Excerpt:
A UWO-affiliated college is caught in the crossfire of a decision to accept money from two Muslim groups -- one local, one international -- to help fund a new chair in Islamic studies. Critics contend there's a link there to violent jihadism and that the $2 million in funding could influence the school's courses and selection of its chair. Huron College insists neither is true.
WHAT CRITICS SAY
"The main crux of our concern is not that they are establishing a chair in Muslim studies -- in fact, we think it is urgent for the students at Western and the general public to have a better understanding of Islam. Our concern is for the particular funding of this chair," said Rory Leishman, a freelance journalist acting as a spokesperson for the UWO alumni and friends who signed a letter written by UWO professor John Palmer, urging Huron to turn down the funding.
According to 26 people who signed the letter, the problem is the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) supports a vision of Islam first outlined by a man named Hassan Al-Banna, who founded the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 and advocated jihad against those who don't follow Islam. This is based on a statement posted on MAC's website, which says "MAC adopts and strives to implement Islam, as embodied in the Qur'an, and the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and as understood in its contemporary context by the late Imam, Hassan Al-banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.