Moeed Ahmad

Overview

Moeed Ahmad has spread incitement, demonized Israel, and promoted anti-Israel agitators. Ahmad is also a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

In November 2014, Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) reported that Ahmad spoke at NU-Q, as part of the Al Jazeera Speaker Series.

In 2013, NU-Q signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera) “which deepens ties between the two organizations.” The MoU launched an Al Jazeera speaker series at NU-Q, along with joint research and studies projects, internships, training workshops and scholarships.

As of November 2021, Ahmad’s LinkedIn page said he was the Head of AJ+ English in Washington, D.C., since June 2018, and that he was the Incubation and Innovation Group Manager at Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, since September 2013.

As of the same date, Ahmad’s LinkedIn also listed his involvement in various capacities at Al Jazeera, since 2005. Ahmad was the New Media Department Manager from June 2011 to August 2013, Head of New Media from November 2008 to June 2011, Internet Media Unit Supervisor from October 2006 to November 2008 and a Project Manager at Al Jazeera Channel from January 2005 to October 2006.

Ahmad’s LinkedIn also said he was an Advisory Board Member at Qatar University, since March 2011.

In November 2020, Ahmad was listed as the Strategy Lead of Toledo Society, “a network of inspiring, engaging and high-quality podcasts for a new generation of English-speaking Muslims.”

Also as of November 2021, Ahmad’s Twitter bio indicated he was located in Washington, D.C.

Spreading Incitement

Ahmad retweeted a May 10, 2021 AJ+ tweet with a video that claimed [00:00:13] Israel was attacking the Al-Aqsa Mosque and that [00:00:41] “an Israeli settler drove at a group of Palestinians” after Palestinians threw rocks at his car.

In May 2021, violent clashes broke out between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa compound following claims the Al-Aqsa Mosque was in danger. The subsequent incitement was a leading factor in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza into Israel later that month. Israel responded by launching “Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW),” carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza. Allegations of Jews “threatening” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque have been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews predating the State of Israel.

On May 10, 2021, Palestinian rioters threw stones at an Israeli vehicle near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, injuring the driver who then lost control of his car and swerved off the road, hitting several pedestrians. The rioters attempted to attack the driver, before a police officer arrived at the scene and fired warning shots to disperse the mob.

Demonizing Israel

Ahmad retweeted a May 9, 2019, AJ+ tweet that read: “Stop calling it the Gaza border. It's not” and attached an AJ+ animated video condemning Israel’s Gaza border fence, which the video claimed [00:00:03] “Israel built to create the world’s largest open air prison.”

Ahmad retweeted a January 31, 2019 tweet that read: “Time to stop calling it ‘1-state solution” - there’s been only 1 state [Israel] west of the Jordan for 70 yrs. An apartheid state. In S.A. [South Africa] we didn’t call for “a 1-state solution’, we called for democratic equality. Why let partitionists set the terms of debate?”

Promoting Anti-Israel Agitators

On March 7, 2019, Ahmad shared to Facebook a Haaretz opinion piece in support of U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, titled: “Keep It Up, Ilhan Omar.”

Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018. In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks.Omar has demonized Israel and endorsed BDS. In July 2019, Omar introduced a pro-BDS resolution in the U.S. Congress, which she described as “an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support…the BDS movement.”

The article Ahmad shared said: “Jews have immense power in the U.S., far beyond the relative size of their community, and the blind support given by their establishment to Israel raises legitimate questions regarding dual loyalty.”

The U.S. State Department has stated that anti-Semitism can come in the form of “accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interest of their own nations.”

The article also said: “What, after all, has Omar said? That pro-Israel activists demand ‘allegiance to a foreign country’; that U.S. politicians support Israel because of money they receive from the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)], and that ‘Israel hypnotized the world.’ What is incorrect in these statements? Why is describing reality considered anti-Semitic?”

The stated mission of AIPAC is to “strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.”

The implication that AIPAC buys political support for Israel has been described as playing into “anti-Semitic tropes” that led to “centuries of stereotypes about Jews using money to control the world.”

Ahmad retweeted a February 21, 2019 AJ+ tweet that read: “Marc Lamont Hill was fired from CNN for calling for a ‘free Palestine.’ Here's his account of life in the occupied West Bank.”

In November 2018, Marc Lamont Hill was fired from his position as a contributor to CNN (Cable News Network) following controversial comments he made during a meeting held at the United Nations for an “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.”

