Univ. of Washington Removes Mideast Center Director Who Criticized US-Israeli War on Iran

[cbabe]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/professor-fired-for-israel-criticism

Univ. of Washington Removes Mideast Center Director Who Criticized US-Israeli War on Iran

“There’s a chilling effect on not just my academic freedom, but that of my colleagues; anyone who dares to speak out against the war and against aggression,” said UW professor Aria Fani.

BRETT WILKINS
Apr 03, 2026

The University of Washington has removed a professor from his role as director of its Middle East Center after he criticized the illegal US-Israeli war of choice on Iran and condemned Zionism, the settler-colonial movement for Jewish hegemony in Palestine.

Aria Fani, who will remain an associate professor at UW’s Jackson School of International Studies, told The Seattle Times on Friday that new interim widirector Daniel Hoffman told him last week he was fired from his leadership role at the Middle East Center.

…

“The [only] peace this secures is for weapons manufacturers, for oil companies, for drone companies,” Fani said in an implicit rebuke of Trump’s claim to be the “president of peace.”

“It secures peace for them, fills their pockets with money, and makes them fully invincible,” he added. “It’s creating a class of people that are living [on] an alternate planet.”

… more …

[Faux pas]

1. Kickin'

[hlthe2b]

2. When Academia becomes willing participants to censorship...

hmmm...

[Kid Berwyn]

3. I used to respect that school.

Now, not anywhere near as much.

[Hey Joe]

4. So, no free speech in academia will be tolerated?

No speaking out against corporate greed and corruption to start wars?

[Sympthsical]

5. LOL, why is my old apartment in his picture?

I dunno. Just kind of funny. Especially given it's an article about Wisconsin.

(He's standing in Albany Bulb park on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay)

It's Common Dreams, so I'm going to assume there's vital context missing. For one, why don't we see these e-mails he sent out that allegedly got him demoted?

Given how he's just peppering the word Zionist everywhere, I bet I can answer the question why he was demoted.

[cbabe]

7. Washington not Wisconsin. For starters.

[Sympthsical]

9. Ah. Point still remains.

[Initech]

6. So we're supposed to sit back and let them get away with illegal war crimes?

[malaise]

8. K & R

For visibility