Middle East Forum Radio

From Al Jazeera to Al Aqsa TV, state- or organization-run media outlets dominate Middle Eastern news, with the effect of promoting extremism, denying press freedoms, compromising journalistic objectivity, and covering up human rights abuses. More, they have expanded their operations beyond the region, finding receptivity to their messages around the world. What is the trend of these media conglomerates? What are their outstanding successes and failures? What can be done to counter them?

Congress has long required universities to disclose foreign-funded gifts and contracts to the Department of Education and the American public. Universities have mostly ignored the law as regulators turned a blind eye to an ever-increasing flow of foreign money. Why did the federal government refuse to enforce the law? Where is the money coming from? How deep is foreign influence on U.S. college campuses today? What is the role of Middle Eastern actors in this?

Collin May was director of the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in Alberta, Canada until his positive review of a book by MEF's Efraim Karsh caused him to be ousted in September 2022 on the grounds of “Islamophobia.” He is now suing the province of Alberta, charging that his ouster had nothing to do with the book review but with his intent to investigate “a culture of pervasive sexual harassment and bullying” at the AHRC under its previous leadership. How has “Islamophobia” become a tool of political warfare available to all? What impact does May’s ouster have on free speech in Canada? What can be done?

After several weeks off, the Knesset is back. Will the government push through legislation on judicial reform or will it compromise with the opposition?

With 9/11 over two decades behind us, many Americans have concluded that Islamism is no longer a pressing issue of concern. Newspapers and television networks rarely cover the topic. Legislators on both sides of the aisle work with Islamist groups previously deemed beyond the pale. In Europe, by contrast, major media outlets still regularly publish investigations into Islamist networks and government inquires issue warnings about radical Muslim communities in their midst. What explains this difference? What are its implications? How can the counter-Islamist movement re-focus American public attention on the challenge posed by radical Islam?