Islam Funds U.S. Universities

Why would foreign donors give large sums of money to wealthy American colleges and what do they get for their money? That is the question that should concern every American.

A recently released report on “Foreign Influence Ops on U.S. Universities, by the Clarion Project, exposed the billions that these foreign governments and government-tied entities with known links to subversion, spying, terrorism and extremist ideology  donate to try and mold public opinion and policy. 

With all the talk of Russian interference in our elections you might think that Russia would top the list of would-be influencers, but the United Arab Emirates donates more than twice as much as Russia, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar contribute even more.  China is near the top of the list but tiny Qatar donates twice as much as China, with contributions totaling $1.5 billion since 2012.

Of that $1.5 billion, Qatar gave $376 million to Carnegie Mellon University, $351 million to Georgetown, $340 million to Northwestern, $275 million to Texas A&M, $41 million to VCU, and lesser amounts to almost two dozen other universities.   The terror linked Qatar Foundation donated a jaw-dropping $33 million to Georgetown University in 2018.

The government of Qatar is known for sponsoring terrorism, Islamist extremism and running some of the most extensive influence operations in America from political corruption and manipulating media outlets to funding think-tanks, activist organizations and mosques.  In addition they are the top supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian wing, Hamas, as well as affiliates of Al-Qaeda and the Iranian regime.  They also openly promote the Wahhabists brand of Islam that inspires Sunni jihadist around the world.

In the same time frame, Saudi Arabia, responsible for the worldwide spread of anti-Western Salafi ideology called “Wahhabism,”  donated $83 million to MIT, $75 million to George Washington University, $59 million to George Mason University, $31 million to Harvard, $30 million to the University of Kansas and millions more to about 58 other universities.

Saudi money also seeped into US bureaucracy and politics. There’s hardly a living former assistant secretary of state for the Near East, CIA director, White House staffer or member of Congress who hasn’t ended up on the Saudi payroll in one way or another, or at least it seems that way.  With this kind of money waiting to line the pockets of bureaucrats and politicians is it any wonder why Saudi Arabia seems to get away with murder? 

Turkey,  founder of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, and an Islamist dictatorship and sponsor of terrorism,  has contributed to 15 separate American universities to a tune of $37.7 million. 

Since 2012, Pakistan, a major sponsor of the Taliban, Al-Aqeda, Hizbul Mujahideen, the Muslim Brotherhood, to name but a few terrorist organizations, has contributed to five separate American universities to a tune of $4.9 million. 

Lebanon, influenced by Iran through Hezbollah, has contributed at least $5.7 million to seven universities in the U.S.   Of that, over $3.3 million was gifted to Columbia University by the Mikati Foundation, whose leaders are tied to Hezbollah. 

The United Arab Emirates, although considered a U.S. ally, known for its poor human rights record and attempts to interfere in our elections, has donated $231 million to 32 American universities since 2012.  Iran who sponsors Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Shite militias in Iraq, and Hamas, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, also contribute to American and Canadian universities  by  using front groups, making it almost impossible to establish a dollar figure.

Since 2012, Chinese interests have given $680 million to 87 separate U.S. universities in the form of gifts and contracts.  Officially communist, China follows an ideology hostile to the West, leading it to support the governments of Iran, North Korea and Pakistan.   They have also helped protect the leader of several Islamic terrorist organization leaders backed by Pakistan even though they persecute Islamists in China.

US Law requires universities to disclose foreign gifts and “ownership interests in or control over the institution by a foreign entity.”  Yet, many concerns still exist about possible gaps in the accounting.  When the Department of Education began to look into foreign gifts, those colleges, who receive foreign funding, were incensed that the government would be concerned at what they were teaching our children about the Middle East in programs funded by Islamic nations.  Jay Smith, a history professor at UNC said that the Department of Education officials “should stay in their lane and allow the “experts” to determine what constitutes a full understanding of the Middle East.”

Universities are the go-to- places to find out what the experts are saying on a variety of issues so it is not just our children who are being indoctrinated, but the whole culture. 

Hitler told his opponents “Your child belongs to us already.” Are we coming to the point where well-funded Islamic proselytizers and their collaborators in academia will be able to say the same?

Source:  Clarion Call: Islamic Influence on America’s Universities by William Kilpatrick, The Catholic World Report; Clarion EXCLUSIVE Report: Foreign Influence Ops on US Universities, Clarion Project; Georgetown Gets a Title VI Wakeup Call, Middle East Forum

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