The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today sent a letter to Georgetown University Interim President Robert Groves that calls on the university to reverse its decision to investigate and discipline Dr. Jonathan Brown, a respected scholar and professor, over a misrepresented social media post in which he attempted to call for a swift end to last month’s U.S. war on Iran.
Dr. Brown, who has held the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service, came under attack after commenting on the U.S. attack on Iran last month. Brown wrote, “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.”
Brown later added, “I deleted my previous tweet because a lot of people were interpreting it as a call for violence. That’s not what I intended. I have two immediate family members in the US military who’ve served abroad and wouldn’t want any harm to befall American soldiers… or anyone!”
During a congressional hearing today arranged by anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim members of Congress, Georgetown University Interim President Groves said that Dr. Brown had been removed from his role as chair and that the school was considering other disciplinary steps.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“Georgetown University should reverse its decision to target Dr. Jonathan Brown—a widely respected academic and advocate for racial equality, interfaith dialogue—based on a dishonest, bad-faith attack over a tweet that he deleted and clarified.
“After the Trump administration attacked Iran last month, Professor Brown tried to express hope that Iran’s retaliation would be minimal and that the war would then end. Hoping for a swift end to the war was the clear intent of his message, it was a sentiment shared by many Americans, and it is what ultimately happened: Iran launched a telegraphed strike on a U.S. military base that harmed no one, President Trump declined to respond, and the war ended.
“Investigating and punishing Dr. Brown, a longstanding and widely respected professor, based on a dishonest, bad-faith attack is unbecoming of Georgetown University.”
CAIR said institutions of higher learning should resist efforts to weaponize outrage and undermine academic freedom, especially ongoing efforts to target Muslim faculty and scholars who speak out on matters of public concern.
FULL LETTER TO GEORGETOWN UNIVERISTY PRESIDENT ROBERT GROVES
July 16, 2025
Dear President Groves:
I write on behalf of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, our nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, to express our deep concern over Georgetown University’s decision to investigate and discipline Dr. Jonathan Brown in response to misleading and bad-faith mischaracterizations of his social media activity. We are also deeply concerned by the university’s decision to publicly reinforce its stance during a congressional hearing today arranged by openly anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic members of Congress.
Dr. Brown is known not only for his scholarly contributions to Islamic Studies, but also for his work advancing racial justice, interfaith understanding, and academic freedom. As a 2012 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, I personally know that these are values that should align squarely with the mission of Georgetown. The idea that the university would pursue punitive action against such a faculty member based on a politically motivated smear campaign related to his private speech, instead of any actual misconduct, is troubling and, frankly, unbecoming of Georgetown.
As you know, the controversy centers on a tweet Dr. Brown posted following the Trump administration’s deadly escalation with Iran last month.
After the Trump administration risked an all-out regional war by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities despite the fact that U.S. intelligence agencies reported that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon, Professor Brown tried to express hope that Iran’s retaliation would be minimal and that the war would then quickly end. Brown wrote, “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.”
In response to bad-faith critics who falsely claimed that he was actually encouraging war, Dr. Brown deleted the original tweet and wrote: “I deleted my previous tweet because a lot of people were interpreting it as a call for violence. That’s not what I intended. I have two immediate family members in the US military who’ve served abroad and wouldn’t want any harm to befall American soldiers… or anyone!”
Expressing hope for a symbolic Iranian response that would lead to a swift end to the war was the clear intent of his original message. It was also a sentiment shared by many Americans, and it is exactly what ultimately happened: Iran launched a telegraphed, symbolic strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar that harmed no one, President Trump declined to respond, and the war ended.
Dr. Brown’s wording may have been abbreviated by the nature of the platform, but his underlying message was clear: he hoped the violence would cease. That sentiment was neither extreme nor unusual—it was, in fact, ultimately vindicated by events.
To frame Dr. Brown’s comment as unpatriotic or violent, as some have done, requires a willful misreading of his intent and of the broader context of the brief U.S.-Iran war. That such misreadings are now being used to pressure the university into investigating and possibly punishing a respected professor is not only unjust. It also sets a dangerous precedent for academic freedom and principled dissent on campus.
Universities must not allow their disciplinary processes to be hijacked by ideological pressure campaigns or online outrage mobs. Doing so undermines the integrity of the institution and chills open discourse—especially when the target is a Muslim scholar whose views may already be unfairly scrutinized in public debate.
We urge Georgetown University to immediately cease any investigation or disciplinary action related to Dr. Brown’s tweet. Instead, the university should affirm its commitment to protecting academic freedom, resisting political intimidation, and standing with faculty members who have dedicated their careers to the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and dialogue. Dr. Brown should be fully reinstated as chair and no further action should be taken against him.
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com