Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy
<youtube size="medium" align="right" caption="IMED Director Jonathan Sacerdoti on BBC News discussing the release of Gilad Shalit">j4n675zDPTc</youtube>
The Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy (IMED), is a 'think-tank and pressure group advocating liberty and democracy in the Middle East'[1].
It was formed, according to its own website, in response to 'the visceral rhetoric that dominates the discussion of the Middle East in this country [UK].'[2]
Activities
According to its own website, IMED 'works to promote liberal democracy in the Middle East', to 'provide a platform for the rational discussion of the Arab-Israeli conflict', 'to advocate freedom, justice and equality' and to 'bring to light the horrors of despotism, hatred and ideology in the region and to combat religious or political supremacism and hate speech'.[3]
The group has 'highlighted AQA's A-level geography textbook which compared the Israeli security barrier to the Berlin Wall' and 'exposed through Sky News, the Independent and the Guardian, how St Andrews University was being funded by the Syrian government and Exeter University by the Muslim Brotherhood'.[4]
In November 2011 co-director Sam Westrop produced a report entitled 'An Evening with the PSC: Examining Racism, Extremism and Homophobia within the Palestine Solidarity Campaign'.[5]
History
IMED was founded in 2009 by Sam Westrop and others [6]. Westrop has claimed that 500 students across the country are involved in IMED work. He has also stated that there are 'people inside the Palestine Solidarity Campaign' passing information to the institute.[7]
Affiliations
People
- Jonathan Sacerdoti - director
- Sam Westrop - director
- Dan Coen - Associate Director and head of Stop the Bomb project
- Hasan Afzal - Associate Director
- Tom Wilson - Research Director and head of Transatlantic Affairs Project
- Saba Farzan - Senior Fellow on Women’s Rights
- Jacob Campbell - Research Fellow[8]
Funding
The institute does not reveal its key funders but states that it receives no money from any government and relies on individual donations.[9]
Publications
- An Evening with the PSC: Examining Racism, Extremism and Homophobia within the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy, November 2011.
Contact
Website: http://instmed.org
Notes
- ↑ Sam Westrop profile, LinkedIn, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ About Us, IMED, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ About Us, IMED, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ Only 22, but Sam leads fight against the Israel bashers, Jewish Telegraph, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ An Evening with the PSC: Examining Racism, Extremism and Homophobia within the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ Only 22, but Sam leads fight against the Israel bashers, Jewish Telegraph, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ Only 22, but Sam leads fight against the Israel bashers, Jewish Telegraph, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ About Us, IMED, accessed 16 July 2012
- ↑ Donate, IMED, accessed 16 July 2012
