From The MEMRI Archives – Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi And Qatar's Education City: Hosting American University Students From Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Northwestern, Texas A&M, Virginia Commonwealth, Cornell & Others

View the PDF Version

As top U.S. universities are being scrutinized for their failure to address skyrocketing antisemitism on campuses, so are the ties between these universities and the chief financier of the designated terrorist organization Hamas – Qatar.[1]

For years, Qatar has financed Hamas' military buildup and harbored its leaders, who live in Doha to this day.[2] Hamas' leaders are managing this war from Doha, and conveying their messages via Qatar's Al-Jazeera television channel, while the Qatari media expresses unreserved support for the organization and its terrorist actions.[3]

Today, we are republishing this report from the MEMRI archives, which was originally published in 2010.

"Oh men, the matter is grave. The time for jesting has passed. Call things by their real names, for it is men's way to be frank. The veil has fallen from the face, and their secret workings are revealed. The Crusaders have returned once more, and they move about in the [Iraqi] lowlands… don't you see how conspiracies against Islam are hatched openly in the light of the day?... Oh Islamic nation, rise up and act! For there is no time to be lost… Oh thousand million [Muslims], where are you when the wounds call out? Bring one million from the billion, the select of the select. One from every thousand, and with them we shall make war on all fronts…" [4]

From a poem by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi, January 5, 2005

Table of Contents

• Preface

• Introduction

• Background on the Qatar Royal Family's Official Foundation

• The Qatar Foundation's Education City: About the Campus

• U.S. Institutions at Education City

• Sheikh Al-Qaradawi and His Announcement of the Establishment of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies at Education City – Advisory Committee Includes Members of U.S. Institute of Peace

• Oxford University's Agreement with the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies

• 2008 Commencement at Education City: Announcement of the Establishment of the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought

• 2009/10 Academic Year: Announcing the Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Scholarship

• The Al-Qaradawi Centre: Part of the Long-Established Relationship Among Al-Qaradawi, Qatar, and the Qatari Royal Family

• The Al-Qaradawi Centre: A Think Tank on Education City's Campus for Da'wa and for Spreading Islam to Western Students

• Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Banned in the West

• Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Lectures to American Students

• An American Student Blogs about Al-Qaradawi's Lecture: "I Understand How Americans Might Be Frightened By His Rhetoric… My Suspicion is that Al-Qaradawi's Remarks… Would Confirm Some Nebraskan's Stereotypes About a Muslim Cleric Disallowed from Entering the U.S…"

• Media Reports on Al-Qaradawi's Lectures to American Students

• Appendix I: MEMRI TV Research on Sheikh Al-Qaradawi

• Appendix II: MEMRI Special Dispatches, Special Reports, and Inquiry & Analysis Reports on Sheikh Al-Qaradawi

 

Preface

On February 15, 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton participated in an official Al-Jazeera town hall interview at the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) branch campus in Qatar's Education City. Secretary Clinton was introduced by Sheikh Abdallah Aal-Thani, whose opening statements on behalf of Education City praised the six American universities based there.

In response, Secretary Clinton stated, "I have been following the progress of Education City from the U.S., and I am delighted to be able to see with my own eyes the extraordinary commitment of the Qatar Foundation… to this really extraordinary partnership between our two countries."[5]

A short walk from the CMU branch at Education City is the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought. It is named after Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi, an influential figure on campus who also happens to be barred from entering the U.S., and is documented as having called for the destruction of America and for the annihilation of the Jews.

The following report sets out in detail the work of the Qatari royal family's foundation in establishing Education City; Education City's support of Sheikh Al-Qaradawi; and Education City's official connections to, and expanding relations with, leading U.S. universities and research centers.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the program "From Washington," moderated by Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau chief Abdulrahim Fukara on the Carnegie Mellon campus at Qatar Foundation in Doha (February 15, 2010)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greeted by Qatar Foundation president Dr. Mohammad Fathy Saoud at QF Headquarters (February 15, 2010)

Introduction

Last month, students from around the world, and particularly from the U.S., began the winter academic semester as part of study programs at universities across the Middle East. These programs are part of a concerted effort by some leading Arab countries to bring American students to the region – as future leaders in government and media – to understand and, in fact, to be sympathetic to the Arab cause.

One such program, "Journalism Boot Camp," which is affiliated with Columbia University, the American University in Cairo, and the University of Qatar, is aimed at top U.S. journalism colleges; under it, students visit Middle East media outlets, including Al-Jazeera, and attend lectures by prominent figures.

