In Support of the Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
March 27th, 2008 by Menachem Wecker
CQ Politics staff writer Matt Korade wonders whether the Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (site) at Georgetown should worry about a “threat to impartial scholarship” or “political grandstanding” due to its donor.
Korade writes:
The issue was recently thrust into the public spotlight after Rep. Frank R. Wolf , R-Va., wrote a letter to university President John J. DeGioia on Feb. 14 questioning the center’s use of the donation, which in turn was based on questions raised in an article in The Washington Times.
…Specifically, I would like to know if the center has produced any analysis critical of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, in the fields of human rights, religious freedom, freedom of expression, women’s rights, minority rights, protections of foreign workers, due process, and the rule of law,” the congressman wrote.
I don’t want to pretend like I have any information on the inner workings of the Center, but I did want to say that I have been in touch several times with faculty members associated with the Center, who have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable. John Esposito very politely replied to an inquiry of mine, though it was not his area of expertise, and Diane Apostolos-Cappadona has been an angel on several occasions so far in replying to interview questions.
If experts at a Center funded by Saudi money can be so great talking about Jewish art, I don’t see how one could accuse the same folks of being anti-American. Clearly their primary professional goals are honest and scholarly, not political hate-mongering. I hope this whole pseudo-scandal blows over really quickly.