A University of Washington professor was removed as head of the school’s Middle East Center after reportedly using newsletters from the center to criticize the US and Israel’s war on Iran and describe Zionism as “cancerous”.
His case is one of at least three incidents in the past month in which higher education faculty members have faced suspension or dismissal after voicing opposition to US-Israeli actions in the Middle East.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/03/washington-college-professor-fired-iran-war-criticism
Aria Fani, associate professor in the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, said its director, Daniel Hoffman, informed him last week that he was being dismissed from his leadership post. Fani is still employed as a professor, but is currently on medical leave for the quarter, according to the Seattle Times.
According to reports, on 18 March Fani wrote in a newsletter sent via the center’s listserv that “Israeli actions tell us that they seek the destruction of the state, not just its ruling class”. The email reportedly added that it “was always BS” that the Islamic Republic was pursuing nuclear weapons.
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