Sure, the US cares about human rights — when it benefits us [The Hill]

President Biden’s red-carpet treatment of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is another nail in the coffin of U.S. human rights policy. Such willful blindness to India’s poor human rights record extends to the Middle East.  Indeed, human rights advocates have long criticized the U.S. government for its selective, politicized enforcement of human rights laws and policies in furtherance of one goal: to remain the sole “Great Power” in the Middle East and North Africa.  U.S. hegemony in the region has five main goals: first, to retain control over the distribution and… Continue reading “Sure, the US cares about human rights — when it benefits us [The Hill]”

Sahar Aziz Delivers Faculty Address to Rutgers Law Class of 2023

The Rutgers Law School (Newark) Class of 2023 selected Professor Sahar Aziz to deliver the faculty address at their commencement ceremony. She reminded graduates of the People’s Electric Law School to take seriously the weighty responsibility of lawyers as the guardians of our society’s democracy and the foundation on which justice stands. To hear her full remarks, click here or watch below.… Continue reading “Sahar Aziz Delivers Faculty Address to Rutgers Law Class of 2023”

Current US Engagements and Evolving US Priorities in the Region [Arab Center]

Professor Sahar Aziz contributed her expertise on Egypt-U.S. relations on a panel addressing current and future US priorities in the region and America’s bilateral relations with key players and policies in Gulf Arab states, Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Iran. The panel, Current U.S. Engagements and Evolving US Priorities inn the Region, discussed China and Russia’s roles in the region’s conflicts, the United States’ direct military involvement and its haphazard disengagement in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, as well as the US retreat on commitments to human rights and democracy. —… Continue reading “Current US Engagements and Evolving US Priorities in the Region [Arab Center]”

‘Systematically erased’: Middle Eastern and North African women and LGBTQ+ Americans don’t see themselves in U.S. data [the19th]

There is no exact definition of MENA by a group like the United Nations, but it generally includes countries as far north as Turkey that border the Mediterranean Sea. While many religions and ethnicities are represented in this region, shared Arab ancestry or Islamic identity is sometimes used as a way to group countries over strict geographic boundaries.  “But these are subjective lines that are gone, and they are certainly a result of colonial preferences,” said Sahar Aziz, professor of law at Rutgers University and author of “The Racial … Continue reading “‘Systematically erased’: Middle Eastern and North African women and LGBTQ+ Americans don’t see themselves in U.S. data [the19th]”

NJ Muslim Mayor Who Was Denied White House Entry [Gothamist]

A Muslim mayor in New Jersey is calling for an end to the U.S. government’s terror watch lists after he was barred from a celebration at the White House. Mohamed Khairullah — in his fifth term as Prospect Park’s mayor, and first elected to the borough’s council in 2001 — was on his way to an Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House on Monday when he was told the Secret Service would not allow him to attend. Khairullah, a well-known Muslim leader in New Jersey, said at a Tuesday… Continue reading “NJ Muslim Mayor Who Was Denied White House Entry [Gothamist]”

POMEPS Podcast Features “The Racial Muslim” [George Washington University]

While the so-called “Global War on Terror” may no longer be the dominant narrative animating U.S. foreign policy, the long term effects of the past two decades continue to shape perceptions of Muslims and Islam in America. In the George Washington University Project on Middle East Politics (POMEPS) podcast, Marc Lynch hosts Sahar Aziz in a conversation about the broader implications of the racialization of religion, as set forth in her book The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom. Click here to listen, starting at minute 34:55. POMEPS … Continue reading “POMEPS Podcast Features “The Racial Muslim” [George Washington University]”

Hamline, Free Speech, and Academic Freedom [Eagleton Institute]

In the podcast This Moment in Democracy, Professor Saladin Ambar and Rutgers Law Professor Sahar Aziz discuss the controversy happening at Hamline University, as well as current issues higher education is facing regarding free speech on campus, academic freedom, and the adjunctification of university faculty. To listen to the podcast, click here.… Continue reading “Hamline, Free Speech, and Academic Freedom [Eagleton Institute]”

The Hamline Controversy and the Real Threat to Academic Freedom [Al Jazeera]

Over the past few weeks, there has been much debate about academic freedom in the United States. It was sparked by the decision of Hamline University not to renew the contract of an adjunct professor who showed a famous 14th-century Persian painting of the Prophet Muhammad and Angel Gabriel in her art history class. The decision was made following the complaint of a Muslim student who felt offended. “We now find ourselves at the heart of a purported standoff between academic freedom and equity.” These words by Hamline University President Fayneese… Continue reading “The Hamline Controversy and the Real Threat to Academic Freedom [Al Jazeera]”