Former Arkansas professor sues to overturn state antisemitism statute

Shirin Saeidi, an Iranian-born Shia Muslim who directed the University of Arkansas' King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies, was terminated after posting on social media that described Israel as a terrorist state and praising Ayatollah Khomeini. She has now sued in federal court, arguing that Arkansas Act 721, which bans antisemitism on campuses and adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition, violates her free-speech rights because it singles out adverse opinions of Israel.

The filing asserts that the law’s wording is vague and that officials, including state senator Dan Sullivan, journalist Benjamin Weinthal and various activists, conspired to have her removed. Saeidi requests her reinstatement, monetary compensation, and a judicial injunction against the law. The case highlights tensions between campus free-speech policies and anti-hate-speech legislation.