Banafsheh Madaninejad
Overview
Banafsheh Madaninejad has compared Israelis to Nazis, whitewashed Hamas terrorism, demonized Israel and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories. Madaninejad also organized an anti-Israel protest and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.Madaninejad has been a Board Member of the Austin chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) since September 2019.
As of September 2021, Madaninejad was listed as the Founder, Executive Director, TDM Podcast producer and co-host of Interconnecting Arab Muslim & Middle Eastern Americans (I-AMM) in Texas, since May 2019.
As of the same date, her LinkedIn page said she founded Sisters in Leadership Training (SILT) in Austin, Texas in April 2019.
As of September 2021, Madaninejad’s LinkedIn also said she was a member of the Travis County Democratic Party Diversity and Outreach Committee in Austin, Texas, since August 2019.
Madaninejad’s LinkedIn also said she was a “Visiting Assistant Professor” teaching “Critical Race Theory and Feminist Philosophy” from “Jan 2016 - May 2019” and “Border Studies and Islamic Feminism” from “Jan 2013 - Jan 2016” at Southwestern University (SU).
Madaninejad was also a “Visiting Assistant Professor” at Middlebury College, Vermont, from July 2011 to July 2012.
Madaninejad’s LinkedIn said she graduated from the University of Houston (UH) with a bachelor’s degree in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics in 1995, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) with a master’s degree in Near and Middle Eastern Studies in 2002 and in Political Science and Government in 2006.
Madaninejad’s LinkedIn also said she graduated from UT Austin with a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 2011.
Comparing Israelis to Nazis
On August 29, 2014, Madaninejad shared a post to Facebook that read: “I saw with horror some of the things that Hitler and his government did to the Jewish people. I see with horror, as well, the things that the Israelis are doing to the Palestinian people...The just-’ended’ war in Gaza has brought things one step further towards an elimination of the Palestinians.”Whitewashing Hamas Terrorism
On July 28, 2014, during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in Gaza, Madaninejad posted to Facebook, claiming: “Hamas says they are willing to co-exist…”Israel commenced OPE in July 2014 to stop rocket fire targeting Israeli civilians and to destroy Hamas attack tunnels.
On August 24, 2014, Madaninejad shared a video of anti-Israel activist Miko Peled whitewashing Hamas to Facebook. The YouTube video was titled: “Miko Peled on ‘Israel and Gaza: Six Decades of Oppression and Resistance’.”
Miko Peled is an anti-Israel activist who has said [00:00:06] the Israeli army is “one of the best trained, best equipped, best fed, terrorist organizations in the world” and claimed [00:00:16] that “their entire purpose is terrorism.” In September 2016, Peled tweeted that US aid to Israel causes people to think that “Jews have a reputation 4being sleazy thieves.”
In the video, Peled said [00:05:44]: “I think it’s extremely important to realize Hamas is not the problem. Gaza is not the problem. The rockets are not the problem. Zionism and Israel are the problem. And that’s why Zionism has to go...” Peled also labeled [00:42:29] Hamas a “resistance organization.”
Throughout the summer of 2014 — during Operation Protective Edge (OPE) — Hamas's deployment of human shields was extensively documented and publicized. Hamas encouraged Gazans to act as human shields to frustrate Israeli efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.
Zionism is the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in their own national home, and the right to develop their national culture.
Demonizing Israel
On May 15, 2018, Madaninejad posted a graphic to Facebook that read: “Stand with GAZA! Say NO to Zionist genocide.”On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official, Salah al-Bardawil, stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during the May 14 Gaza border protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest.
On June 10, 2016, Madaninejad shared a Facebook post by anti-Israel professor Steven Salaita, who condemned U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren for her statements in support of Israel, that read: “I have nothing but disdain for politicians who enthusiastically justify and fund the slaughter of innocent people by repeating age-old exceptionalist mantras dripping with contempt and racism.”
On September 8, 2014, Madaninejad posted a quote to Facebook: “Israel is like some badly battered child with PTSD [post-trauma stress disorder] who has grown up to batter others.”
On July 30, 2014, Madaninejad posted a quote to Facebook: “‘So sick watching our Secretary of State have to grovel so hard to tell Israel how much he loves them while Israeli cabinet s**ts on him.’”
