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FIRST ON FOX - A decades-old question and reply is adding to a widening ungraded involving a erstwhile high-ranking Iranian charismatic and arguable Princeton professor. Seyed Hossein Mousavian is accused of endorsing Hezbollah and Hamas successful a 1997 German newspaper interview.
The caller revelations astir Mousavian’s pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah question and reply successful a German paper, coupled pinch what immoderate declare was an endorsement of an Iranian authorities fatwa (religious order) ordering nan assassination of British-American writer Salman Rushdie, comes astatine a clip erstwhile nan Ivy League professor is nan taxable of a legislature probe. Mousavian is presently facing a U.S. House Committee connected Education and nan Workforce investigation for allegedly advancing nan interests of Iran.
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The caput of nan Iranian delegation, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, speaks to journalists astatine nan International Atomic Energy Agency connected Nov. 29, 2004 successful Vienna. (ROBERT NEWALD/AFP via Getty Images)
In November, Fox News Digital exclusively reported on nan investigation into Mousavian’s ties to nan world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism, nan Islamic Republic of Iran. The investigation is ongoing, and nan legislature committee has not issued immoderate findings.
In an question and reply backmost successful 1997 pinch nan left-wing German regular insubstantial Taz, Mousavian, who was Iran’s Ambassador to Germany astatine nan time, was asked if Iran supports groups for illustration Hezbollah and Hamas. Mousavian seemed to put his support down Hamas. "If by that you mean that we proviso Hamas pinch weapons: No, we do not. But if you mean that we support nan Palestinians successful their struggle, yes, we do."
When asked by nan insubstantial if Iran provides Hezbollah support materially or financially, Mousavian said "We support Hezbollah morally and not by supplying weapons."
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The U.S. Middle East Media Research Institute first translated Mousavian’s German connection interview earlier this period connected its website and provided inheritance worldly connected his alleged domiciled successful stoking coercion successful Europe, including the assassination of Kurdish dissidents in a Berlin edifice named Mykonos successful 1992.
Mousavian, a Middle East information and atomic argumentation specialist at Princeton University, was hosted by nan Obama administration, according to nan Washington Free Beacon, astatine slightest 3 times astatine nan White House, and invited to speak astatine an important U.S. STRATCOM subject arena successful August 2023 during nan Biden administration
Iranians locomotion past a advertisement displaying Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini successful nan superior Tehran, connected July 31 2022. (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
According to nan legislature letter, first obtained by Fox News Digital, Mousavian’s quality at the STRATCOM symposium "concerned members of nan Armed Services Committees of some nan House and nan Senate. Additionally, aspects of this rumor problem america arsenic members of nan House Committee connected Education and nan Workforce."
Mousavian told Fox News Digital successful November that, "My talk astatine nan U.S. Strategic Command was each astir bid successful nan Middle East and why nan U.S. should debar wars and attraction connected bid and cooperation."
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When asked by Fox News Digital if he considers Hamas and Hezbollah violent organizations, Mousavian refused to reply galore Fox News Digital property queries via email, telephone and WhatsApp. Fox News Digital approached Princeton University via telephone and email for comment. The Ivy League institution did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions.
Mousavian besides seemed to take sides the Iranian-led run to assassinate U.S. and British writer Salman Rushdie because nan celebrated novelist depicted nan Muslim prophet Muhammad irreverently.
Princeton Professor Seyed Hossein Mousavian is astatine nan halfway of an investigation by nan U.S. House Committee connected Education and nan Workforce investigation into his ties to Iran. (News Photo/Joshua Comins | Photo by: Photographer name/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In 2022, a 24-year-old man named Hadi Matar, who is instrumentality of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated overseas violent organization, allegedly stabbed Rushdie successful nan cervix and liver during nan author’s reside successful Chautauqua, New York. After nan attack, Rushdie lost sight in 1 oculus and nan usage of 1 hand.
A Nov. 5, 1992 Reuters report, titled "German Opposition Wants Iranian Envoy Expelled," said that, " ...Hossein Mousavian was summoned to nan German Foreign Ministry aft remarking successful a power question and reply that Bonn would not enactment against its waste and acquisition interests pinch Iran to backmost Rushdie's petition for nan decease decree to beryllium lifted."
The Reuters study continued "Social Democrat Freimut Duve told parliament successful a typical statement connected what has go known arsenic nan ‘Rushdie Affair’ that Mousavian should time off Germany arsenic he did not respect its laws."
In the power interview after Rushdie's appearance, Mousavian defended nan historical Islamic believe of imposing nan decease condemnation for blasphemy.
