 In
the Factor Follow-Up segment tonight, an update on Professor
Sami Al-Arian of the University of South Florida. That's the
subject of this evening's Talking Points memo.
As you may know,
Professor al-Arian appeared on The Factor in September.
We took him to task for two things. He said in a speech,
"Death to Israel." And he brought a man named Ramadan
Abdullah Shallah into the university system. Subsequently Shallah
became the leader of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Talking Points
has two concerns right now. Number one, that Professor Al-Arian is
being paid by the taxpayers of Florida, and continues close ties to
terrorists. Number two, that al-Arian did fund raising for
terrorists while employed by the university.
After my interview
with him, all hell broke loose, and USF ultimately recommended his
termination, which al-Arian is appealing.
We said he should not
be fired unless the fund-raising charge was confirmed. Well, here
it is. In 1995, a suicide attack by two Palestinian Islamic Jihad
members killed 21 Israeli soldiers.
Soon after that, while
he was teaching at USF and being paid by Floridians, he wrote a
fund-raising letter to a wealthy businessman in Kuwait which said, in
part,
| "The latest operation
carried out by two mujahideen who were martyred for the sake
of God is the best evidence of what we, the believing few, can
do. You are well aware that this movement, represented
by Hamas and the Jihad, is being threatened by the enemy.
The movement's financial situation is very difficult, and it
cannot fulfill its responsibilities towards the martyrs and
prisoners. I call upon you to extend true support to the
Jihad effort in Palestine so that operations such as these can
continue." |
So there you have it,
a fund-raising letter by Professor Sami Al-Arian in support of terror
groups. Say goodbye, professor, because you're gone.
And that's the memo.
March 3, 2002
|
