False claims by Taghizadeh’s article in Roozonline

Mr. Taghizadeh’s inaccurate piece in Roozonline on July 13, 2013, aims to stir controversy surrounding Dr. Mousavian’s initial arrival in the US and work at Princeton University.   The piece falsely claims that Dr. Haleh Esfandiari worked with and was instrumental in bringing Dr. Mousavian to Princeton University. Mr. Taghizadeh made the mistake in confusing the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC, where Dr. Esfandiari is Director of Middle East Program, with the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, where Dr. Mousavian is currently Associate Research Scholar. Dr. Esfandiari response to the editor of Roozonline stated that she has met Dr. Mousavian once briefly at his book launch. Moreover, Mr. Taghizadeh claims Dr. Mousavian’s work at Princeton University is funded by the Alavi Foundation. This assertion is also false, particularly since the foundation’s finances have for years been under the control of the US judicial system and any financial allocations are made public. There have been no funds from Alavi Foundation earmarked for Dr. Mousavian.