During the meeting, Hill reportedly whitewashed Palestinian violence and accused Israel of “state violence and ethnic cleansing.” He also called for a “free Palestine from the river to the sea.”

In September 2018, during a U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) conference, Hill insinuated [00:31:01] that Israel poisons Palestinian water and seemingly approved [00:30:34] of violence against Israelis.

Ahmad retweeted a November 30, 2018 tweet that read: “Criticizing the actions of Israel is not anti-semitism. Since when is advocating for human rights a fireable offense? Join us in standing in solidarity with Dr. @MarcLamontHill:”

The tweet embedded a petition, started by the anti-Israel organization IfNotNow (INN), calling to reinstate Hill.

Ahmad retweeted an October 2, 2018 tweet from AJ+ Senior Presenter Dena Takruri that read: “My new doc from Palestine is out. I was haunted my what I saw and heard in Nabi Saleh, home to Palestinian teen icon Ahed Tamimi. Night raids, child arrests & open fire from Israeli forces are just the tip of the iceberg of this military occupation. WATCH.”

Ahed Tamimi has a long history of physically attacking Israeli soldiers. Tamimi is the daughter of Bassem Tamimi, who is known for exploiting young children as political props in staged confrontations with Israeli soldiers.

Takuri’s tweet included a link to an AJ+ documentary, which was titled: “The Palestinian kids fighting Israel's occupation” and featured Takuri’s interviews with various members of the Tamimi Family from Nabi Saleh, including [00:08:38] an interview with Manal Tamimi and video footage provided [00:09:05] by her husband Bilal Tamimi.

The village of Nabi Saleh is a Tamimi family stronghold. It is notorious as a place where photographers gather nearly every Friday to document scenes of Palestinian residents and international activists clashing with Israeli soldiers. Much of this is instigated by the Nabi Saleh Tamimi clan.

Bilal Tamimi is a Palestinian photographer from the village of Nabi Saleh, a Tamimi family stronghold. Tamimi is the husband of anti-Israel agitator Manal Tamimi, who has spread anti-Semitic blood libels and support for terrorists.`

In 2009, Tamimi began [00:00:15] filming weekly Friday demonstrations at the request of the human rights organziation, B'Tselem, in order to document scenes of Palestinian residents and international activists clashing with Israeli soldiers.

Tamimi releases videos demonizing Israel on his Youtube channel and provides video footage to AJ+ (Al Jazeera), a Qatari-funded channel that has spread misinformation about Israel.

The video also featured Bassem Tamimi who said [00:14:08]: “Ahed slapped the soldier, this is the normal[reaction]...The normal answer for the Israeli occupation is to slap them. The normal way to deal with our enemy is just by resistance.”

On February 18, 2018, Ahmad shared an AJ+ post to Facebook that read: “The artist who made that famous Che Guevara illustration has just turned Ahed Tamimi into Wonder Woman.”

The AJ+ post included a video interview with Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick, who claimed [00:00:44] that Ahed Tamimi was a “spiritual figurehead.” The video also included [00:00:56] “a special message to Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who supports the Israeli army.”

Starting in 2016, Israeli actress Gal Gadot portrayed Wonder Woman in films as part of the DC Extended Universe.

Fitzpatrick said [00:01:15]: “And I thought, looking at Ahed, my God, there’s a real Wonder Woman.”

Supporting BDS

Ahmad retweeted a February 23, 2016 tweet that read: “I support #BDS because I support free speech and non-violent resistance by any human to protect their rights...”

On July 14, 2014, Ahmad shared on Facebook a New York Times opinion piece written by Omar Barghouti, founder of the BDS movement.

Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, rejects the existence of Israel.

Barghouti falsely claimed that the demand that all Palestinian refugees be allowed to settle in Israel is a "right" under international law, and further asserted that the demands of BDS are “inflexible” and “non-negotiable” — and if people object then “tough.”

Barghouti also accused Israel of "colonizing the minds of Palestinians" by (temporarily) shutting down Palestinian educational institutions — particularly Birzeit University — whose militant student body was involved in riots and terror activity during the first Intifada and later remained ridden with terrorists. Barghouti omitted that under Israeli occupation five Arab universities and 70 teaching colleges were created on the West Bank, between 1967 and 1987 alone; none were permitted when the area was under Jordanian rule before 1967.

