AMEWS post-election position statement

ASSOCIATION FOR MIDDLE EAST WOMEN’S STUDIES (AMEWS) POST-ELECTION POSITION STATEMENT
November 16, 2016

The Association for Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS), an affiliate of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), is a non-profit organization devoted to the expansion of knowledge of and about women and gender dynamics in the Middle East and about Muslim and Middle Eastern women and gender dynamics in the diaspora.
We are primarily an academic organization whose members are committed to education, writing, and research, including through our prized publication, The Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies.
We also frequently work as a pressure group on issues of gender and human rights. Our Human Rights Task force usually issues statements about the violation of rights in the Middle East.

This statement is to express our equal concern and alarm, especially after the recent election, with the many reported assaults, acts of bigotry, hate crimes, and other threats against the most vulnerable in the U.S., including Muslims and other religious minorities, women, racialized groups, LGBTQ communities, documented and undocumented immigrants, non-citizens, and the disabled.
AMEWS commits to support and defend our rights and the rights of the most vulnerable among us in any way we can. We acknowledge and recognize the legitimate fears of many of our students, colleagues, and staff members, who have already been exposed. We will continue to defend academic freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom of association in our communities and institutional settings, which include universities and colleges.
We will continue to teach, research, speak and write. We will also continue to do everything we can to mitigate the chilling effects of the recent election and to preserve environments that are inclusive and respectful of diversity in all forms. We will take action where and when it is necessary to defend the integrity and dignity of those we represent.
In Solidarity,
The AMEWS Board of Directors and the AMEWS Human Rights Task Force

Contact Persons:
Amaney A. Jamal, President,AMEWS
Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics
Director: Bobst Center for Peace and Justice, Princeton University

Sondra Hale, Co-­‐Chair, AMEWS Human Rights Task Force
Research Professor and Professor Emerita, Anthropology and Gender Studies
University of California, Los Angeles