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{{neutrality|date=February 2007}}
⚫ The '''Middle East Forum''' (MEF) is an American ].<ref></ref> It was founded in 1990 by historian and columnist ], who also serves as its director. The MEF describes its aims as " define and promote ] interests in the ]" through research, publications, and educational outreach. MEF became an independent 501(c)3 organization in 1994. It publishes a journal entitled '']''.
{{unbalanced|date=February 2007}}
⚫ The '''Middle East Forum''' (MEF) describes itself as an American ].<ref>. </ref> It was founded in 1990 by ], who also serves as its director. The MEF describes its aims as " define and promote ] interests in the ]" through research, publications, and educational outreach. MEF became an independent 501(c)3 organization in 1994. It publishes a journal entitled '']''.


The MEF defines "U.S. interests" as "fighting ], whether ] or lawful; working for ] acceptance of ]; improving the management of U.S. democracy efforts; reducing energy dependence on the Middle East; more robustly asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis ]; and countering the ] threat."<ref name="About"> accessed ], ].</ref> Based on a belief that the ] has vital interests in the region of the ], the organization advocates strong ties with ], ], and other democracies as they emerge; works for human rights throughout the region; seeks a stable supply and a low price of oil; and promotes the peaceful settlement of regional and international disputes.<ref name=Pipes>], ''danielpipes.org'' (personal organization website of Daniel Pipes, n.d., accessed ], ].</ref> The MEF defines "U.S. interests" as "fighting ], whether ] or lawful; working for ] acceptance of ]; improving the management of U.S. democracy efforts; reducing energy dependence on the Middle East; more robustly asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis ]; and countering the ] threat."<ref name="About"> accessed ], ].</ref> Based on a belief that the ] has vital interests in the region of the ], the organization advocates strong ties with ], ], and other democracies as they emerge; works for human rights throughout the region; seeks a stable supply and a low price of oil; and promotes the peaceful settlement of regional and international disputes.<ref name=Pipes>], ''danielpipes.org'' (personal organization website of Daniel Pipes, n.d., accessed ], ].</ref>
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==Publications and Projects== ==Publications and Projects==
===''Middle East Quarterly''=== ===''Middle East Quarterly''===
The '']'' is a quarterly journal devoted to to Middle Eastern affairs founded in 1994 by ] whose current editor is ], a Yale-educated historian who is a resident scholar at the ], a former political advisor to the ] in ], and a former staff advisor on Iran and Iraq in the ].<ref>Current issue of '''' 14.2 (Spring 2007), accessed ], ].</ref> A quarterly journal devoted to subjects relating to the ] founded in 1994 by ] whose current editor is ].<ref>Current issue of '''' 14.2 (Spring 2007), accessed ], ].</ref>


According to the description of this journal provided on its website hosted by Middle East Forum, "olicy-makers, opinion-makers, academics, and journalists" consult ''MEQ'' "for in-depth analysis of the rapidly-changing landscape of the world's most volatile region." It also claims to publish "groundbreaking studies, exclusive interviews, insightful commentary, and hard-hitting reviews that tackle the entire range of contemporary concerns – from politics to economics to culture, across a region that stretches from Morocco to Afghanistan."<ref name=MEQ>''''. Publication website hosted by its sponsoring organization, Middle East Forum, accessed ], ].</ref> According to the description of this journal provided on its website hosted by Middle East Forum, "olicy-makers, opinion-makers, academics, and journalists" consult ''MEQ'' "for in-depth analysis of the rapidly-changing landscape of the world's most volatile region." It also claims to publish "groundbreaking studies, exclusive interviews, insightful commentary, and hard-hitting reviews that tackle the entire range of contemporary concerns – from politics to economics to culture, across a region that stretches from Morocco to Afghanistan."<ref name=MEQ>''''. Publication website hosted by its sponsoring organization, Middle East Forum, accessed ], ].</ref>

The journal has been the locus of much controversy, most recently, involving a book review of former President ]'s book '']'' by ], which Pipes has posted via his websites.<ref>Current issue of '''' 14.2 (Spring 2007), accessed ], ].</ref>


===Campus Watch=== ===Campus Watch===

Revision as of 05:25, 21 February 2007

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The Middle East Forum (MEF) describes itself as an American think tank. It was founded in 1990 by Daniel Pipes, who also serves as its director. The MEF describes its aims as " define and promote American interests in the Middle East" through research, publications, and educational outreach. MEF became an independent 501(c)3 organization in 1994. It publishes a journal entitled Middle East Quarterly.

The MEF defines "U.S. interests" as "fighting radical Islam, whether terroristic or lawful; working for Palestinian acceptance of Israel; improving the management of U.S. democracy efforts; reducing energy dependence on the Middle East; more robustly asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia; and countering the Iranian threat." Based on a belief that the United States has vital interests in the region of the Middle East, the organization advocates strong ties with Israel, Turkey, and other democracies as they emerge; works for human rights throughout the region; seeks a stable supply and a low price of oil; and promotes the peaceful settlement of regional and international disputes.