Last year, these lectures included one by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi – who is barred from entering the U.S., the U.K., and other Western countries. This summer, the Boot Camp brought U.S. students together with the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Journalism Boot Camp was not the only framework in which U.S. students have met with Sheikh Al-Qaradawi. The Qatari royal family foundation's Education City – one of its most important initiatives – has emerged as the leading hub of academia in the Middle East, and its mission is to bring top U.S. institutes of higher education to the country. Over the past couple of years, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi has maintained a prominent position there.

Education City hosts American universities including Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Northwestern, Texas A&M, Virginia Commonwealth, and Cornell. On the very same campus, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi's presence can be felt through the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Research and Modern Thought; the Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Scholarship program; as Chair of Faculty of Islamic studies; and through participation in campus activities such as graduation.

As it cements, and even enhances, the stature and influence of Sheikh Al-Qaradawi at Education City, the Qatari royal family has been making fervent efforts to expand relations with U.S. universities; these efforts include luring American professors and students, and building lavish new multimillion dollar centers for them on campus.

It should be noted that at the same time as Sheikh Al-Qaradawi has been receiving honors on a campus shared with leading U.S. universities, he has continued to call for the Muslim world to damage the U.S. economy by boycotting American products, as well as to appear on Arab TV channels, inciting Muslims by calling for Islam's conquest of Rome, warning the U.S. to change their policies or face "collapse," and calling for another Holocaust against the Jews, but this time at the hands of the Muslims.

As Sheikh Al-Qaradawi told his Al-Jazeera audience on January 2009, "Oh Allah, do not spare a single one of them [Jews]. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them, down to the very last one."[6]

Background on the Qatar Royal Family's Official Foundation

Founded in 1995 by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Qatar Foundation is currently headed by Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned,[7] the second of the three wives of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

On its website, the Qatar Foundation says that it is "a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to prepare the people of Qatar and the region to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world." The website also states that the Foundation is committed to community development, operates in a range of centers for local and regional outreach, and also funds the Doha Debates and, Al-Jazeera's Children's Channel.[8]

It should be noted, throughout the months of October through January the Qatar Foundation has begun an extensive PR campaign on b oth the Al-Jazeera Arabic and English channels to promote itself, the same commercials have also been airing on CNN as well.

The Qatar Foundation's Education City: About the Campus

The Qatar Foundation is connected to and housed in Education City, a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha which hosts branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities, as well as numerous other educational and research institutions.[9] The Qatar Foundation calls Education City its "flagship project," and envisions it as a Centre for world-class higher education and cutting-edge research.[10]

Sheikha Mozah described her original vision for Education City: "We believe in the urgency of meeting other civilizations, but not in melting into them. And we believe in the power of education to guide us toward this goal."[11]

The Qatar Foundation has in fact emerged as a leading center of scientific research in the Middle East, and its work on environmental issues is to be commended. Over the past decade, according to its website, the foundation has worked with some of the world's leading organizations, including the United Nations, the Royal Society of London, the National Human Rights Committee, and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. Among the influential individuals who have visited and participated in its activities are former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, current U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, leaders of other European nations, ambassadors from throughout the world, and Nobel Prize laureates.

One notable event, held on March 3, 2009, was a forum UNESCO initiated and took place in the Quranic gardens in Education City. The opening ceremony of the forum included officials such as Qatar's Minister of Culture and Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi, whose statements were quoted extensively by the Qatar media.[12]

According to the Qatar Foundation website, Education City students include citizens or residents of Qatar as well as those from Gulf countries and other Middle East countries; others come from Western countries, including the U.S. The website calls Education City "a place where bridges are being built between cultures and towards a better future."[13]

The main departments and programs of Education City include the Qatar Leadership Academy, which works with the Qatar foundation for Education, Science and Community Development in conjunction with the Qatar Armed Forces;[14] the Qatar Academy, a private, non-profit, educational institution founded in 1996 and fully accredited in the U.S., which offers programs including English, Arabic and Islamic studies;[15] and the Academic Bridge Program, for top graduates of Middle East high schools to prepare them for English-language university programs, which shares space with Texas A&M University.[16]

The Qatar Foundation has also worked with or been connected to major universities throughout the world, including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Technical University of Vienna, Saarland University, and the University of Calgary, as well as to some of the most respected academic bodies in the U.S.

