This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/3579

Brandeis University's Partnership With Hamas Linked, Al Quds University Underwritten By Ford Foundation

August 27, 2008

Brandeis University's Partnership With Hamas Linked, Al Quds University Underwritten By Ford Foundation

By WILLIAM MAYER and BEILA RABINOWITZ

August 27, 2008 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - Brandeis University, "America's first Jewish-sponsored university," is located in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Over the last few years the liberal educational institution has drawn unwanted attention and severe criticism [not to mention loss of funding through donations] due to poor choices made by the university, including the 2005 naming of Khalil Shikaki as a scholar at the school's Crown Center for Middle East Studies.

"Government wiretaps introduced at the trial of a Florida professor accused of operating the American wing of PIJ, Sami Al-Arian, show Mr. Shikaki distributed money in the West Bank for Al-Arian associates allegedly tied to PIJ...He is also the brother of the assassinated founder of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Fathi Shikaki, and a former director..." [source, "Concern Mounts Over Brandeis Professor's Ties to Islamic Jihad," http://www.nysun.com/national/concern-mounts-over-brandeis-professors-ties/25980 for additional information regarding Shikaki see, http://www.investigativeproject.org/article/336]

The university has also honored extreme anti-Zionist playwright Tony Kushner, awarding him an honorary doctorate degree and extended in 2007 an invitation to former President Jimmy Carter to discuss his controversial book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."

Even with this as background it is still suprising that Brandeis would have initiated a long-term and intimate relationship with the radical Al Quds University located in Jerusalem.

It is common knowledge among counter-terror experts that Al Quds is a hotbed of Hamas support and activity to extent that it hosts the Abu Jihad Martyrs Museum, a celebration of Palestinian terrorism.

According to a 2007 report by Palestinian Media Watch:

Al Quds hosts student branches of Hamas and Islamic Jihad on campus.

Campus activities honor terrorists, past and present.

Campus activities advocate terror as legitimate "resistance."

Al Quds University property is used for Hamas assemblies.

Al Quds administration members join in terror group events on campus.

Al Quds university participates in and sponsors off campus activities honoring terrorists. [source, http://www.pmw.org.il/USAID.html]

The university's original organizing board of trustees included the Grand Mufti of Al Aqsa, Ekrima Sabri, a defender of the practice of child suicide bombing.

As described by Brandeis, "the principal goal of the Brandeis/Al-Quds partnership's Administrative Exchanges is to build Al-Quds University's administrative capacity. Through a series of personnel exchanges between the two universities, Al-Quds administrators are studying Brandeis operations and developing strategies to strengthen Al-Quds systems and operations. These exchanges comprise three distinct project areas: Administration and Finance, Effective Teaching, and Communications. A fourth project area in Continuing Education began to take shape in 2008."

One of the participants in this program is Mustafa Abu Sway, listed by Brandeis as, "the director of the Islamic Research Center at Al-Quds University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange." He is also a "faculty presenter" at Brandeis' Shusterman Center for Israel studies. [source, http://www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter/SIIS/facultyIsrael.html]

Abu Sway's curriculum vitae however extends far beyond the above inoffensive description. He is an Associate Professor and former Director of the Islamic Research Center at Al-Quds University. According to the Israeli Embassy, Abu Sway is a Hamas activist.

In an article entitled "Hamas in Florida Classroom" Dr. Daniel Pipes reveals that Abu Sway was, "a board member and raised funds for two Jerusalem-based Hamas-related organizations, the Heritage Committee and the Foundation for the Development of Society. The Israeli government shut down both organizations in February 2003." [source, http://www.danielpipes.org/article/1487]

Pipes also noted that he has, "worked with the Palestinian "Charity Coalition" that includes such organizations as Al-Aqsa Foundation of South Africa and France's Comité de Bienfaisance et de Secours aux Palestiniens. Both are known as Hamas fund-raisers which have had their assets frozen by the American government." [source, ibid]

