Sami Hermez
Overview
Sami Hermez has spread incitement, promoted and whitewashed terrorists and demonized Israel.Hermez is an activist with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and was affiliated with the Palestine Student Club (PSC) at Northwestern University - Qatar (NU-Q) in 2020.
As of November 2021, Hermez was the Academic Program Director of NU-Q’s Liberal Arts Program, as well as an associate professor of Anthropology. Hermez began teaching at NU-Q in January 2015.
In October 2020, Hermez tweeted that he was starting his “term as a member of the editorial board” of the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI).
As of June 2021, Hermez reportedly received a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University (NYU) in 2004.
Incitement
On May 7, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “This is how second intifada began. May this one bring more success. #SaveSheikhJarrah.”
The second intifada (2000-2005) was characterized by more than 120 suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians on buses and in cafes.
In May 2021, Palestinian violence erupted in anticipation of an Israel High Court ruling on eviction proceedings concerning over 70 Palestinian tenants illegally residing in Jewish-owned properties in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
Hermez attached another tweet that stated: “A number of Palestinians (unclear how many, @Qudsn_Brk gave figure of 5 a moment ago) injured by Israeli forces in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound this evening.”
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.
Incitement surrounding Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah were leading factors in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza at Israeli population centers from May 10 to 21, 2021. In response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel launched “Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW),” striking military targets in the terrorist-controlled enclave.
On May 10, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Wow! #SaveSheikhJarrah” and attached a tweet that stated: “والسيادة ع الشارع لمين؟ [And who controls the street?]” along with a video of a Palestinian exiting his car during a traffic jam, to rip an Israeli flag off a different car and then give the middle finger to another motorist.
A song playing in the background of the video stated, in Arabic, to “React! React! React! To the occupier, don't abandon al-Aqsa, Bomb! Bomb! Bomb!”
On May 12, 2021, Hermez tweeted, referring to the Arab citizens of Israel: “What’s beautiful about the mobilizations in 48 Palestine is that they remind you that Palestine does not end in the West Bank and Gaza. We tend to forget this when we focus on Gaza and/or the West Bank. #SaveSheikhJarraj.”
Hermez retweeted a May 14, 2021 tweet that stated: “كفر كنا، الجليل المحتل. #فلسطين_تقاوم [Kfar Kanna, the occupied Galilee. #Palestine]” along with a video of Palestinian rioters running through streets strewn with rocks, chanting: “be-ruh be-dam nifdik ya Aqsa! [With spirit (and) with blood we will redeem Al-Aqsa].”
The chant: “be-ruh be-dam nifdik ya Aqsaبروح ودم نفديك يااقصى [With spirit, with blood, we will redeem you, Aqsa]” can be heard [00:01:14] at anti-Israel rallies [00:02:19] in America. Yasser Arafat popularized the chant [00:00:23], which is invoked by anti-Israel protesters regarding a variety of causes.
On May 13, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Stop sounding like CNN. @AJEnglish this is not simply ethnic violence or violence against a minority. This is violence against the native. This is colonial violence between a colonizer and colonized. Say it: colonial. It won't kill you. #SaveSheikhJarrah.”
On May 17, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Here is what you can do tomorrow in support of the general strike all over historic Palestine. Start organizing. #BDS #PalestineGeneralStrike #InOurHands”
Hermez linked to a May 17, 2021 campaign on the BDS Movement website, in Arabic, hosted by The Palestinian National Committee for Boycott. The campaign called for an all-out strike, boycott groups and “all forms of popular struggle” against Israel and in support of the “popular resistance of our people” and “the blood of our martyrs.”
The campaign also called on Arab countries to “direct their rage” against Israel by opposing normalization and providing support for the ongoing Palestinian uprising.
Promoting Terrorists
On September 16, 2021, Hermez tweeted, referring to six Palestinian terrorists who escaped from the Gilboa prison: “What magnificent perseverance! Free all political prisoners!”On September 6, 2021, six Palestinian prisoners escaped from the maximum-security Gilboa Prison in northern Israel. Following a 10-day manhunt, all the escaped prisoners were recaptured and imprisoned by Israeli authorities.
The escaped prisoners were convicted members of the terror organizations Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the armed wing of Fatah, the main group in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
They were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in terror attacks carried out during the second intifada, which was characterized by more than 120 suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians on buses and in cafes.
On May 18, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “دعانك ما تكون يا باسل. الله يرحمك! [You embody your name, oh Basel. May Allah Have mercy on your soul].”
“Basel” in Arabic translates to hero, brave, fearless and intrepid.
