University of Arkansas Prof. Canned over Alleged Support for Iranian Regime, Anti-Israel Stance

A political science professor at the University of Arkansas was removed from her role as head of the school’s Middle East Studies program on Friday, December 12, after allegations that she praised Iran’s leadership and expressed strong anti-Israel views. The professor, Shirin Saeidi, was also accused of using university letterhead in support of Hamid Nouri, an Iranian figure convicted in Sweden in 2022 for involvement in the 1988 executions at Gohardasht Prison. University officials said the letterhead matter is being reviewed under school policies.

The allegations drew sharp reactions from Iranian dissidents and human rights advocates, who argued that academic credibility can be misused to soften or obscure the brutality of oppressive regimes. Activists said they gathered thousands of petition signatures urging university action. Political figures in Arkansas also weighed in, voicing concern that public institutions should not be used to promote hostility toward Jews or to normalize support for a regime associated with severe human rights abuses.

Saeidi reportedly continued to hold her faculty position while the controversy unfolded, with calls from critics for further discipline or dismissal. The case highlighted how Middle East politics can erupt into campus-level conflict, raising questions about the boundary between personal activism and institutional endorsement. It also intensified concerns about antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility appearing in academic settings, where rhetoric can spill over into intimidation and social division.

(NYP/VFI News)

“Lord, let truth and integrity be honored in universities, and guard students from deception, hatred, and intimidation. Comfort Jewish students and faculty when they feel isolated, and raise up voices of courage to stand against antisemitism. Give repentance where hearts have grown hard, and let Your righteousness shape public life and education.”