FIX EXCLUSIVES
Scholar says his comments were misconstrued
A Georgetown University professor has been demoted after he recently posted on social media that Iran should conduct some sort of symbolic strike against a base, which many interpreted as a call for a strike against a U.S. military base in the region.
Professor Jonathan Brown served as the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
However, university officials revoked his title as chair and suspended him after his controversial commentary, and has since launched a review of the controversy, according to the university’s interim President Robert Groves, who made the comments at a hearing in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee.
The July 15 hearing, “Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Funding, Faculty, and Ideology,” focused on examining “the main drivers of antisemitism on college campuses,” such as DEI policies, foreign funding, unions, and faculty members that espouse antisemitism, according to the committee.
“Groves disclosed, for the first time, that the university removed Brown as chair and placed him on leave while reviewing the case. Brown has tenure at Georgetown,” The Hoya student newspaper reported.
Groves testified that within “minutes of our learning of that tweet, the Dean contacted Professor Brown, we issued a statement condemning the tweet. Professor Brown is no longer chair of his department, he’s on leave, and we’re beginning the process of reviewing the case.”
“Is this person really suited to be educating the next generation of American diplomats,” Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican for North Carolina, asked during the hearing.
Brown’s post on X on June 22 — one day before Iran launched a missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a major U.S. military installation — had stated:
“I’m not an expert, but I assume Iran could still get a bomb easily. I hope Iran does some symbolic strike on a base, then everyone stops. I’m surprised this is what these FDD/Hasbara people have been auto-erotically asphyxiating themselves for all these years. Ironically, the main takeaways (in my non-expert opinion, and I’m happy to be corrected) from all this have nothing to do with a US attack: 1) Iran can take a licking; 2) if Israel attacks Iranian cities, it gets fucked up pretty bad. I mean I’ve been shocked at the damage Iranian missiles caused; 3) despite his best efforts, Reza Pahlavi HVAC repair services still only third best in Nova.”
He has since deleted the post.
Georgetown University has not responded to The College Fix’s requests for comment. Brown also did not respond to The Fix’s requests for comment.
However, in a statement to Fox News Digital, Brown said his comment was “misinterpreted.”
“I was calling for de-escalation as I am very opposed to American involvement in foreign wars,” Brown said.
Brown’s post, which went viral, sparked controversy.
“I went to graduate school with Jonathan Brown,” Jewish People Policy Institute fellow Sara Yael Hirschhorn posted on X. “I’m appalled to see him calling for Iran to attack U.S. troops and his awe at attacks on Israeli civilians. @Georgetown-enough!”
Many members of the Muslim community expressed an alternative reaction. Muslim scholar Yasir Qadhi spoke out against Georgetown. The investigation into Brown’s affairs stemmed from a “Zionist-led witch hunt,” Qadhi said.
As reported by Hillel International, 2,334 antisemitic incidents on college campuses occurred between 2024-25 alone. With nearly 500 more incidents than the 2023-24 academic year, these statistics have raise concerns.
Joining Georgetown’s faculty in 2010, according to his bio, Brown’s academic expertise includes interreligious dialogue across the Middle East. Besides the School of Foreign Service, Brown has worked with the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, the Global Medieval Studies Program, and the College of Arts and Sciences.
IMAGE: Georgetown students pass Israel divestment, but university rejects measure