Basel Al Araj was killed in a shoot-out with Israeli troops during an arrest raid. He had been suspected of belonging to a terror cell planning to carry out attacks on Israeli targets. Two M-16 assault rifles and an improvised Carlo-style submachine gun were found inside his home.
On April 6, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Shame the world will not act for a village.Remember Basel al-Araj,” and included a tweet that stated: “Hazem Jamjoum reviews ‘I Have Found My Answers’, the as of yet untranslated collected works of the Palestinian militant-scholar, Basel al-Araj — published posthumously in 2018 after his assassination by Israeli forces the previous year. “
On January 5, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Can someone make a cartoon of Ghassan Kanafani or Leila Khaled or others to counter the racism of @PBSKIDS for making one about Golda Meir? My kids had to endure this settler colonial whitewashing and we need fun anti-racist programming to counter these narratives.”
Golda Meir was the fourth Prime Minister of Israel and the first woman to hold that post.
Kanafani was a leading member and spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) during the terrorist organization’s early years. Kanafani announced the PFLP’s responsibility for the Lod Airport Massacre of May 1972 and was linked to the airport attackers. The attack killed 26 people and wounded 80 others.
Khaled is a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and participated in the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 in 1969 and El Al Flight 219 in 1970. As of 2017, Khaled was a member of PFLP's Political Bureau.
Khaled has said that the second intifada failed because it was not violent enough, advocated for the use of children in terror activities and compared Zionists to Nazis.
The PFLP claimed credit for the 2014 Har Nof Massacre where six people were murdered during morning prayers in a Jerusalem synagogue. The PFLP also claimed credit for the 2001 assassination of the Israeli tourism minister.
On September 23, 2020, Hermez shared the link to a “Conversation with Leila Khaled” Zoom event on Twitter, tweeting: “The organizers are asking us to please register for this event to show our support. Tweet this out and spread the word.”
Later that same day, Hermez tweeted: “That canceled Zoom event just went live at the below link. Zoom can try to suppress freedom of speech, but the people will triumph.” Hermez attached a tweet with the YouTube link to Khaled’s livestream.
Hermez added in the same Twitter thread: “If you want to see Zionists throwing a fit on Youtube, check out the above link.”
In September 2020, anti-Israel professor Rabab Abdulhadi co-organized an online “conversation” with Leila Khaled. Zoom canceled the planned live stream of the event, and Facebook followed Zoom’s lead. YouTube shut down the event after 23 minutes, stating that Khaled’s speech violated its policies with “content praising or justifying violent acts carried out by violent criminal or terrorist organizations.”
On March 27, 2007, Hermez wrote an article for the anti-Israel publication Electronic Intifada (EI), titled: “Judging Hassan Nasrallah.”
In his article, Hermez compared Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah terror organization, to pacifist Mahatma Gandhi, as well as to Nelson Mandela.
Hermez said: “We are critical of this leader based on media propaganda, a fear of Islam and repulsion to non-state violence (as if this is somehow worse than the state’s violence) — none of which are based on an understanding of Hizballah and its leader’s rhetoric, teachings or practices.”
In 2005, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah wished for the death of Zionist Jews as “the grandsons of apes and pigs.”
In 2002, Nasrallah said: “If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.” He also declared: “If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli.”
In his article, Hermez compared Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah terror organization, to pacifist Mahatma Gandhi, as well as to Nelson Mandela.
Hermez said: “We are critical of this leader based on media propaganda, a fear of Islam and repulsion to non-state violence (as if this is somehow worse than the state’s violence) — none of which are based on an understanding of Hizballah and its leader’s rhetoric, teachings or practices.”
In 2005, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah wished for the death of Zionist Jews as “the grandsons of apes and pigs.”
In 2002, Nasrallah said: “If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.” He also declared: “If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli.”
Whitewashing Terrorists
On May 24, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Israeli police/military bring guns to a knife fight, but only when the knife carrier is Palestinian. Should sound familiar if you live in the US.”
On May 24, 2021, Palestinian terrorist Zuhdi Muhannad Zuhdi al-Tawil stabbed and wounded an Israeli civilian and a soldier at a light rail station in Jerusalem before he was shot dead.
Hermez tweet included a tweet that said: “The zionist occupation shot a Palestinian, ‘claiming’ he was trying to carry out a stabbing attack in occupied al-Quds.” The tweet included a video of a person apparently being shot by police.
Hermez retweeted a May 16, 2021 tweet that said: “Reminder: Last week when a settler drove into Palestinians the IOF [Israel Occupation Forces] protected him.”
The tweet included a second tweet by anti-Israel agitator Mohammed El-Kurd that claimed: “The IOF shot & reportedly killed a man after his car crashed into a police car in Sheikh Jarrah. We expect increased police brutality & isolation from the city as the blockade of the neighborhood continues. Watch militarized police aim to shoot the press attempting to film.”