U.S. Institutions at Education City

In February 2008, The New York Times called Education City a "study in contradictions, an island of American-style open debate in what remains an Islamic monarchy, albeit a liberal one by regional standards. Education City graduates will be broadly educated elite, who have had extended contact with American professors and American ways of thinking, and, in some cases, spent time at their school's home campus back in the United States."[17]

However, on July 10, 2009, the Chronicle of Higher Education released a scathing article attacking the academic standards of Education City. It said: "Administrators at several branch campuses of American universities in Qatar acknowledge that they accept students with admissions standards that fall below those expected on their home campuses…"[18]

Education City – Doha, Qatar[19]

The following U.S. universities have campuses at Education City:

• Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) opened its branch in Doha at the invitation of the Qatar Foundation in 2004. Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in Business Administration, Computer Science, and Information Systems.[20] On April 10, 2009 Carnegie Mellon University's campus at Qatar University formally opened its new 460,000 square foot building, which was paid for by the Qatar Foundation.[21]

• Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) partners with the Qatar Foundation in providing degrees in communication and journalism, since August 17, 2008.[22] In March 2009, a group of Northwestern faculty and students traveled to Northwestern University's branch in Education City, as guests of the Qatar Foundation which paid for the trip in full. According to Northwestern's official newspaper, all students who applied for the trip were accepted.[23]

• Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) was established in 2003 and offers degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical, and petroleum engineering.[24] In an article in Texas A&M's newspaper on April 24, 2009, the University's assistant dean for Finance and Administration stated, "Essentially, all costs of A&M [at Education City] are covered by the Qatar Foundation." The article also stated that staff, including "professors are given significant financial and U.S. taxation incentives for working at A&M Qatar."[25]

• Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) opened a branch campus at Education City in 2005, where it offers a four-year program leading to a bachelor's degree in Foreign Service.[26] Some of the more notable lecturers featured at the campus include Professors Tariq Ramadan, John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt (authors of "The Israel Lobby"), and Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.[27]

• Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) was the first U.S. University at Education City, established in 1998. It offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in communication design, fashion design or interior design.[28]

• Cornell Medical College (New York, NY) was established under a 2001 agreement between Cornell University and the Qatar Foundation.[29]

• RAND Corporation's Education City branch,[30] at the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute, states on its website that it "analyzes complex policy problems and helps implement enduring solutions for clients across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia."[31] The agreement to set up RAND-Qatar Policy Institute was signed in April 2003.[32]

Qatar Foundation Outreach Effort Includes Millions of American Students

In addition to the six branch campuses of American Universities at Education City, the Qatar Royal Family seeks to connect with other American universities and students through multiple special programs and symposiums. One recent example involved students from University of Maryland and San Diego coming to Education City on January 20, 2010 for a two-day discussion, at the Young Professionals Institute at the Qatar Foundation.[33]

American Association of Community Colleges, Representing Over 11 Million U.S. Students, Coming to Education City

On November 24, 2008 the Community College Qatar Project was announced. According to an article in the Qatari daily Gulf Times, the American Association of Community Colleges, which represents almost 1,200 U.S. degree intuitions with a total enrollment of over 11 million students in the U.S., was "in direct talks" to bring programs to Education City.[34]

U.S., Canadian, British, French, Mexican and Other Institutions Are Partners of Qatar Foundation

According to the Qatar Foundation's 2007-2008 annual report, their official research partners, in addition to those already reported in this document, include the James Baker Institute for Science Policy, Michigan State University, Microsoft, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, Cisco, Conoco Phillips, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), Exxon Mobil, Gartner Lee (Canada), Imperial College London, Institut de Soudure (France), Instituto Technologico de Celaya (Mexico), University of Burgos (Spain), McGill University (Canada), Rolls-Royce, University of Victoria (Canada), and York University in Toronto, and many more.

U.S. Scholarships for Educational City

U.S. citizens at U.S. universities in Education City are eligible for FAFSA (federal student aid) through the U.S. Department of Education.[35] Also, according to the websites of the above universities at Education City, the Qatar Foundation provides prospective students with scholarships. [36]

2010 Begins with Development of Official Ties between Education City and Iranian Government

Speaking in Qatar on January 7, 2010, Iranian Ambassador to Qatar Abdullah Sohrabi announced at his embassy that a joint committee had been formed to develop "education ties" between Qatar's Education City and Iranian universities.[37]

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi and His Announcement of the Establishment of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies at Education City – Advisory Committee Includes Member of U.S. Institute of Peace

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi is one of the most prominent clerics of Sunni Islam and spiritual guide for many Islamist organizations around the world, as well as for millions of Muslims in the West. He heads the European Council for Fatwa and Research, as well as the International Council of Muslim Scholars (ICMS).[38]

In the July/August 2008 edition of Foreign Policy magazine, readers voted for the Top 100 intellectuals worldwide. Number three on the list was Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: "The host of the popular Sharia and Life TV program on Al Jazeera, Qaradawi issues weekly fatwas on everything from whether Islam forbids all consumption of alcohol (no) to whether fighting U.S. troops in Iraq is a legitimate form of resistance (yes). Considered the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Qaradawi condemned the September 11 attacks, but his pronouncements since, like his justification of suicide attacks, ensure his divisive reputation."[39]

On April 15, 2007, at a press conference at Qatar Foundation headquarters led by Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, the establishment of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Education City was announced.