Mission statement

The mission of the Middle East Forum is defined in "About the Middle East Forum" on the organization's website as follows:

The Middle East Forum, a think tank, seeks to define and promote American interests in the Middle East. It defines U.S. interests to include fighting radical Islam, whether terroristic or lawful; working for Palestinian acceptance of Israel; improving the management of U.S. democracy efforts; reducing energy dependence on the Middle East; more robustly asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia; and countering the Iranian threat. The Forum also works to improve Middle East studies in North America.

MEF sees the region, with its profusion of dictatorships, radical ideologies, existential conflicts, border disagreements, political violence, and weapons of mass destruction as a major source of problems for the United States. Accordingly, it urges active measures to protect Americans and their allies.

Toward this end, the Forum seeks to help shape the intellectual climate in which U.S. foreign policy is made by addressing key issues in a timely and accessible way for a sophisticated public.

Publications and Projects

Middle East Quarterly

A quarterly journal devoted to subjects relating to the Middle East founded in 1994 by Daniel Pipes whose current editor is Michael Rubin.

According to the description of this journal provided on its website hosted by Middle East Forum, "olicy-makers, opinion-makers, academics, and journalists" consult MEQ "for in-depth analysis of the rapidly-changing landscape of the world's most volatile region." It also claims to publish "groundbreaking studies, exclusive interviews, insightful commentary, and hard-hitting reviews that tackle the entire range of contemporary concerns – from politics to economics to culture, across a region that stretches from Morocco to Afghanistan."

The journal has been the locus of much controversy, most recently, involving a book review of former President Jimmy Carter's book Palestine Peace Not Apartheid by Kenneth W. Stein, which Pipes has posted via his websites.

Campus Watch

In 2002, the Middle East Forum initiated the Campus Watch program and its website identifying five problems in the teaching of Middle Eastern studies at American universities: "analytical failures, the mixing of politics with scholarship, intolerance of alternative views, apologetics, and the abuse of power over students." Winfield Myers is the current director of Campus Watch (2007).

Initially, Campus Watch encouraged students to submit reports regarding teachers, books, and curricula, which led some professors to accuse Campus Watch of "McCarthyesque" intimidation; in protest, more than 100 other academics asked to be listed too. Subsequently, Campus Watch removed the list from its website.

Islamist Watch

On April 21, 2006, the Middle East Forum launched Islamist Watch, a project whose goals are to "combat the ideas and institutions of nonviolent, radical Islam in the United States and other Western countries. It exposes the far-reaching goals of Islamists, works to reduce their power, and seeks to strengthen moderate Muslims." Islamist Watch claims to educate the government, media, religious institutions, the academy, and the business world about lawful Islamism. It focuses on the political, educational, cultural, and legal activities of Islamists in the United States and, to a lesser degree, in other historically non-Muslim countries, especially Western Europe, Canada, and Australia.

According to the organization's webpage hosted on the Middle East Forum website, Islamist Watch does not focus on counterterrorism and only indirectly concerns Islamism in traditional Muslim countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, and its three main "activities" include "research, advocacy, and activism."

In December 2006 Paul Belien became director of Islamist Watch.

Notes

  1. MEF Entry in The Foreign Policy Association directory.
  2. ^ "About the Middle East Forum," accessed February 17, 2007. Cite error: The named reference "About" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Daniel Pipes, "The MEF Mission," danielpipes.org (personal organization website of Daniel Pipes, n.d., accessed February 17, 2007.
  4. Current issue of Middle East Quarterly 14.2 (Spring 2007), accessed February 17, 2007.
  5. Middle East Quarterly. Publication website hosted by its sponsoring organization, Middle East Forum, accessed February 19, 2007.
  6. Current issue of Middle East Quarterly 14.2 (Spring 2007), accessed February 17, 2007.
  7. Qtd. from "Mission Statement," in "About Campus Watch," Campus Watch (campus-watch.org) n.d., accessed February 17, 2007.
  8. "Who's Who at Campus Watch," Middle East Forum (meforum.org) n.d., accessed February 17, 2007.
  9. Tanya Schevitz, "Professors Want Own Names Put on Mideast Blacklist," San Francisco Chronicle September 28, 2002, accessed February 17,2007.
  10. Tanya Schevitz, "'Dossiers' Dropped from Web Blacklist," San Francisco Chronicle October 3, 2002, accessed February 17, 2007.
  11. Hussam Ayloush, "Column a Slur on Muslim Community," Orange County Register December 1, 2002, accessed February 17, 2007.
  12. ^ "Islamist Watch" (information page), Middle East Forum n.d., accessed February 17, 2007.
  13. "Paul Belien Appointed Director of Islamist Watch," press release, Middle East Forum December 11, 2006, accessed February 17, 2007.

Further reading

External links

See also


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