29.03.2025 12:00
Harvard University has dismissed Prof. Dr. Cemal Kafadar, the director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and his assistant Rosie Bsheer. The center, led by Prof. Dr. Cemal Kafadar, had been the target of criticisms regarding anti-Semitism for some time.
Professor Dr. Cemal Kafadar, Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at Harvard University, and his assistant, Tarif Professor Rosie Bsheer, have been dismissed from their positions.
In a statement made by David M. Cutler, the interim dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, it was announced that Cemal Kafadar, who manages the center, will step down from the directorship of CMES at the end of 2024. It was also learned that Kafadar's assistant, Rosie Bsheer, has similarly been dismissed.
Cutler's statement did not specify a clear reason for Kafadar's departure.
PUBLIC PRESSURE ON THE UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN CREATED
Recently, particularly with programs focused on Israel and Palestine, CMES has faced criticism from the public, with some employees at Harvard claiming that these programs are antisemitic and arguing that Israeli perspectives are not adequately represented. These criticisms have placed Harvard University under public pressure.
It has been expressed that many universities have begun to review Middle Eastern studies in a similar manner under the pressure of the Trump administration, with Columbia University, one of them, restructuring its Middle Eastern studies programs in line with the administration's demands.
Although Kafadar and Bsheer have been removed from their positions within the university, it was stated that both will continue their faculty memberships at Harvard.