PHILADELPHIA – The Middle East Forum is pleased to announce the appointment of Debra L. Feuer as director of the Legal Project, its effort to defend the free speech rights of authors and activists discussing Islam and related topics.
She succeeds Daniel Huff, who led the Project from 2009 until his recent appointment to serve as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee; she begins work on June 13.
Ms. Feuer previously served as counsel for special projects in the American Jewish Committee’s Office of Government and International Affairs in Washington, D.C. In that capacity she worked on congressional measures concerning Iran, terrorism, incitement, anti-Semitism, and UNRWA.
Of particular relevance to her work at the Forum, Ms. Feuer played a significant role in helping convince the U.S. government to designate Hezbollah’s television station as a terrorist entity and lobbied Congress to reform Title VI of the Higher Education Act to assure that taxpayer-subsidized academic programs protect free expression and encourage diverse viewpoints.
Ms. Feuer formerly served as an appellate attorney and a trial lawyer for U.S. government agencies; she graduated from Boston University School of Law.
Welcoming Ms. Feuer, Middle East Forum Director Daniel Pipes observed that she brings to the position “a unique blend of legal, legislative, and policy experience, along with a passion for the issues.”
“My goal for the Legal Project is to enable Americans—not least reformist Muslims—again to write about and portray Islam-related topics as freely as they can other topics,” Ms. Feuer said. “We’re a long way from that goal.”
The Middle East Forum, a Philadelphia-based think tank, is dedicated to defining American interests in the Middle East and protecting America from Islamist threats. It achieves its goals through intellectual, activist, and philanthropic efforts.
Immediate release.
For more information, contact Amy Shargel at
215-546-5406, ex. 22
Shargel@MEForum.org