Terrorist-Linked Speakers Set to Appear at Georgetown Qatar Conference

Georgetown University’s upcoming conference at its Qatar campus is drawing fire for featuring speakers with known ties to U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. The “Reimagining Palestine” conference, scheduled for September 20-24, will include individuals linked to groups such as Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), raising concerns over the growing influence of radical ideologies on American academic institutions.

Several of the speakers at the event have not only been tied to terrorist groups but have also made openly anti-Semitic statements, including praising Hamas’s deadly October 7 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 Israelis and involved the kidnapping of civilians. Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hassan, known for his anti-Israel stance, will moderate the event.

Qatar’s Influence in U.S. Academia

Qatar, which has a long history of funding extremist ideologies, is the largest foreign donor to U.S. universities, contributing over $4.7 billion between 2001 and 2021. Georgetown University alone has reportedly received $870 million from Qatar since 2005. Critics argue that this financial backing is linked to the rising tide of anti-Semitism on U.S. campuses.

Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), explained, “Georgetown has long been under the sway of Arab state influence. The terror-sponsoring government of Qatar is a major funder.”

Speakers with Troubling Histories

Among the notable figures slated to speak is Wadah Khanfar, the former Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network, who has been linked to both Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. In a recent speech, Khanfar lauded Hamas's October 7 attack as a pivotal moment for the Palestinian cause. Khanfar has deep connections to radical Islam, having eulogized Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood who openly supported suicide bombings.

Another speaker, Shawan Jabarin, is a convicted member of the PFLP. Jabarin has a history of recruiting for the terrorist group and currently runs the NGO Al Haq, which was designated a terrorist organization by Israel due to its ties to the PFLP.

Isaam Younis, also on the speaker list, employs members of both Hamas and PFLP at his human rights organization, Al Mezan. Younis has appeared alongside Hamas leaders, including Yaya Sinwar, one of the masterminds behind the October 7 massacre.

The Role of Academia in Normalizing Extremism

Georgetown’s Qatar campus, located in Doha’s “Education City,” has come under increased scrutiny for hosting speakers who sympathize with or have direct connections to terrorist groups. One of these speakers, Khalid Al-Hroub, cast doubt on reports of Israeli women and children being murdered and raped during the October 7 attack, dismissing the information as inflated by Israeli sources.

In addition to Al-Hroub, the conference will feature others who have defended Hamas’s actions, including Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti, who called October 7 a “glorious day of historic proportion,” and plastic surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittah, who previously praised a Hamas terrorist involved in a deadly drive-by shooting.

Calls for Accountability

The controversy surrounding the conference highlights the broader issue of how terrorist-linked individuals are being given platforms under the guise of academic freedom. As U.S. universities continue to receive funding from foreign powers with ties to extremism, the integrity of higher education and the safety of Jewish students are increasingly called into question.

Northwestern University, which also has a Qatar campus, issued a statement condemning any attempt to misrepresent the brutal attacks on Israeli civilians but defended its commitment to academic freedom. Georgetown, however, has yet to comment on the growing backlash.

With the U.S. Senate pushing for more transparency on foreign funding in American universities, the role of Qatar in influencing academic discourse deserves closer scrutiny.

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