On July 19, 2014, Madaninejad shared a post to Facebook that read: “I don't always support anarchist attacks, but when I do….Anonymous hacks over a thousand Israeli websites in a campaign called #OpSaveGaza.”Madaninejad wrote: “I hope this is true!”
The Facebook post she shared also included a screenshot from the hacking group Anonymous that read: “Criminal invaders [Israel], you are carrying out a genocide to achieve your cruel colonialist goal. Our hearts are merged with all victims of this mass murder.”
“#OpSaveGaza” was a coordinated cyberattack conducted by the hacking group Anonymous on July 11 and July 17, 2014, during Israel’s OPE in Gaza. During the attack, Anonymous reportedly hacked over 1,000 Israeli government and business websites.
On July 17, 2014, Madaninejad posted to Facebook: “I'm sitting here thinking what Israel's political motivation could be for this land invasion! I think the evil has finally completely destroyed their rationality!”
Spreading Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories
On August 29, 2014, Madaninejad posted to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Facebook page and wrote: “We, in academia, are continuously reminded of the power of the Israeli lobby…” Madaninejad urged Senator Warren to get “personally informed” and read “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.”Organizing an Anti-Israel Protest
Madaninejad reportedly “helped organize” a demonstration called “Texas Stands with Gaza,’’ which took place at the Texas State Capitol on August 2, 2014.UT Austin professor and national SJP co-founder Snehal Shingavi spoke at the rally and accused [00:09:11] Israel of “ethnic cleansing of Palestine since 1948 to the present.”
Supporting BDS
On November 5, 2019, Madaninejad hosted a podcast that promoted [00:05:47] BDS and was titled: “Austin Area Shero- Bahia Amawi.” “Shero” is defined as “a woman regarded as a hero.” The podcast was published to I-AMM’s website.In 2018, Amawi refused to renew her contract for the 2018-2019 school year at the Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas, due to a new clause in the contract requiring her to abide by Texas' anti-BDS House Bill (H.B. 89)
On May 2, 2017, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law H.B. 89, which prohibits a “governmental entity” from entering into a “contract with a company for goods or services unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract.”
Amawi filed a federal lawsuit in December 2018 challenging H.B.89. In May 2019, following Amawi’s lawsuit against the State of Texas, Abbot signed into law the Texas House Bill 793 (H.B.793) that “narrowed” H.B.89.”
On August 2, 2014, Madaninejad posted to Facebook: “The Israeli Propaganda is Slowly Breaking Down” and shared a statement from Librarians and Archivists with Palestine (LAP) that called on “peers and colleagues to boycott and divest from companies profiting from Israel’s occupation and colonization of Palestine.”
On July 11, 2014, Madaninejad shared an article to Facebook titled: “9 Brands You Can Boycott to Hold Israel Accountable for Its Violation of International Law.”
CAIR
CAIR describes itself as a “grassroots civil rights and advocacy group” and “America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, with regional offices nationwide.” Its official mission is “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.”
CAIR reportedly has “significant ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Hamas. A number of former CAIR employees have been convicted on fraud and terrorism-related charges that resulted monetary fines, jail terms and, sometimes, deportation.
CAIR was founded in 1994 and opened its first office in Washington, DC, with the help of a $5,000 donation from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), a charity founded by Mousa Abu Marzook.
Marzook, who was listed as a "Specially Designated Terrorist" by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1995, is reportedly a senior member of Hamas.
In May 2007, CAIR was listed as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a U.S.-filed action against the HLF for providing funds to Hamas.
CAIR was also listed as a terrorist entity by the United Arab Emirates, in 2014.
BDS
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true.
One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”
Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”
In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”
The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.
BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.
The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.
Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.
BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.
Social Media and Weblinks
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/595326473Twitter:https://twitter.com/bmadaninejad
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bmadaninejad/ [Private]
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/banafsheh-madaninejad-phd-bba2945a/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/banafsheh-madaninejad-bba2945a [Deactivated]
Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/bmadaninejad/
Couchsurfing:https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/banafsheh-madaninejad
- Status:
- Professional
- University:
- Southwestern,
- more...
- Organizations:
- BDS,
- CAIR
- Related Profiles:
- Collin Poirot,
- Last Modified:
- 05/04/2026
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