Television

Think Tank with Steve Adubato [PBS]

Sahar Aziz joins Steve Adubato on the PBS show Think Tank as part of a special series, “Confronting Racism & Prejudice.” Professor Aziz discusses the historic rise in Islamophobia across the nation, the vandalization of the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, and the … Think Tank with Steve Adubato [PBS]
Israel-Gaza: Does Islamophobia play a part in US foreign policy? [UpFront]

As the war in Gaza rages on, the death toll keeps increasing and residents face starvation. Despite the heavy civilian toll, the United States keeps voicing its strong support for Israel. Is there a double standard when it comes to Palestine? And why do some … Israel-Gaza: Does Islamophobia play a part in US foreign…
Teachers Who Made an Impact

Sahar Aziz discusses the two teachers who made a long lasting impact on her life: Coach Beverley Humphrey and Mr. Fred Harvey.
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Mississippi Abortion Law [BBC World]

Sahar Aziz spoke with BBC World News about the recent Supreme Court’s pending decision on a Mississippi law restricting women’s right to obtaining an abortion.
The Potential Impact of Combating International Islamophobia Act [Black News Channel]

Speaking with Marc Lamont Hill on the Black News Channel, Sahar Aziz provided her political analysis of the attacks against Representative Ilhan Omar and Republican opposition to the Combatting International Islamophobia Act.
Muslims and Islamophobia in the 9/11 Era [Smithsonian Museum]

The Smithosonian Museum featured Sahar Aziz in a public education video explaining the factors that have contributed to the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism in the post-9/11 era.

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Op-Eds

Rutgers Islamic Center’s Vandalization Shows Our Need to Combat Islamophobia [NJ.com]

Emotionally draining is how best to describe the past six months for many Muslim Americans. Oscillating between outrage, hopelessness and determination, our diverse communities have spent the past six months doing whatever we can to end the senseless murder of over 33,000 Palestinians, including 13,000 children. We have … Rutgers Islamic Center’s Vandalization Shows Our Need to Combat…
How a Leading Definition of Antisemitism Has Been Weaponized Against Israel’s Critics [The Nation]

The chorus of criticism of Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and denial of food, water, and other humanitarian aid to 2 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza has only grown louder as the Palestinian death toll has skyrocketed beyond an estimated 22,000, nearly half of whom are children. Too often, … How a Leading Definition of Antisemitism Has Been Weaponized…
Muslim women in the West in the crosshairs of Zionists, white ‘feminists’ [Al Jazeera]

At the forefront of numerous grassroots, intellectual, and political movements opposing Israel’s ongoing war crimes, in the United States and elsewhere in the staunchly pro-Israel West, are Muslim women. Courageous Palestinian, Arab, South Asian, and Black women are leading mass protests, political action campaigns, teach-ins … Muslim women in the West in the crosshairs of…
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 … Sure, the US cares about human rights — when…
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 … The Hamline Controversy and the Real Threat to Academic…
Egypt Isn’t Qualified to Host COP27 [TIME]

Climate change has no regard for state borders. Nor does a nation’s wealth or power immunize it from the annual rise in temperatures exacerbating extreme flooding, droughts, and storms. This reality is bringing together nearly 200 nations for COP27, to be held in Egypt—a nation highly … Egypt Isn’t Qualified to Host COP27 [TIME]

Podcasts

The Attack on Academic Freedom [FMEP]

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Professor Sahar Aziz of Rutgers University about the current attacks on academic freedom and why the US House of Representatives is investigating Rutgers and its Center for Security, … The Attack on Academic Freedom [FMEP]
Amid Gaza War, College Campuses Become Free Speech “Testing Ground” [Intercepted]

The conflict in Gaza has galvanized a new generation of young anti-war activists, in the same way that opposition to the Vietnam War and apartheid South Africa did in decades past. A backlash is now building in the United States, led by right-wing activist and … Amid Gaza War, College Campuses Become Free Speech “Testing…
Defending Palestinian Rights Attracts Defamatory Attacks [Counterpunch Radio]

Professor Sahar Aziz and Mitchell Plitnick, co-authors of “Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in the Palestine-Israel Discourse,” discussed a critical new report published by Rutgers University Law School’s Center for Security, Race, and Rights. The conversation explores the political and social context for this report, as … Defending Palestinian Rights Attracts Defamatory Attacks [Counterpunch Radio]
How Israel’s Supporters Use Islamophobia to Silence Critics [Marc Steiner Show]

By now, the false equivalency between anti-Zionism and antisemitism—which Israel’s supporters use to give rhetorical cover for Zionism—is a well-worn topic on the left. What’s less discussed is the role of Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in Zionists’ attempts to smear their critics, particularly Arab and … How Israel’s Supporters Use Islamophobia to Silence Critics [Marc…
Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in Palestine-Israel Discourse [Insurgents]

Professor Sahar Aziz, Distinguished Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law and author of The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom, joined Jordan Uhl and Rob Rosseau on the Insurgents Podcast to discuss her recent report “Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes In … Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in Palestine-Israel Discourse [Insurgents]
Threats to Free Speech on College Campuses [Katie Halper Show]

Universities across the United States have been targets of censorship campaigns by external special interest groups seeking to quash debate about Palestinian human rights, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and international law violations by the state of Israel. Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students … Threats to Free Speech on College Campuses [Katie Halper…

Press Mentions

Amid Gaza Protests, Universities are Cracking Down on a Celebrated Protest Tactic: Sit-Ins [The Intercept]

On October 25, hundreds of people participated in a sit-in at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, calling on school administrators to cut ties with weapons manufacturers involved in Israel’s occupation of Palestine. It was part of a wave of activism around Israel’s siege of Gaza … Amid Gaza Protests, Universities are Cracking Down on a…
Unconditional Supporters of Israel Know the Facts Are Not on Their Side [Jacobin]

On Saturday, November 4, some three hundred thousand people marched in Washington, DC, in solidarity with Palestinians. It was the largest pro-Palestine march in US history, a heartening sign that the McCarthyite backlash to solidarity with Palestinians in the face of Israel’s ongoing onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip … Unconditional Supporters of Israel Know the Facts Are Not…
Why pro-Palestinian demonstrations are popping up on college campuses [Scripps]

“We’ve seen quite a bit of sympathy for Palestinian civilians,” said Sahar Aziz, a law school professor and director of the Center for Security, Race and Rights at Rutgers University. “They recognize that Palestinians have grievances. Many of these young people don’t rely on formal educational institutions … Why pro-Palestinian demonstrations are popping up on college campuses…
‘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 … ‘Systematically erased’: Middle Eastern and North African women and…
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 … NJ Muslim Mayor Who Was Denied White House Entry…
Why the 2022 Election was Historic for Muslim Women’s Representation [The 19th]

A record number of Muslim women ran for office in 2022 — and they won. The election cycle made history with 153 Muslim candidates on the general ballot, per a report released by Jetpac Resource Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Sixty-one percent of Muslim women … Why the 2022 Election was Historic for Muslim Women’s…