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| Fifth Column |
| Group Demands Docs Related to Qatar's Suspected Infiltration of U.S. Public Schools |
| 2019-10-29 |
| [Free Beacon] A legal organization has filed a series of requests to compel American universities to turn over documents that it suspects will shine light on efforts by Qatar to peddle influence and push anti-Israel bias in U.S. public schools, according to a copy of public records requests obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The Lawfare Project, a legal group that provides services to the pro-Israel community, has filed document requests to compel Middle Eastern studies departments at the University of North Carolina and Duke University to turn over documents related to the alleged promotion of curricula sponsored by Qatar Foundation International, a partially state-funded organization that has helped Doha spend an estimated $1 billion pushing the Middle Eastern nation's priorities. The Lawfare Project suspects these documents will reveal how Qatar has worked to spread its propaganda inside the American education system. The organization is seeking public records from UNC regarding any potential involvement by Qatar and its proxies in teacher training programs sponsored by the Duke-UNC Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The document requests come as the Department of Education investigates how some $235,000 in federal funds were used to organize a series of anti-Israel events jointly held by Duke and UNC. The events have sparked questions from lawmakers and others into the relationship between these American universities and nations such as Qatar that spend millions to influence the U.S. education system. The Education Department is also investigating teacher-training programs Duke held through its Islamic Studies Center and Middle East Studies Center underwritten by QFI. Critics say these programs promote anti-Israel bias and unfairly portray the Jewish state. Qatar has "spent billion of dollars in the U.S. trying to influence not just colleges ... but also public schools and police departments," Gregg Roman, chief operations officer of the Middle East Forum‐which promotes American interests and western values in the Middle East‐said during a recent conference on Qatar's influence operations. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #2 People demanding docs what a noble idea. Who would've thought conservatives could demand docs too? |
| Posted by: jpal 2019-10-29 11:28 |
| #1 Sunlight disinfects. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-10-29 10:58 |