April 28, 2008
Griffith University - it's Australian for "Useful Idiots"
Let it not be said that Australian universities aren't fine institutions of learning, inclusive of people from all stations and walks of life.
Even if you happen to be a Jew-hatin', terror-supporting bigot!
My alma mater, Griffith University, seems to be either run by idiotic muppets or people who just don't give a shit. That's the only reasons I can think why they would accept a grant from the Saudi Arabian government to promote "moderate Islam".
Yes...you read that correctly. The Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University believes that the Saudis, Salafists to a man, have an interest in propagating "moderate Islam".
But the story gets wackier....the university chief decided to deny the claims that the money would be used to promote Salafism, Wahhabism and other forms of Islamist nutbaggery. In a rather disjointed piece O'Conner had discovered that what the Saudi government was interested in promoting was basically Unitarianism!
Well, Hallelujah!
'course, Unitarianism, a wishy-washy nearly-Deism espoused by the founding fathers of the United States has almost nothing in common with the religious situation in Saudi Arabia, and most Unitarians would be disgusted at the Saudi regime's treatment of women, non-Muslims and apostates, but damn the sandals of Allah if it doesn't sound great!
Unfortunately for all, it appears the VC was a little mistaken. Mainly because his defence of Saudi theology was pulled from Wikipedia. I guess plagiarism doesn't matter if you're not a student?
Stephen Crittenden goes into further detail on the stupidity of naiveté involved here. But basically, the only place Saudi Arabian money should go in Australia is down the toilet. Letting such a reactionary regime have any influence on religion in Australia is downright dangerous, particularly in the arena of Islamic studies. The Saudi government has been a pernicious, stifling and backward player in both the practice and study of Islam worldwide.
As Crittenden says, the Saudis aren't interested in moderating Islam. They are interested in international respectibility that comes with associating with Western academic institutions, and stifling of any real school of Koranic criticism that may otherwise have existed at Griffith.
Shame on O'Connor and shame on the university for ever considering this deal.
Posted by Quentin George at April 28, 2008 07:13 PM