ASMEA is an academic society dedicated to promoting the highest standards of research and teaching in Middle Eastern and African studies, and related fields. It is a response to the mounting interest in these increasingly inter-related fields, and the absence of any single group addressing them in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary fashion. ASMEA is, first and foremost, a community of scholars concerned with protecting academic freedom and promoting the search for truth. The Association advances the discourse in these fields by providing its members with new opportunities to publish and present ideas to the academic community and beyond. ASMEA assists scholars, including tenured and un-tenured faculty, graduate students, and those in related fields, to expand the body of knowledge. Through its annual conference, peer-reviewed journal, newsletter, and website, ASMEA strives to become the professional association of choice for discerning scholars and interested members of the public. Please join us in creating a community that serves as the bedrock for the next generation of scholars upon which our collective future depends.