My initial response to Yale’s refusal to republish the Mohammad cartoons in a book about the Mohammad cartoons was that they were afraid of violence. It’s the claim they themselves make.
Such capitulation based on that reasoning being even more insulting, in my mind, than the actual publication of the controversial cartoons. Think of the implications -- even the liberal elite agree that at least some portion of Muslim societies cannot be expected to act like civilized people.
But Martin Kramer suggests that Yale’s capitulation was really about trying to get money from Saudi Arabia. Specifically, that a Saudi “philanthropist” -- who’s real mission is to spread Islam -- who has given large donations to universities (think, tens of millions of dollars) might not consider Yale for the next round of endowments should the university publish the cartoons.
What’s the link?
How much money are we talking about here? Alwaleed gave $20 million each to Georgetown and Harvard.
So, perhaps threats of Muslim violence wasn’t all that was on Yale’s mind.
Read the rest.