Harvard May Spurn Gift on Grounds of Prejudice
Harvard University is considering whether to give back a $2.5-million gift that its Divinity School had received from the president of the United Arab Emirates, noting “extremely offensive” statements from a center that the president directs.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan leads the Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-Up, an Abu Dhabi-based organization that sponsors lectures and reports on Islam, Israel and the Arab world.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. June 6, 2003 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday June 06, 2003 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 65 words Type of Material: Correction
Harvard -- An item in the religion news briefs May 24 incorrectly said the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, leads an organization, the Centre for Coordination and Follow-up, that provided a $2.5-million gift to Harvard Divinity School. Al Nahyan established the center but does not direct it, and the $2.5 million came directly from him, not the center.
A group of Harvard Divinity School students and professors complained to Dean William A. Graham in March about the organization, saying the Zayed Center’s Web site contained anti-Semitic and anti-American material.
The Harvard Crimson reported that links on the Web site lead to the writings of Holocaust deniers.
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