The faculty's structure was to be created by an advisory committee, chaired by Al-Qaradawi and including U.S. Institute of Peace member Professor Sherman Jackson,[40] Dr. Mohamed Fathy Saoud,[41] Dr. Ezzedin Ibrahim,[42] Professor Abdelhafez Helmy Mohamed,[43] Dr. Mohamed Haytham Al-Khayat,[44] Dr. Aisha Al-Mannai[45] and Dr. T.J. Winter.[46]

Also at the press conference, the Gulf Times hailed the Islamic Studies program as a "new milestone for Education City" and the faculty's appointed dean, Dr. Al-Qaranshawi, stated that the department would seek to establish a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims, based on moderate Islam.

According to Qatar's leading English-language daily newspaper The Peninsula, Al-Qaradawi added, "The faculty will represent a moderate view of Islam but will not support modernizing the religion by rejecting its fundamentals... Extremist tendencies among Muslim communities across the world result from ignorance about Islamic principles or the wrong interpretation of them."[47]

The Peninsula also quoted Sheikh Al-Qaradawi as saying that the faculty's mission was "to produce a team of Islamic scholars who are well-versed in Islamic fundamentals as well as [in] contemporary topics, and are capable of facing the challenges of modern time."[48]

Oxford University's Agreement with the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies

The Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies at Education City made headlines on November 5, 2008 when the Qatar Foundation announced a new chair of contemporary Islamic Studies. According to an interview with Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Dr. John Hood, "the establishment of the new chair in contemporary Islamic studies opens an exciting new era of exchange and cooperation between Oxford and the Middle East, through the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. Give the importance of Islam today, both in European society and in world affairs generally, there could be no subject of greater importance for Oxford's Middle East studies community to address…"

The announcement of the endowment coincided with a visit to the Qatar Foundation's Education City campus by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has congratulated the Qatar Foundation and Oxford University.[49]

2008 Commencement at Education City: Announcement of the Establishment of the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought

In 2008, a total of 122 students graduated from the Education City branches of Cornell Medical College and of Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Georgetown, Northwestern, and Virginia Commonwealth universities.[50]

During the May 6 commencement ceremony, which was attended by Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, Education City Faculty of Islamic Studies dean Dr. Hatem Al-Qaranshawi announced the establishment of the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought.

Al-Qaranshawi stated that the establishment of the new Centre "would be followed by other centers that will work on other areas of research, such as the study of Contemporary Muslim Societies, Islamic Urban Planning and Architecture, Islamic Governance, Islamic Financial Product, and Environmental Issues."[51]

Al-Qaradawi added that the vision of the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought "is to become a focus of thought and dialogue that leads to research and debate."[52] The commencement ended with a performance from Italian opera singer Andre Bocelli.

According to the Gulf Times of January 14, 2009, the Qaradawi Centre "will serve as a think tank on wide range of issues concerning Islamic Studies and will highlight the middle path propagated by Qaradawi."

2009/10 Academic Year: Announcing the Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Scholarship

In February 24, 2009, the Qatar Foundation put out a press release announcing the "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Scholarships for 2009/2010." Five scholarships were made available for successful applicants to the Master of Arts in Islamic Studies with a specialization in Contemporary Fiqh.[53]

The Al-Qaradawi Centre: Part of the Long-Established Relationship Between Al-Qaradawi and the Qatari Royal Family

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, originally from Egypt, has resided in Qatar since 1961, when he faced arrest in Egypt by authorities who were taking action against the Muslim Brotherhood. Since then, his stature has increased. The Emir of Qatar granted him a prime-time slot on the Qatari government's Al-Jazeera TV. He also delivers official government-sponsored Friday sermons in Qatar, some including incitement against the U.S., the West, and non-Muslims.

