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, moderate Muslims, investigators, and activists whose work focuses on the Middle East and Islam.

MEFEF recipients—from leading Arab reformers and moderate Muslims 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, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Much of their efforts are kept confidential to prevent their being exposed to danger.

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

Promoting 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.

Combating Islamism: Funds go to organizations that combat 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:

• Challenging UNRWA: Sarah Stern organized a letter, signed by 85 members of Congress, protesting U.S. taxpayer contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, whose funds previously went to Palestinian terrorist groups.

• Providing ideological balance: The organizational efforts of Richard Benkin helped anti-Islamist, pro-Israel students win three of four Student Union positions in Delhi University, suggesting an ideological shift at Indian institutions previously known for pro-Islamist, anti-Israel sentiments.

• Closing down the Olympic mega-mosque: The Christian Peoples' Alliance led a protest against the construction of the extremist-linked London Markaz, prompting the City Council to issue an enforcement notice to the mosque's trustees in January 2010, evicting them from the site within 7 days.

• Discrediting CAIR: Americans Against Hate convinced Tampa, Florida Mayor Pam Iorio not to award the terrorist-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations with any further proclamations.

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

• Exposing UNRWA: Joel Mowbray demonstrated that U.S. taxpayers are funding Palestinian terrorist groups, prompting Congress to take steps to require the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to reform its practices.

• Placing spotlight on the Islamic Society of Boston: Americans for Peace and Tolerance led a protest and press conference against the extremist-led Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, which were highlighted in the Boston Globe, NPR, and several TV stations.

Daniel Pipes, president 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.