Middle East Forum Education Fund

To help realize its mission, the Middle East Forum established an Education Fund (MEFEF) in early 2008, building on an initiative that began in 2006. MEFEF disburses close to $2 million annually to researchers, writers, investigators, and activists whose work focuses on the Middle East and Islam.

MEFEF recipients—from leading Arab and Muslim reformers to independent watchdogs and think tanks—are active in the United States and around the world, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

The work of MEFEF recipients complements the Forum's two main areas of concern:

Promote American interests: Funds go to organizations that monitor U.N. actions, fight anti-Israel bias in the media, assess U.S. policy in the region, assess the threat of nuclear proliferation, provide translations from Middle Eastern languages, seek to reform Saudi Arabia, assess school materials' representation of America, and influence attitudes in India.

Combat Islamism: Funds go to organizations that monitor Islamist activities, forward moderate Muslim views, assess problems with school materials dealing with Islam and the Middle East, investigate covert Islamists, defend free speech from Islamist reprisals, and combat the indoctrination and deployment of child suicide bombers.

Recent achievements by MEFEF recipients include:

• Steven J. Rosen's highly influential articles caused Israel-critic Charles Freeman to withdraw his name as head of the National Intelligence Council.

• Joel Mowbray demonstrated that U.S. taxpayers are funding Palestinian terrorist groups, which prompted Congress to take steps to require the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to make changes in its practices.

• Phyllis Chesler prepared a comprehensive study on honor killings in the West, published in the Middle East Quarterly, which has been widely referenced by the media, including Fox News, UPI, and AP.

Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, observes that the MEF Education Fund "supports key actors fighting to preserve our civilization and develop a sensible foreign policy."

Two notes: (1) MEFEF donations are initiated internally; applications are not accepted. (2) Funds received for MEFEF are earmarked to distribute to recipients; these monies are independent from Middle East Forum income.