Saudi Donations Tainted for Clinton Foundation, Tainted for Middle East Studies

Alwaleed Center for Muslim Christian Understanding

Some are upset that the Clinton Foundation accepted donations from Middle Eastern countries with terrible records on women’s rights. In “Hillary Clinton Faces Test of Record as Women’s Advocate,” the New York Times writes:

Saudi Arabia has been a particularly generous benefactor to the Clinton Foundation, giving at least $10 million since 2001, according to foundation disclosures. At least $1 million more was donated by Friends of Saudi Arabia, co-founded by a Saudi Prince.

Will we see similar concern over the far greater amounts ($25 million each) donated by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to fund Middle East studies centers at Georgetown and Harvard, or the $25 million King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the U. of Arkansas, or millions more donated by Gulf countries over the past several decades? If such money is tainted when it flows into the Clinton’s coffers, surely there’s no reason to assume it’s pure when it funds Middle East studies at American universities. In both cases, their wealth is buying influence and access.
Winfield Myers is managing editor of the Middle East Forum and director of its Campus Watch project, which reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North American universities. He has taught world history and other topics at the University of Michigan, the University of Georgia, Tulane, and Xavier University of Louisiana. He was previously managing editor of The American Enterprise magazine and CEO of Democracy Project, Inc., which he co-founded. Mr. Myers has served as senior editor and communications director at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and is principal author and editor of a college guide, Choosing the Right College (1998, 2001). He was educated at the University of Georgia, Tulane, and the University of Michigan.
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