The Middle East Forum

Founded in 1990, the Middle East Forum (http://www.meforum.org) has been an independent tax-exempt 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia since 1994.

Mission

The Middle East Forum promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects the Constitutional order from Middle Eastern threats.

The Forum sees the region — with its profusion of dictatorships, radical ideologies, existential conflicts, border disagreements, corruption, political violence, and weapons of mass destruction — as a major source of problems for the United States. Accordingly, it urges active measures to protect Americans and their allies.

U.S. interests in the Middle East include fighting radical Islam; working for Palestinian acceptance of Israel; robustly asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia; developing strategies to deal with Iraq and contain Iran; and monitoring the advance of Islamism in Turkey.

Domestically, the Forum combats lawful Islamism; protects the freedom of public speech of anti-Islamist authors, activists, and publishers; and works to improve Middle East studies in North America.

Methods

The Middle East Forum realizes its goals through three main mechanisms:

1. Intellectual: The Forum provides context, insights, and policy recommendations through the Middle East Quarterly, staff writings, public lectures, radio and television appearances, and conference calls (see below for details).
2. Operational: The Forum exerts an active influence through its projects, including Campus Watch, Islamist Watch, Legal Project, and Washington Project (see below for details).
3. Philanthropic: The Forum annually distributes US$2 million in earmarked donations through its Education Fund, helping researchers, writers, investigators, and activists around the world.

Activities

A Campus Speakers Bureau provides knowledgeable speakers capable of relating accurate and balanced information regarding the Middle East and Islam to American university students.

Campus Watch exposes the politicization and biases of Middle East studies in North American universities with the goal to improve them. Its research critiques the teaching and scholarship of academic specialists, bringing the content of their work to the attention of a broader audience.

Conference Calls offer leading analysts discussing topical Middle Eastern and Islamic issues every month. Participation is limited to MEF donors but summaries and audio recordings are posted at MEForum.org.

DanielPipes.org. The Forum's president, Daniel Pipes, maintains a website with over three thousand pages of his writings, television transcripts, testimony, and more. Since 2001, DanielPipes.org has received 60 million visits.

Islamist Watch. Arguing that violence is not the only, or even the best way to apply Shari'a law, Islamist Watch monitors and exposes the growing influence of non-violent radical Islamist groups in the West while empowering moderate Muslims.

Lectures. The Forum forwards a robust consideration of Middle East issues by sponsoring lecture series in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Speakers include heads of state, ranking ministers, and leading journalists and scholars.

The Legal Project protects authors, researchers, and activists from (1) predatory lawsuits filed by Islamists who seek to stifle free discussion of Islam and related topics and (2) the imposition of laws to restrict public free speech of these topics. The Legal Project arranges for pro bono legal help, assists with litigation costs, develops expertise, and works with policymakers.

MEForum.org (this website) hosts a complete archive of Middle East Quarterly articles; articles by MEF staff; audio recordings and summary accounts of guest lectures and conference calls; and MEF alerts for Forum events, media appearances, and news releases.

Middle East Quarterly, published since 1994 and edited by Efraim Karsh, it is the only scholarly journal on the Middle East consistent with mainstream American views. Delivering timely analyses, cutting-edge information, and sound policy initiatives, it serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and opinion-shapers.

Public Outreach. Television and radio rely on Forum specialists, who appear on virtually all the major American over-the-air and cable news programs, plus stations around the globe. MEF staff also brief ranking officials of the U.S. government, testify before Congress, and conduct studies for executive branch agencies.

Research and Publications. Forum scholars produce a bi-weekly newspaper column which runs in the Jerusalem Post, write articles in magazines and journals, and publish books (most recently, The Al Qaeda Reader and Hamas vs. Fatah). Newspapers include the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Websites range from HuffingtonPost.com to NationalReview.com.

Student Internship Program. The MEF devotes attention to offering hands-on experience to students in a range of research, editorial, and administrative tasks, with an emphasis on getting them into print. Among other careers, MEF interns have gone on to work as professional staff at the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and as writers for the New Republic, Fox News, and the Wall Street Journal.

Volunteer Program. The Forum's Volunteer Program for professionals complements our student internship program. Distance and in-house volunteers—many with expertise and knowledge of the region—aid Forum staff with research, writing, proof reading, administration, and fundraising.

The Washington Project, directed by Steven J. Rosen, formerly of AIPAC, influences U.S. policy, particularly in regards to Iran and the Arab-Israeli conflict, primarily through intensive in-person contacts in the capital.

The Middle East Forum has federal tax ID 23-774-9796. (View a copy of the IRS letter of determination.)

Please send all inquiries to Info@MEForum.org.