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Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died successful 1989, but his fatwa against Salman Rushdie did not. (Reuters)
Mousavian declined to reply galore Fox News Digital property queries astir whether he continues to endorse nan Iranian belief decree to execution Rushdie.
Mousavian denied his country’s domiciled successful nan Iranian state-sponsored murders of the 4 Kurdish dissidents successful nan Mykonos restaurant. He termed nan Berlin tribunal verdict, which convicted Iranian and Hezbollah operatives of nan assassinations, arsenic "nonsense" successful nan German Taz interview. Mousavian refused to reply Fox News Digital property queries astir his rejection of nan Berlin tribunal Mykonos verdict.
According to a 1997 article from the Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, Abolghasem Mesbahi, a erstwhile senior-level Iranian intelligence official, told a Berlin tribunal during nan Mykonos trial, "Mousavian participated successful astir of nan [Iranian regime's] crimes that took spot successful Europe."
During Mousavian’s tenure arsenic Iran’s ambassador to Germany, he was successful complaint of nan embassy that nan Berlin tribunal recovered "served arsenic nan ‘headquarters" for nan readying of the 1992 assassination of 4 Iranian dissidents astatine nan Greek edifice Mykonos successful Berlin."
Israeli and Palestinian supporters rally astir 42nd St. for and against nan violent onslaught connected Israel by Hamas. Anti-Israel supporters march aft nan rally successful that neighborhood, stopping successful beforehand of nan imperishable missions of Egypt, Kuwait and nan United States, chanting to extremity support for Israel. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
"This accusation is simply a large lie," Mousavian told Fox News Digital successful November. "The 398-page verdict is published, and everyone tin person entree to it. The Berlin tribunal verdict does not incorporate immoderate nonstop aliases indirect allegations against me. German authorities ne'er forced maine to time off nan country. … I person been a predominant visitant to Germany," added Mousavian.
The calls for Mousavian to beryllium fired coincide pinch nan scandal-plagued pro-Iran authorities academic, Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, who taught astatine Oberlin College successful Ohio.
Mahallati was Iran’s erstwhile ambassador to nan U.N. from 1987-1989. Oberlin College ousted Mahallati in November 2023 aft a mushrooming bid of scandals, including Mahallati’s pro-Hamas teachings and calls for nan demolition of nan Jewish state. According to Amnesty International, Mahallati covered up nan Iranian regime’s wide execution of 5,000 Iranian dissidents successful 1988.
The California-based Alliance Against nan Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) spearheaded nan high-intensity run to occurrence Mahallati.
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Iranian American quality authorities activistic Lawdan Bazargan, nan lead organizer connected nan AAIRIA campaign, told Fox News Digital astir Mousavian "It is profoundly disheartening that Princeton University would name specified an individual, allowing him to masquerade arsenic a proponent of peace. To deliberation that an supplier of an oppressive Islamic regime, known for its flagrant disregard for belief state and its menacing slogans of ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel,’ could person nan audacity to proclaim engagement successful bid initiatives is thing short of a cynical farce."
She added, "Princeton's endorsement of Mousavian tarnishes its estimation and undermines nan principles of peace, tolerance, and world integrity it purports to uphold."
AAIRIA urged Princeton to summarily occurrence Mousavian, who is not a tenured academic, and nan NGO announced a protestation astatine Princeton University adjacent week against nan arguable academic. Just past month, the National Association of Scholars issued a telephone to terminate Mousavian’s employment.
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A starring antisemitism master has claimed that Mousavian’s relationship contains antisemitic posts against Israel. Mousavian falsely claimed in an October X post that Israel bombed a infirmary successful Gaza and termed it "a crime akin to nan Holocaust of Nazi Germany."
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, nan subordinate dean of nan Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, told Fox News Digital that "Cleary, this is simply a personification who feels nary matter what he does that his position will beryllium protected astatine Princeton."
Princeton University campus, Oct. 20., 2022. (Stephanie Pagones/Fox News Digital)
Regarding Mousavian comparing Israel pinch nan crimes of Nazi Germany, Cooper said "that anyone who uses that connection is proving his antisemitic credentials. He feels assured and is immune from immoderate action against him."
A Fox News Digital introspection of Mousavain’s X Posts since Oct. 7 shows nan overwhelming number of posts are attacks connected nan Jewish authorities and support of galore Hamas talking points, including that Israel is committing genocide successful Gaza.
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Cooper said "I deliberation Princeton has a batch to reply for," and Mousavian should beryllium disqualified arsenic an world successful American higher education.
"To opportunity this is simply a ungraded would not springiness justness to nan issues exposed. It mightiness beryllium clip to telephone Princeton University guardant astatine a legislature proceeding because it covers issues of delicate nationalist security, "said Cooper, who has testified successful Congress astir antisemitism.
