Professor Watchlist

Zareena Grewal is an Associate Professor of American Studies at Yale University. Grewal’s faculty profile says her research “focuses on race, gender, religion, nationalism, and transnationalism across a wide spectrum of American Muslim communities.”  

The university profile also describes Grewal’s book – “Islam is a Foreign Country: American Muslims and the Global Crisis of Authority”- as “an ethnography of transnational Muslim networks that link US mosques to Islamic movements in the post-colonial Middle East through debates about the reform of Islam.”

NYU Press further promotes the book with questions like “What does it mean to be Muslim and American?” and “Who has the authority to speak for Islam and to lead the stunningly diverse population of American Muslims?”

Grewal was featured in the New York Post after she allegedly defended the Hamas terrorist organization’s attack against Israel in October 2023. According to the Post, “[Grewal] is facing calls to be ousted over her social media posts in which she appeared to justify Hamas terrorists killing Israeli civilians—and called Israel a ‘murderous, genocidal settler state.’”

While Grewal’s social media posts remain in a protected and private status, the following screenshot from her account was shared across the internet:

Yale News said, “The University defended Grewal’s right to free speech in comments to the News.” The source also quoted Yale University spokesperson Karen Peart saying: “‘Yale is committed to freedom of expression, and the comments posted on Professor Grewal’s personal accounts represent her own views.’”

A petition to terminate Grewal has amassed over 53,000 signatures at the time of this post.

Published – October 20, 2023