In January of 2016, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) swept Birzeit, seizing weapons stockpiles and Hamas propaganda. The university administration echoed Barghouti’s claims, characterizing the sweep as a "belligerent ... attack on the university and our right to education and all the principles involved in the freedom of education."

Barghouti also condemned Israel for shutting down other educational institutions, like kindergartens and high schools, which were also used to educate children to hate Israeli Jews — and become suicide bombers.

Barghouti also falsely claimed that Israel is guilty of Apartheid towards its Arab citizens.

In the article, Barghouti wrote: “B.D.S. calls for ending Israel’s 1967 occupation, ‘recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality,’ and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to the homes and lands from which they were forcibly displaced and dispossessed in 1948.”

The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.

Al Jazeera Media Network

Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera) is a Qatari-owned multimedia conglomerate broadcasting to 310 million households in more than 100 countries.

The network has been accused of slanting news reports to promote the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood. A weekly show hosted by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, aired from 1996-2013, where Qaradawi expressed [00:00:47] a personal dream of traveling to Israel to carry out Jihad and glorified suicide bombings by children.

The network has also been accused of affiliating with the terror group Hamas, criticized for providing a platform for the Al-Qaeda terror organization and implicated in the promotion of a wide variety of terrorist propaganda.

Invited guests and speakers have labeled Jews “devils” and “grave-dwellers who...suck the blood of others.” One Al Jazeera children’s program featured a Saudi cleric who labeled Jews “treacherous, disloyal, deceitful” and congratulated a child for hating and cursing Jews.

In September 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly ordered AJ+, Al Jazeera’s online news platform based in the U.S., to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).

AJ+

AJ+ is an online news channel run by Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera) that produces videos and other content in English, Arabic, Spanish and French.

AJ+ has pushed anti-Semitic propaganda, promoted terrorists’ social media campaigns and whitewashed terrorists. The channel has also defended violent protesters, demonized Israel and promoted the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

AJ+ has attempted to leverage intersectional politics in its videos, in order to demonize Israeli law enforcement and has promoted calls for the defunding of the U.S. police force.

Qatar - Terrorism

Qatar is one of the primary state backers of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and has provided funding for Hamas in the past. Qatar facilitates funding to advance extremism around the world, including the West.

Founded in Egypt 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist organization, listed as a terrorist organization in at least six countries, including Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Hamas, a terrorist group dedicated to Israel’s destruction, is listed as one of the Brotherhood’s offshoots.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, Canada, Australia, the United States and Israel.

The Hamas founding charter has called for the murder of Jews, and Hamas has hosted “summer camps,” that taught children how to wage war.

Qatar Foundation

In 1995, the then-Emir of Qatar and his wife, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, created the Qatar Foundation (QF) to “advance education, science, and cultural development.”

In 1995, QF was given two billion dollars in resources by the Qatari Government “to address knowledge and capacity deficits” and transform into a “knowledge-based economy.”

QF launched Education City (EC) in 1997, with the stated goal of providing “world-class education to the people of Qatar.”

In 2003, the campus was officially inaugurated.

Qatar Foundation - Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the Muslim Brotherhood

In 2007, Yusuf al-Qaradawi announced QF’s establishment of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) in EC. The QFIS structure was to be created by an advisory committee, chaired by al-Qaradawi.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi [Yousef Al-Qaradhawi] was the founder and, as of April 2020, remained head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. In 2005, The Wall Street Journal reported the council used the anti-Semitic fabricated text, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as a basis for some of its deliberations.

al-Qaradawi said in a statement that aired on Al-Jazeera TV on January 30, 2009: "Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the Jews...The last punishment was carried out by Hitler...Allah Willing, the next time will be at the hand of the Believers."

al-Qaradawi has also called for the murder of American civilians, as well as American troops in Iraq, homosexuals and Jews and expressed support for domestic violence against women.

In 2008, Moza bint Nasser and QF established within QFIS, the al-Qaradawi Centre for Research in Moderate Thought, also known as the “Al-Qaradawi Center for Islamic Moderation and Renewal,” in honor of “His Eminence” Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

QFIS described al-Qaradawi as “a pioneer of Islamic moderate thought” and the research center’s “main theorist.”

In January 2012, QF opened the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), “under the guidance of Director Dr. Tariq Ramadan.” In October 2015, Ramadan was listed as the CILE Director.

Tariq Ramadan is the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood (MB) founder Hassan al-Banna and son of senior Brotherhood operative Said Ramadan. Tariq Ramadanis also alleged to be a serial-rapist, as well as a terrorist supporter.

