Recently, North Central College has decided to no longer support the Middle East North African Studies (MENA) and Arabic programs. These two programs are priceless assets to North Central College because they help combat stereotypes students have of the Middle East, promote an environment founded on inclusion and diversity, and allow students to become global citizens. In cutting these two programs, North Central College will be directly going against one of its core values to be a “diverse, inclusive, and global community”. Furthermore, the termination of the MENA and Arabic language programs will result in nearly the complete absence of courses covering Middle Eastern history, Middle Eastern politics, Islamic history and culture, and Arabic language. Given the plague of racism and islamophobia currently ravaging the Western World, it is clear that a lack of course offerings in these areas will only serve as a way to perpetuate stereotypes about Islam, Muslims, and Arabs. Without these courses, students who hold hateful views on Islam and the Middle East will never have the opportunity to challenge their perspective. Furthermore, the lack of Arabic course offerings will certainly put North Central College students at a disadvantage once they graduate. Currently, the US Department of State considers Arabic a critical language due to the MENA region's political and economic environment. Due to the Arabic language's classification as a critical language, there is no doubt that by providing students with the opportunity to develop their Arabic language skills, many doors of opportunity will open for them once they graduate.

Please sign this petition so that we can attempt to save the MENA and Arabic programs as North Central College!