For example, in the supplication part of a sermon on November 1, 2002, he said: "Allah, bring us the victory over your enemies, the enemies of Islam… Allah, remove their trap from us, weaken them, eradicate their countries… Allah, deal with the aggressive Americans. Allah, deal with the extremist pagans. Allah, deal with the oppressing Crusaders."[54]

On November 3, 2009, Qatar's Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage announced it is awarding Sheikh Al-Qaradawi with the State Merit Prize for Islamic Studies – 250,000 Qatari riyals, which is the equivalent of $68,681.33.[55]

At the inaugural meeting of the Al-Qaradawi Students Forum on February 11, 2010, in Qatar, Sheikh Qaradawi. He stated, "Qatar has been my home since 1961. I am deeply indebted to HH the Emir and the people of Qatar for having accepted me and allowed me to do my work on an international scale. I have never faced any obstacle in expressing freely whatever I wished. If I had remained in Egypt I would have been in prison forever, as has happened with my colleagues."

He also said that some time ago, a BBC correspondent had quizzed him on whether he was free to express objections to anything happening in Qatar, and that he had replied that he objected to many things – including the opening of Israel's commercial representative office, the presence of the U.S. military base, and aspects of Qatar's constitution, but had never been arrested. He also referred to a Friday sermon he gave at the Omar bin Khattab mosque in Doha soon after Shimon Peres's 1996 visit to Qatar, in which he had said: "Whoever shook hands with Peres should wash his hands seven times, including once with sand." He continued, "I went to greet HH the Emir on Eid-al-Adha day a few weeks later. His Highness greeted me with a warm embrace and said that he had washed his hands 14 times, because he had shook hands with Peres two times!" [56]

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi elaborated on his gratitude to Qatar and its leadership: "If it hadn't been for the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, Allah preserve him, I would have been on the list of terrorists. The Americans were determined to put me on this list, but the Emir stood fast courageously, pitting his determination against theirs, [and as a result] I stayed off the list."[57]

The Al-Qaradawi Centre: A Think Tank on Education City's Campus for Da'wa and for Spreading Islam to Western Students

During September 2009 the Al-Qaradawi Centre for Islamic Moderation and Renewal at Educational City began operations. Dr. Hassan Khalifa, a former professor of Comparative Religion at Cairo University and visiting professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies-Qatar Foundation, was named director of the Centre.

It was also announced that another mission of the Centre would be to create a library comprising Sheikh Al-Qaradawi's works as well as articles about him. According to media reports, the Centre will also train preachers and imams, as well as translate books on Islam to reach out to Western readers. Last September, the Centre released two books by Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, titled "Jurisprudence of Jihad" and "Characteristics of Moderation."[58]

At the Centre's inauguration ceremony, Al-Qaradawi explained that its aim was to reinforce the idea of the middle path, which expresses religious moderation and is distant from the spirit of extremism prevailing in many mosques in Islamic societies. He said that the Centre would serve as a bridge between the Islamic world and the West and East, by means of cultural and ideological activity.[59]

According to Sheikh Al-Qaradawi's website, the Al-Qaradawi Centre will serve as a think-tank and offer advice on issues important to the Islamic nation. Sheikh Al-Qaradawi was also quoted during the inauguration as praising Qatar for its leadership narrowing the gap between the Muslim world and the West, and for its free media.[60]

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi also took the opportunity to state that the Centre will help teach non-Muslims the truth about Islam, in addition to disseminating a proper understanding of Islam and its values.

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Banned in the West

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi has been barred from entering the U.S. since 1999, and in early February 2008 it was announced that he was barred from entering the U.K.[61] In a September 29, 2008 interview, Al-Qaradawi told the Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that he was now banned "in many European countries." MEMRI research on Al-Qaradawi was instrumental in the London ban, and has also been used by the media and by government bodies in the U.S. and throughout Europe for multiple purposes.[62]/p>

Following past controversies, such as his call for the Islamic conquest of Rome,[63] this past spring Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi made more negative headlines in Europe.

In response to MEMRI TV's release of a translated and subtitled clip capturing Al-Qaradawi on Al-Jazeera TV in January of 2009 calling the Holocaust "divine punishment" for the Jews and warning that "Allah willing, the next time will be at the hand of believers [i.e. Muslims],[64] and stating that he would "shoot Allah's enemies, the Jews,"[65] Muslim Imams and Islamic groups in Scandinavia and other European cities distanced themselves from him.[66]

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Lectures to American Students

In addition to participating in the American universities' commencement ceremony at Education City, Gulf papers reported that last summer Sheikh Al-Qaradawi lectured to students from the U.S. under the auspices of the Middle East Journalism Boot Camp.