In 2015, Ramadan gave a “Principles of Leadership in Islam” seminar series, open to all EC students.As of May 2020, CILE listed Ramadan as part of “Our Team” on their website.

NU-Q - Qatar Foundation

In 2008, QF invited Northwestern University (NU) in Evanston, Illinois to set up a Qatari satellite campus in EC, Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), focusing on journalism and communications.

The degree that NU-Q awards students upon graduation would be identical to that earned at NU’s Evanston, IL campus.

On July 10, 2009, the Chronicle of Higher Education released an article critical of the academic standards of EC, noting that: "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…"

On April 5, 2014, Everett Dennis, NU-Q’s then-Dean and CEO said [00:12:25] in an interview with Richard Heffner, a former professor of Communications and Public policy at Rutgers University (Rutgers), that QF was “paying the bill” for NU-Q’s building, faculty, research and housing.

In March 2015, Stephen F. Eisenman, President of the Northwestern Faculty Senate, reported to the NU Faculty Senate that Qatari students receive full scholarships from the QF, while non-Qatari students, with some exceptions, must pay full costs. Eisenman also reported that “that five new endowed professorships at NU were recently funded out of QF money.”

In 2016, NU signed a 10-year extension to its agreement with QF, enabling NU-Q to operate through the 2027-2028 school year.

As of November 2019, the United States Department of Education (DoE) reported that Qatar gave NU $323.4 million in contract revenue since January 2013, averaging $49.6 million per year.

As of April 2020, Qatar Foundation’s contract with NU-Q was not available to the public.

As of May 2020, EC hosted six American university satellite campuses, in addition to NU-Q, including Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Texas A&M University.

QF lawyers, according to a January 2016 Washington Post article, petitioned the Texas attorney general in an attempt to keep the operational and financial details confidential.

However, the Washington Post was able to publish the 2012 10-year contract between VCU and QF because it was “disclosed as a matter of public record.” The projected budget included a VCU management fee of $3.6 million dollars for 2013, to rise to $4.1 in 2015.

The Washington Post article added: “The other four U.S. schools involved are private: Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern and Georgetown universities. They all declined Post requests for their Qatar contracts.”

The Washington Post later published the 2014 contract between Texas A&M and QF in a March 2016 article. The contract stated: “Texas A&M is eligible for a management fee for running the branch — an amount set at $8.2 million in fiscal 2014.”

In 2019, the U.S. DoE was reportedly “quietly investigating Georgetown and three other universities — Texas A&M, Cornell and Rutgers — over their funding from Qatar.”

Qatar Foundation - Anti-Israel Campaign

In 2009, the Qatar Foundation hired the U.S. public relations firm, Fenton Communications, to develop “a communications action plan for an 18-month campaign,” using Al Fakhoora, a Qatari-based pro-Palestine initiative.

The Fenton plan aimed to delegitimize Israel and generate international support for the Hamas-run Gaza strip, with a reported budget of $120,000.

Al Fakhoora was reportedly launched in 2009, following “the Israeli aggression on Gaza,” in support of promoting and facilitating access to higher education.

Israel commenced Operation Cast Lead (OCL)in 2008-09 in order to stop Hamas rocket fire from Gaza targeting Israeli civilians. In 2010, Hamas admitted that nearly 700 of the Palestinian casualties in OCL were combatants.

In May 2010, Farook Burney, director of Al Fakhoora, reportedly participated in the Mavi Marmara attempt to “break the siege in Gaza.”

The Mavi Marmara was the lead ship in a “Freedom Flotilla” of six ships that attempted to sail to Gaza in May 2010 to “break the siege.” A 2011 United Nations’ report found that the flotilla activists initiated a violent confrontation with Israeli forces. Following the incident there was no humanitarian aid found onboard the ship, only crude weaponry.

In June 2010, Burney reportedly told students at QFIS that "Al Fakhoora has launched an advocacy campaign to file legal charges against Israel and change the public perception in the West about its actions."

As of 2020, Fakhoora was located in Education City (EC), Qatar.

Qatar Foundation -EC Mosque Hosting Anti-Semitic Preachers

In April 2015, QF opened the Education City (EC) Mosque, located in Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) campus, adjacent to NU-Q.

