The following is the letter sent by members of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies to Dean of the Faculty A. Michael Spence earlier this week. The letter came in response to the recent disclosure that Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies Nadav Safran had accepted a $45,700 CIA grant to hold a conference at the center on Islamic fundamentalism. Despite a boycott by about half of the scheduled participants, the conference took place last week. It was also revealed last week that Safran had accepted a more than $100,000 CIA grant three years ago to write a book on Saudi Arabia which was recently published by Harvard University Press.

Dean Spence:

We the undersigned faculty members and research fellows affiliated with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies would like to make clear our views on the CIA funding of the "Islam and Muslim Politics" conference held at Harvard, as well as on broader issues of Center funding.

We deeply regret that the controversy surrounding this event has come at a time when, after a long period of inactivity, CMES has begun to move forward again. We are undertaking this initiative because of our desire to preserve the positive achievements of the Center over the last few years and to enable CMES to continue on a sounder and more secure basis.

We feel obliged to disassociate ourselves from this conference because of the circumstances under which it was organized. Regardless of whether any university rules or procedures have been violated, we believe, as a matter of principle, that neither the Center for Middle Eastern Studies nor anyone who might be seen as acting in its name should either solicit or accept funds from the CIA or any other intelligence agency. If individual scholars chose to work for an intelligence agency, that is their prerogative, but the Center as an institution should not be associated in any way with any such agency.

Apart from what we believe to be a clear moral issue, there are important practical considerations that dictate the Center's rejection of any over or covert intelligence connection. All of us, as well as many of the graduate and undergraduate students connected with the CMES, conduct research in the Middle East and maintain academic and personal ties with people in that region. Any real or purported connection with the CIA or similar agency may result in reduced access to research sources, a suspicious or even hostile attitude on the part of foreign governments, academic institutions and individuals, and even the possibilty of physical harm. We feel that this issue is not only procedural, but substantive as well.

We therefore believe that the Center should promptly conduct a thorough review of its guidelines and procedures for outside funding. This review process should involve all those who take part in the Center's work and should culminate in a clear statement of policy. Lisa Anderson   associate professor of government   A. Tosun Aricanli   assistant professor of economics   Selma Botman   research associate, CMES   Mary Jo Del Vecchio Good   lecturer on sociology   Zachary Lockman   assistant professor of history   Afsaneh Najmabadi   visiting lecturer on government   Paula Sanders   assistant professor of history