The Middle East Journalism Boot Camp program offers "a first-hand, in-depth understanding of the modern Arab world, Islam, and American policy in the region." According to its website, the program "brings together 12 American journalism students – one each from the top U.S. journalism schools – with 12 of their counterparts from The American University in Cairo and Qatar University."

The aim of the program is for the American students participating to "become the next generation of Middle East correspondents for Western news organizations and U.S./Europe-based correspondents for the Arab media."[67]

International Affairs Program and Qatar University coordinator Jinnyn Jacob said of the Boot Camp program: "They [the participants] are here for 11 days to refine their skills in the Middle East. Qatar University is hosting them to see Al-Jazeera, and to be able to compare and contrast the Middle East."

A June 16, 2008 report in The Peninsula stated that in a lecture to the American program participants, Al-Qaradawi discussed the moral crises that the West had caused in the Arab world. The lecture was part of a presentation titled "Perspectives on Islam in Arab Society."[68]

Boot camp participant Lisa Munger, who attended the lecture, reported on it, quoting Al-Qaradawi as saying that "a lack of values and churchgoing, materialism, discrimination and homosexuality disgrace the West and denigrate its position in global politics."[69]

Ms. Munger added that Al-Qaradawi maintained that the opposite was true in the Arab world. She wrote: "'The Arab world has a scarcity of moral crises,' Qaradawi said through a translator to a group of about 50 attendees, including bootcampers.' Religious and spiritual values don't exist in the West as they do here.'" [70]

This past summer, U.S. students met with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.[71]

An American Student Blogs about Al-Qaradawi's Lecture: "I Understand How Americans Might Be Frightened By His Rhetoric… My Suspicion is that Al-Qaradawi's Remarks… Would Confirm Some Nebraskan's Stereotypes About a Muslim Cleric Disallowed From Entering the U.S…"

The following are further excerpts from Lisa Munger's blog on Al-Qaradawi's "Perspectives on Islam in Arab Society" lecture in the summer of 2008:

"I traveled to Qatar and Egypt for Bootcamp from Lincoln, Neb., where I attend graduate school in my home state. Nebraska is what some people call a "drive-through state," meaning just that – you drive through it on your way to somewhere else – no one ever really stops. It's also a conservative state that re-elected George W. Bush in 2004 by 70 percent. Cows outnumber people 4 to 1.

"Nebraska was on my mind today at Qaradawi's lecture. How would people at home have responded to his remarks and gesticulations? How would I have written a story about his lecture in my capacity as a reporter for my local newspaper, to add proper context and foster understanding?"

"Qaradawi's response to my question about the Arab world and the West, as described in the post above, left me cold. Though I may not agree, I understand how Americans might be frightened by his rhetoric, especially after the national trauma of 9/11. My suspicion is Qaradawi's remarks today, and response to my question, would confirm some Nebraskans' stereotypes about a Muslim cleric disallowed from entering the U.S. This isn't because Nebraskans, or Americans in general, are 'backwards,' (as Qaradawi said some people label Arabs) – it's because in a super-fast world of 24-hour news, lessening space on international news pages, and fewer staff reporters abroad, the nuance which once might have provided a context for understanding Qaradawi and his comments might be more likely today to produce a headline like: 'Terrorist-Sympathizer Addresses Students.'

"I left the lecture more pessimistic than ever about the chances for achieving greater understanding between the Arab world and the West. I told my Egyptian Bootcamp reporting partner how I felt."

"She said, not everyone is like this man… I know, I said. But, where I am from, this man, his vitriol and sweeping generalizations of the West would not only anger people, it would frighten them."[72]

Media Reports on Al-Qaradawi's Lectures to American Students

A June 18, 2008 article in The Peninsula also discussed Al-Qaradawi's lectures[73] to American students. Al-Qaradawi was quoted as stating, "When we fly airplanes, they [the Americans] already have created rockets," and that he was "against American politics, but I am not against the American society. We can benefit from the American society's educational systems, technologies, organization and more."[74]

On June 24, 2008 The Peninsula quoted another American student who attended Al-Qaradawi's lecture, Dave Botti stating, "As we continue this program past our second week, I've begun to recognize that perhaps the greatest lesson we're all learning here is that of perspectives. Coming to the Middle East, I thought I'd had at least a decent understanding of how people from the region viewed themselves and the United States – but this understanding was far too simplified."

