“Shirin Saeidi, former head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, was formally dismissed after allegedly expressing support for the Iranian regime and making anti-Israel statements.”

“She had reportedly received a warning letter in July from the Fulbright College dean, Brian Raines, after she allegedly used university letterhead to advocate for the release of Hamid Nouri, who was convicted in a Swedish court in 2022 for ordering the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.”

“She was later suspended in December following social media posts supporting Palestine and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Her termination proceeded despite a faculty committee’s unanimous recommendation that she be retained, according to the Arkansas Times.”

“The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) published a letter denouncing Shirin Saeidi's dismissal and called for her reinstatement and public condemnation of defamation campaigns.”

“Dismissals of faculty members occurred amid a sharp rise in censorship allegations in US universities since October 7, 2023.”

“As of April, Harvard University affiliates filed over 500 discrimination complaints, alleging anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian bias.”

“Chloe Truong-Jones reported a 305% increase in US faculty seeking legal help for speech on Palestine, rising from 37 in 2022 to 150 in 2023.”