On May 16, 2021, a Palestinian driver rammed his car into a temporary police roadblock in Sheikh Jarrah, injuring seven Israeli officers. The attack was captured on video.
El-Kurd included in his Twitter post a video of the car-ramming that was edited to misrepresent the event.
On May 16, 2021, a Palestinian terrorist rammed his car into a police checkpoint in Jerusalem, injuring seven Israeli border police officers, before he was shot dead.
Hermez retweeted a May 10, 2021 tweet that stated: “عندما تكون الافعال متشابهة، لا تستغرب من وقوفهم مع بعض..#البحرين #فلسطين [When the actions are the same, do not be surprised that they stand together.# Bahrain # Palestine]” and included a New Press tweet that stated: “#شاهد: مستوطن يدهس عدد من المواطنين الفلسطينيين عند باب الاسباط بالقدس المحتلة [#Watch:A settler runs over a number of Palestinian citizens at the Lions Gate in occupied Jerusalem.].”
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
On May 16, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “One thing I don’t hear people call for anymore is an end to the siege in Gaza. The siege needs to end, not just this colonial aggression! It is #InOurHands #GazaUnderAttack #EndGazaSiege.”Israel and Egypt implemented a joint blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2007, to stop Hamas from acquiring more sophisticated rockets. The United Nations approved the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza in 2011.
On May 14, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Faculty at @NUQatar have released this statement on Palestine #ApartheidIsrael #Palestine.”
The tweet linked to a NU-Q Faculty members “Statement on Palestine” that Hermez signed, stating they have “watched with grave concern the events unfolding this week in Occupied Jerusalem, Gaza, and other Palestinian cities and communities, and wish to express their full support for the Palestinian people who are fighting against continued forced displacement and for their inalienable rights and dignity.”
The statement also claimed that the “undersigned faculty members...recognize Israel as perpetrating apartheid and persecution--both crimes against humanity in international law” and declared: “we commit to not engaging in any activities that would support or legitimize crimes against the Palestinian people.”
On April 17, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “When we talk about I̶s̶r̶a̶e̶l̶ it would be far better if it always appears with a strikethrough so we can have a discussion about its illegitimacy and rogue state status. This is perhaps one of the most basic, yet powerful, tools we have against normalization.”
On October 23, 2020, following the signing of the Abraham Accords, Hermez tweeted: “Sudan falls. A blow to the people's uprising!” and included a tweet that stated: “#BREAKING: President @realDonaldTrump has announced that Sudan and Israel have agreed to the normalization of relations— another major step toward building peace in the Middle East with another nation joining the Abraham Accords ”
On August 13, 2020, the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to a joint statement referred to as the “Abraham Accords” in which the UAE consented to formally normalize its relationship with Israel.
In September 2013, Hermez co-authored an article in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Journal of Academic Freedom, Volume 4, 2013, titled: “Boycotting Against Israel and the Question of Academic Freedom in American Universities in the Arab World.”
Hermez claimed: “The ethical claim against dealing with Israel rests on the fact that Israel continues to occupy Arab land (Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese) since 1967, to deny Palestinians their right to return to their homes, as legally bound under UN Resolution 194, and to practice a system of institutionalized discrimination (also known as apartheid) against Palestinian citizens of Israel.”
UN Resolution 194 defined principles for “returning Palestine refugees to their homes,” but was unanimously rejected by Arab nations following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
The BDS movement cites the UN resolution as the foundation for the “right of return,” which has been discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
In 2011, Hermez wrote an article titled “Understanding the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Movement Against Israel,” in which he claimed that “the Israeli occupation has developed into a pervasive system of apartheid, which includes checkpoints, the Wall…”
Israeli checkpoints were built to prevent terror attacks, such as suicide bombings, against Israel's civilian population.
Israel’s security barrier, 97 percent of which is a low chain-link barrier, was built as a deterrent to Palestinian terror attacks. The concrete portions of the fence were built in response to Palestinian sniper attacks.
Hermez concluded:“...it is time for conscientious people around the world to do more than pay lip service to the Palestinian struggle for justice and freedom, and to advocate and implement comprehensive boycotts against Israel’s apartheid policies.”
BDS Activism
On May 16, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “Italian dock workers refuse to load arms on a ship headed for Israel. Now we need a military embargo on #ApartheidIsrael altogether.”On May 11, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “You want something to do? You want more action and less words? Here you go! 5 actions you can take. #SaveSheikhJarrah.” Hermez linked to a tweet by the BDS movement promoting the cancelation of academic, cultural and sporting events in Israel, “declaring institutions #Apartheid Free Zones” as well as joining and generally promoting other BDS campaigns.