APPENDIX I: MEMRI TV Research on Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2350 – "Sheik Al-Qaradawi Suggests that Mahmoud Abbas Should Be Stoned to Death and Is Rebuked by PA Minister of Religious Endowments"
Palestinian Authority TV -January 7, 2010
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/0/2350

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2325 – "Islamic Scholar Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi: US Responsible for Attempted Airplane Bombing; Egypt-Gaza Border Is 'Artificial'"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - January 1-3, 2010
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/0/2325

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2300 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi: Celebrating Christmas in Muslim Countries Is Prohibited; Obama Does Not Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize"
Qatar TV - December 11, 2009
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/0/2300

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2290 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi Threatens a Boycott on Switzerland if 'We Despair of Other Measures'"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - December 7, 2009
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/0/2290

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2267 – "Sunni Scholar Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi Explains His Objection to Muslim-Christian Interfaith Dialogue,"
Qatar TV - October 30, 2009
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/2267

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2138 – "Sunni Scholar Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi Protests: Obama Drew a Parallel between the Koran and the Bible"
Qatar TV - June 5, 2009
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/2138.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2103 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi Criticizes Jordan for Hosting the Pope: He Should First Apologize for Affronting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad,"
Qatar TV - May 8, 2009
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/2103.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2057 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi: The Arabs Should Obtain Nuclear Weapons for Deterrence"
Qatar TV - February 20, 2009
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/2057.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 2005 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi: Allah Imposed Hitler upon the Jews to Punish Them - 'Allah Willing, the Next Time Will Be at the Hand of the Believers'"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - January 28-30
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/2005.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1979 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi Incites against Jews, Arab Regimes, and the U.S., and Calls on Muslims to Boycott Starbucks, Marks and Spencer"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - January 9, 2009
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1979.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1922 – "British Islamist Kamal Al-Hilbawi and Liberal Nabil Yassin Debate Whether Israeli Children Constitute Legitimate Military Targets"
BBC Arabic (U.K.) - November 24, 2008
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1922.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1864 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi: Muslim Nation Plagued by Tragedies, Like the Rule of the Cowardly Jews"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - September 29, 2008
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1864.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1783 – "Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan Blasts Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and Sheik Al-Qaradawi, and States: When You Criticize Their Prophet, It Is As If You Chopped Off Muslims' Noses"
Al-Hayat TV (Cyprus) - June 02, 2008
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1783.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1718 – "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi Accuses Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan of Cursing Allah on Al-Jazeera TV"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - March 16, 2008
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1718.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1691- "Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, Recently Barred from the U.K., Reiterates His Position on Suicide Bombings and Declares: Jews Are Not the Offspring of Apes and Pigs"
Al-Hiwar TV (UK) – February 15, 2008; Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - February 18, 2008
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1691.htm

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1592 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: Islam's 'Conquest of Rome' Will Save Europe from Its Subjugation to Materialism and Promiscuity"
Qatar TV - July 28, 2007
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1592

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1515 – "Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al Praises Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi for His Support of Suicide Operations, and Says Holocaust Was Exaggerated and Is Used to Extort Germany; Zionist Holocaust Against Arabs Much Worse"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - July 16, 2007
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1515

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1429 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: 'Virginia Tech Massacre Reflects American Philosophy of Violence; The Americans Kept Quiet About It - Since Shooter Was Not a Muslim'"
Qatar TV - April 20, 2007
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1429

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1366 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qarahawi Calls Upon Iraqi Kurds to Join Sunni Fight against Shiites After Mediation Fails"
Qatar TV - January 21, 2007 - 00:02:25,
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1366

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1354 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Eulogizes Saddam Hussein, Declares: In Recent Years, Saddam Was a Changed Man, Did Charitable Work, and Helped People Build Mosques"
Qatar TV - January 5, 2007
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1354

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1324 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: If the Shi'ite Doctrine Is Preached in Egypt, There Will Be Civil Strife and Endless Massacres"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - August 31, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1324

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1308 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi on the Risks of Female Masturbation"
Qatar TV - October 28, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1308

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1249 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: The Jews of Today Bear Responsibility for Their Forefathers' Crime against Jesus"
Qatar TV - August 26, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1249

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1170 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: Homosexuals Should Be Punished Like Fornicators But Their Harm Is Less When Not Done in Public"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - June 5, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1170

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1115 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Criticizes Fatah and Calls to Donate Money to the Hamas Government"
Qatar TV - April 21, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1115

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1074 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi's Conditions for Muslim Men Who Want to Marry Christian and Jewish Women in the West"
Qatar TV - March 12, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1074

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1052 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: Our War with the Jews Is in the Name of Islam"
Qatar TV - February 25, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1052

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1026 – "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Responds to Prophet Muhammad Cartoons: Whoever Is Angered and Does Not Rage in Anger Is a Jackass; We Are Not a Nation of Jackasses"
Qatar TV - February 3, 2006
http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1026