Since the opening of the mosque, QF’s newspaper has encouraged readers to “join the QF community for prayer” at the EC Mosque, which has hosted 18 preachers and clerics who have variously spread anti-Semitism, expressed support for terror, spread [00:00:20] a conspiracy theory that radicalized Muslims played no part in 9/11 or the Charlie Hebdo attacks and declared that the Jews use pornographic movies to “destroy the world and control it.”

One preacher, Salman al-Audah, claimed [00:02:48] in a sermon broadcast on a major Gulf media channel in August 2012, that Jews use “human blood” for Passover matzah.

A cleric, Tareq al-Hawas, stated [00:04:11] about Jews "If only Hitler had finished them off, thus relieving humanity of them." Hawas was reportedly a member of Yusuf al-Qaradawi's International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) in 2013.

Another cleric, Mohammed al-Arifi, proclaimed in 2012, that “one’s devotion to jihad for the sake of Allah and one’s will to shed blood, smash skulls, and chop off body parts...constitute an honor.”

On March 18, 2016, preacher Mudassir Ahmed spoke at the EC mosque, urging attendees to [00:37:47]: “Kill the infidels... Count them in number and do not spare one.”

On April 1, 2016, preacher Khalid Al-Bakr, who has expressed support for Hamas, spoke at EC’s Mosque, calling [00:36:47] for Allah to “render victorious our brothers the mujahideen...in every place” and to “guide their shooting.”

On October 30, 2015, during the “Knife Intifada,” al-Hawas used his pulpit at the EC mosque to condemn [00:30:18] “the aggressor Zionists,” adding: “Allah, Help out Islam and Muslims, humiliate the heathens; destroy the foes of the religion.” al Hawas also said: "Protect your house, Al-Aqsa mosque from the hands of the Zionist aggressors."

October 2015 saw a wave of stabbings, known as the “Knife Intifada,” where young Palestinians throughout Israel were stabbing and attempting to stab Israeli civilians. The upsurge in violence across Israel was incited by Palestinian political and religious leaders. The attacks were sparked and fueled by Palestinian leaders propagating the libel that Israel intended to desecrate the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

NU-Q - Al Jazeera

Since 2008, NU-Q has worked closely with the Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera). In 2013, NU-Q signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with Al Jazeera “which deepens ties between the two organizations.”

Al Jazeera is a multinational multimedia conglomerate and parent company of the Qatari state-funded Al Jazeera. AJMN comprises an entirely state-owned network, chaired by Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

AJMN has been repeatedly accused of slanting news reports to promote and advance the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), as well as MB’s offshoot, the Hamas terrorist organization.

On March 13, 2013, Qatari-based news site Marhaba reported that NU-Q’s MoU with Al Jazeera aimed to “further facilitate collaboration and knowledge transfer between the two media organisations.” NU-Q’s announcement of the MoU referred to itself and Al Jazeera as “two of Qatar’s foremost media organisations.”

The MoU was created, in part, so NU faculty would provide consultations to launch Al Jazeera America (AJAM), based on NU’s “expertise in the American Media Industry.”Al Jazeera, for its part, expressed “willingness to support NU-Q students with scholarships as well as training opportunities.”

Al Jazeera launched AJAM, an American news channel, 2013. However, the channel closed in April 2016 due to low viewership and following a crisis in 2015 when CEO Ehab Al Shihabi reportedly stepped down after accusations of sexism and anti-Semitism.

NU-Q’s MoU with Al Jazeera was signed by Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al-Thani, Qatari Minister of Economy and Commerce and Director General of Al Jazeera, as well as Everette Dennis, the Dean and CEO of NU-Q.

Since the MoU, Al Jazeera has maintained a close partnership with NU-Q, including funding NU-Q’s professorial research.

NU-Q Joint Advisory Board

Since NU-Q and Al Jazeera signed their initial MoU in 2013, NU-Q has a Joint Advisory Board (JAB), which consists of ten to eleven people; five or six positions filled by Qatari-connected members and five positions filled by Western members.

All eleven of the current or previous Qatari-connected JAB members were directly affiliated with QF, Al Jazeera or the Qatari government.

There is little information available about the role of NU-Q’s JAB. The role of the Texas A&M University, Qatar (TAMUQ) JAB was exposed by the Washington Post in a 2016 article, to include general oversight and close monitoring and review of every aspect of TAMUQ, with QF paying the JAB TAMUQ expenses.