On May 7, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “If you're sitting on the sidelines, speak out against normalization, and mobilize a boycott campaign in your country. Check out http://bdsmovement.net for targets and get in touch for ideas. #SaveSheikhJarrah.”
On May 2, 2021, Hermez tweeted: “We need to be more proactive in Qatar about boycotting companies complicit in Israel's crimes. G4S is one such company. If you want to do more than pay lip service & support hash tags for Palestinian rights, let's build a campaign to stop G4S. Connect with @QAYON.”
As of April 2020, Hermez was listed as a signatory to a roster of individuals endorsing the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI).
In 2018, while a professor at NU-Q, Hermez signed a petition for USACBI, in which the signatories were asked to show support for the American Studies Association (ASA) and “for the right to engage in BDS organizing free of harassment, lawfare, and racist and colonial campaigns of intimidation!”
On October 30, 2014, Hermez was reportedly a panelist at a Teach-In For Gaza conference that was co-hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Johns Hopkins University (Hopkins) (Hopkins SJP).
The theme of the panel discussion for which Hermez reportedly served as a panelist was: “Boycott as Resistance and Academic Freedom.”
On January 29, 2014, in an article in the Middle East Monitor, Hermez was described as a member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
The article reported that Habima Theatre, Israel’s national theatre group, had previously performed at London’s Globe Theatre, where their performance was met with protests and calls for a boycott.
Hermez said: “We must think about the rights of academics alongside the right to live freely, and not hold academic freedom above the right to fight state oppression… We are also aware that individual academics or artists may feel pressure, but no struggle is without sacrifice, and we work closely with those academics and artists who are themselves struggling for Palestinian rights.”
Hermez continued: “What BDS does is put the Israeli state and its complicit institutions under pressure to disband its system of colonial and apartheid oppression or else it will find itself increasingly isolated, as apartheid South Africa did…”
In 2013, Hermez was part of a group that initiated the boycott of an academic conference at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Hermez signed a December 1, 2013 open letter urging the international academic community to boycott the June 2014 Oral History Conference organized by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The open letter read: “...We call on our colleagues to treat Israel exactly the same way that most of the world treated racist South Africa – as a pariah state.”
On May 10, 2013, Hermez was quoted in an Al Jazeera English (AJ English) article celebrating the decision of physicist Stephen Hawking to boycott a conference held in Israel.
Also on May 10, 2013, Hermez was featured [00:04:46] on an AJ English “Inside Story” episode, titled: “Boycotting Israel.” Hermez compared [00:15:47] Israel to apartheid South Africa, saying: “[Israel] is not a democracy; it never has beena democracy.”
Hermez went on to say [00:16:00] BDS called “for the Right of Return and for the right to end the Occupation.”
The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
Hermez closed [00:23:13] by praising the efforts on university campuses and among academic associations to push for divestment and [00:23:47] “actions to isolate Israel.”
On October 27, 2010, Hermez published an article in EI, titled: “Debunking pro-Israeli arguments against boycott.”
On March 15, 2010, Hermez wrote an article for EI in which he argued that artists who perform in Israel “would serve to rebrand Israel as a place of culture and peace, completely depoliticized, thereby whitewashing its continuing crimes” and emphasized “the progressive and moral nature of boycott.”
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.
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.
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 asa terrorist supporter.
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.
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."
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 theMuslim 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
.
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.”
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.”
BDS
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true.
One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”
Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”
In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”
The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.
BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.
The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.
Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.
BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.
- Status:
- Professor
- University:
- Northwestern-Qatar
- Organizations:
- BDS,
- PSC
- Related Profiles:
- Last Modified:
- 06/23/2025
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Infamous Quotes
“This is how second intifada began. May this one bring more success. #SaveSheikhJarrah.”
“Palestinians all over the world are oppressed by an Israeli Apartheid government…
“Can someone make a cartoon of Ghassan Kanafani or Leila Khaled or others to counter the racism of @PBSKIDS for making one about Golda Meir? My kids had to endure this settler colonial whitewashing and we need fun anti-racist programming to counter these narratives.”
“When we talk about I̶s̶r̶a̶e̶l̶ it would be far better if it always appears with a strikethrough so we can have a discussion about its illegitimacy and rogue state status. This is perhaps one of the most basic, yet powerful, tools we have against normalization.”
“What’s beautiful about the mobilizations in 48 Palestine is that they remind you that Palestine does not end in the West Bank and Gaza. We tend to forget this when we focus on Gaza and/or the West Bank”
“Israeli police/military bring guns to a knife fight, but only when the knife carrier is Palestinian. Should sound familiar if you live in the US.”
