the autonomy of universities.
- 26 May 2021- Response from Minister of State for Universities - 18 June 2021
- Response from BRISMES Committe on Academic Freedom - 4 August 2021
- Report on meeting between BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom and Minister of State for Universities on 28 October 2021
- Response from Minister of State for Universities - 18 June 2021
- Letter to Iranian authorities regarding the prosecution and imprisonment of Touraj Amini, a historian of the Qajar dynasty and Iranian Constitutional movement.
- 21 April 2021 - Letter to UCL Provost regarding the UCL Academic Board Vote on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.
- 30 March 2021- Response from UCL Provost - 12 April 2021
- Response from UCL Provost - 12 April 2021
- Letter to Iranian authorities regarding the prosecution and sentencing of Prof. Sedigheh Vasmaghi, poet, writer, formerly tenured professor of theology at the University of Tehran and scholar of Islamic studies.
- 9 March 2021 - Letter to Egyptian President regarding the ongoing detention of Ahmed Samir Santawy, master's student at the Central European University (CEU).
- 9 March 2021 - Letter to UK Foreign Secretary on the fifth anniversary of the murder of Giulio Regeni.
- 27 January 2021- Response from the Foreign Secretary - 3 March 2021
2020
- Letter to Egyptian President regarding the arrest and detention of Dr Ahmed Tohamy and the continued detention of Mr Patrick George Zaki.
- 29 November 2020 - Letter to Israeli government calling for the immediate release of Professor Imad Barghouthi.
- 22 October 2020 - Letter to the President of the German Rectors' Conference regarding the recent resolution entitled ‘No place for antisemitism’ and its implications for academic freedom.
- 26 February 2020 - Letter from BRISMES regarding the arrest and detention of Mr Patrick Zaki.
- 14 February 2020 - BRISMES signs open letter calling for the release of Fariba Adelkhah and Roland Marchal, academics imprisoned in Iran since last year on charges of espionage.
- 11 February 2020
2016-2019
- Letter to Egyptian President regarding the arrest and detention of Professor Hasan Nafaa, Professor Hazem Hosni and Professor Magdi Kerqar.
- 31 October 2019 - Letter to Israeli PM Protesting Israeli violations of Palestinian academic freedom.
- 12 September 2019 - Letter from BRISMES protesting against Israeli violations of Palestinian academic freedom.
2019 - Letter to Professor Dame Janet Beer on the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
- 24 January 2019 - BRISMES letters on the death of Giulio Regeni and government response.
- 2016-2018 - Letter to UAE authorities regarding the detention of Matthew Hedges.
- 2018 - BRISMES is now a signatory to the MESA statement on academic freedom in Turkey.
- 21 July 2016 - Letter to Turkish Prime Minister regarding academic freedom in Turkey.
- 19 January 2016
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