Multiple people associated with the NU-Q’s JAB have whitewashed al-Qaradawi, including the QF CEO and JAB Co-Chair from 2008-2019, Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani, JAB 2019-2020 member and president of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Ahmad Hasnah, as well as JAB 2012 - 2014 member and QF Vice President of education Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani.

Qatari State Minister, NU-Q JAB 2019-2020 member and AJ Vice Chairman Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, reportedly recommended a book that spread anti-semitism and authored an introduction praising the book. Yaser Bishr, 2017-2020 JAB member and Executive Director of digital media at Al Jazeera has demonized Israel.

Professor Rami Khouri was a Western NU-Q JAB member from 2012-2020 and a senior fellow at American University of Beirut (AUB). As of January 2020, Khouri was also an Al Jazeera contributor.

Khouri has legitimized terrorism, defended the “Knife Intifada,” has glorified violent protesters and spread anti-Israel conspiracy theories.

NU-Q - Hosting Annual Al Jazeera Speaker Series

Since the signing of the MoU in 2013, NU-Q has hosted an annual Al Jazeera Speakers Series. Thirteen of the 17 speakers who participated in the series at NU-Q from 2013-2019 have whitewashed terrorism, demonized Israel or expressed supportfor the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Dima Khatib, managing director of AJ+, spoke at NU-Q as part of the series on November 8, 2016. Khatib has spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, defended Hamas terror and whitewashed Hezbollah. She has also glorified a terrorist, demonized Israel and is a supporter of the BDS movement.

Elia Ghorbiah, a journalist at AJ’s immersive storytelling studio Contrast VR [Virtual Reality], spoke at NU-Q on November 8, 2018, as part of the series, helping to launch the NU-Q’s new Media Innovations Lab (MIL).

Ghorbiah has compared Israel to Nazi Germany, exressed support for terrorists, as well as the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and urged the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. She is also a supporter of the BDS movement.

NU-Q - Anti-Israel Middle East Studies Minor

In 2017, NU-Q launched a Middle East Studies minor in their Liberal Arts program. From 2017-2019, four of the seven members of the NU-Q’s Middle East Studies committee included anti-Israel NU-Q professors Justin Martin, Ibraham Abusharif, Khaled Hroub and Sami Hermez.

Khaled Hroub, a Professor at NU-Q who taught the 2018 and 2019 course “Islamism & Politics in the Middle East,” has reportedly whitewashed the terror group Hamas.

Sami Hermez, an NU-Q Professor who taught the 2018-2019 NU-Q courses “Anthropology of Palestine” and “Advanced Topics: Violence/Power/Resistance,” has promoted a terrorist and demonized Israel.

All of the required reading for Hermez’s “Anthropology of Palestine” course was authored by anti-Israel professors, eight of whom were activists in or supporters of the BDS movement. One of the authors, Edward Said, has advocated for the “right of return,” a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.

Justin Martin, an Associate Professor at NU-Q, has mocked America’s suffering following the 9-11 terror bombings and demonized Israel. Martin has also broadcast his desire for Qatari funding to boost the BDS movement on U.S college campuses.

Ibrahim Abusharif was an editor and Treasurer of the Quranic Literacy Institute (QLI) from 1990 to 1998. The QLI “was allegedly part of a large web of organizations and individuals that were funding terrorist groups.”

QLI, along with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), and the Islamic Association of Palestine, was found to have funded Hamas militant activities and therefore liable for the death of David Boim, an American citizen killed by Hamas in the West Bank. This was later reversed as it could not be proven the funds were intended to be used to kill Boim.

The minor also required students to attend two guest lectures a year, chosen by the Middle East Studies Committee.

NU-Q - Student Internships in International Media

As of January 2020, third-year NU-Q Journalism and Strategic Communication students were required to intern for ten weeks at media or public relations firms, off-campus.

In 2019, students reportedly interned at international communication firms and news outlets in Washington D.C., New York City, London, Berlin, Stockholm and Doha.

As of February 2020, news outlets where NU-Q students have interned included: BBC News, TIME Magazine, Forbes, the Washington Post, National Geographic, the Guardian, National Public Radio (NPR), the Boston Globe, USA Today, Vox, the Financial Times, the Huffington Post and VICE

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Students also interned at sports outlets, including: Sports Illustrated and ESPN, as well as fashion outlets Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire.

NU-Q reported in 2012 that they were able to offer students residencies at prestigious media organizations “because of the high-level contacts that NU-Q faculty and staff have in the international media.”