APPENDIX II: MEMRI Special Dispatches, Special Reports, and Inquiry & Analysis Reports

Special Dispatch – No. 2709, December 21, 2009
Sheikh Al-Qaradawi on Christmas Celebrations in Muslim Countries: 'I Wanted To Warn My People That This Is Prohibited, Shameful, And Inappropriate… Ignorance Of What Islam Obliges Us To Do...;' '[Can] Muslims in Europe and America... Celebrate Ramadan... in the City Centers[?]'
Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi on Christmas Celebrations in Muslim Countries: 'I Wanted To Warn My People That This Is Prohibited, Shameful, And Inappropriate... Ignorance Of What Islam Obliges Us To Do...;' '[Can] Muslims in Europe and America... Celebrate Ramadan... in the City Centers[?]'

Special Dispatch – No. 2689, December 11, 2009
Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi on Al-Jazeera Threatens a Boycott on Switzerland If 'We Despair of Other Measures'
Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi on Al-Jazeera Threatens a Boycott on Switzerland If 'We Despair of Other Measures'

Special Dispatch – No. 2662, November 19, 2009
Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Explains His Objections to Muslim-Christian Interfaith Dialogue
Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi Explains His Objections to Muslim-Christian Interfaith Dialogue

Special Dispatch – No. 2554, September 22, 2009
Fatwa by Sheikh Al-Qaradawi: Iraqis Must Not Become U.S. Citizens
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP255409

Special Dispatch – No. 2401, June 14, 2009
In Friday Sermon, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Responds to Obama's Cairo Speech
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP240109

Special Dispatch – No. 2365, May 20, 2009
Al-Qaradawi, Al-Sudayyis, Other Prominent Arab Islamic Scholars: Kashmiri Movement Is Jihad
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP236509

Special Dispatch - No. 2298, March 26, 2009
"Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Sermon on Qatar TV: The Arabs Must Obtain, But Not Use, Weapons of Mass Destruction- Nuclear, Chemical, And Biological - 'In Order to Strike Terror In The Hearts of Our Enemies'"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP229809

Special Dispatch - No. 2224, February 3, 2009
"Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi: Allah Imposed Hitler On the Jews to Punish Them – 'Allah Willing, the Next Time Will Be at the Hand of the Believers'"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=antisemitism&ID=SP222409

Special Dispatch - No. 1876, March 20, 2008
"Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Accuses Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan of 'Cursing Allah' on Al-Jazeera TV"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP187608

Special Dispatch Series No. 1876, March 20, 2008
"Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Accuses Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan of 'Cursing Allah' on Al-Jazeera TV,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP187608.

Special Dispatch No. 1824, January 24, 2008
"Egyptian Businessman Yasser Salem Followed Al-Qaradawi Fatwa, Sponsored Algerians to Go Fight Coalition Forces in Iraq,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP182408.

Special Dispatch No. 1672, August 2, 2007
"Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al Praises Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi for His Support of Suicide Operations, States: Holocaust Exaggerated, Being Used to Extort Germany, and Zionist Holocaust Against Arabs Much Worse,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP167207.

Special Dispatch No. 1427, January 17, 2007
"Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi Eulogizes Saddam Hussein in Friday Sermon on Qatar TV,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP142707.

Inquiry & Analysis No. 311, December 27, 2006
"Debate over the Status of Shi'ites in Egypt,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA31106.

Inquiry & Analysis No. 291 - "Pleasure Marriages in Sunni and Shi'ite Islam," August 31, 2006,
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA29106.

Inquiry & Analysis No. 277 - "Arab Media Reactions to Iran's Nuclear Project," May 23, 2006,
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA27706.

Special Dispatch No. 1146 , April 25, 2006
"Poetry of Resistance at Damascus Rally Calls Bush Accursed Satan; Hamas Leader Mash'al Attacks Abu Mazen & Praises Sheikh Al-Qaradawi; PA FM Al-Zahhar Calls for Right of Return to Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa, & Everywhere,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP114606.

Special Dispatch No. 1102, February 28, 2006
"Leading Islamist Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi: We Are Fighting in the Name of Islam… This Jihad is an Individual Duty of the Entire Muslim Nation… They Fight Us With the Torah… We Should Fight Them With the Koran,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP110206.

Special Dispatch No. 1089, February 9, 2006
"Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Responds to Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad: Whoever is Angered and Does Not Rage in Anger is a Jackass - We are Not a Nation of Jackasses,"
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP108906.

 

*Steven Stalinsky Ph.D. is the Executive Director of MEMRI.