When Abu Sway was asked, what in your opinion is the difference between the violence of defending one's rights and terrorism?" Abu Sway replied, "...the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves...Under these conditions. I think that one would only expect that Palestinians would do something about it". "Now what is the difference between violence and terrorism?...But ultimately , if one targets the military force of the occupier..." [source, http://www.americanmuslim.org/17palestine17a.html, note page has since been removed by AmericanMuslim.org but is available in archived format]

In addition to having Hamas activist Professor Abu Sway on their faculty, Al Quds maintains the Abu Jihad Center for Political Prisoners (sic) Affaris," described on the university's website as, "the center is named after the code name for Mr.Khalil Al-Whazir one of the founders of the Palestinian National Liberation movement (Fateh) and a martyr of the Palestinian revolution." [source, http://www.alquds.edu/centers&institutes/acppa.php]

Helping to encourage the relationship between Brandeis and Al Quds is the Ford Foundation which has provided funding for the program through 2009.

"The partnership was awarded another grant by the Ford Foundation to carry project activities through December 2009. More recently, activity has focused on effective teaching and learning projects, led by a team of Brandeis and Al-Quds faculty from across disciplines. Brandeis and Al-Quds University faculty are working together on issues of assessment, pedagogy, and curriculum development." [source, [http://www.brandeis.edu/aqu/en/about.html]]

Brandeis' outreach to Al Quds is extraordinarily ill-considered, antithetical to everything that Brandeis claims to stand for. This is made especially compelling given the university's Jewish roots and its motto which is, "Truth even unto its innermost parts." This exchange has already caused substantial harm, providing undeserved legitimacy to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups. It also serves as a conduit, allowing people of the ilk of Mustafa Abu Sway access to the American university system, delivered with Brandeis' seal of approval.

This program has no place at Brandeis or any American university. It must cease. http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=brandeisid=8.27.08%2Ehtm

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http://www.brandeis.edu/aqu/en/admin/ET-exchangeDescr.html

Al Quds University/ Brandeis University Partnership

Effective Teaching

Exchange Description

This project brings together key administrators and faculty members to address the question of improving the quality of Al-Quds and Brandeis faculty members' teaching and research. Successful outcomes have included two workshops in 2007-08, as well as the establishment of a new Committee for the Support of Teaching at Al-Quds University.

In May 2006, Sue Lanser and Elaine Wong visited Al-Quds University to begin planning a larger exchange involving faculty and senior administrators from Brandeis and Al-Quds.

Six faculty members from Al-Quds visited Brandeis in October 2006 to launch partnerships with Brandeis faculty members, develop new pedagogical strategies, plan for Al-Quds teaching workshops, identify future research collaborations, and develop "teaching effectiveness" action plans.

Said Zeedani, assistant to the president for Academic Affairs at Al-Quds, visited Brandeis in April 2007 to continue planning for future exchanges and teaching workshops.

In October 2007, Sue Lanser, Elaine Wong, Marya Levenson, and Robert Lange visited Al-Quds to co-lead an Effective Teaching Workshop and conduct individual meetings with Al-Quds faculty members. Topics included pedagogy and orientation for new faculty.

This program was followed by two-day workshop in May 2008 that focused on assessment of student performance, led jointly by Brandeis faculty (Sue Lanser, Elaine Wong, Derek Isaacowitz, and Daniel Kryder) and the new Al-Quds Committee for the Support of Teaching. Several potential curricular and research collaborations were also discussed in English Language, Psychology, and Political Science.


Dan Terris, associate vice president for global affairs, and Said Zeedani

Click here to read the report of the Effective Teaching Exchange (May 2006).
Click here to view pictures and an overview of the October 2008 workshop
Click here to view pictures and an overview of the May 2008 workshop

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http://www.brandeis.edu/aqu/en/admin/ET-participants.html

Effective Teaching

Project Leaders:

Marty Wyngaarden Krauss is the provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs and the John Stein professor of disability research at Brandeis University. She is co-directing the Effective Teaching exchange with Said Zeedani. She hosted Al-Quds University delegates to Brandeis in September 2004 and June 2005.

Said Zeedani is the assistant to the president for academic affairs at Al-Quds University. He is co-directing the Effective Teaching exchange with Marty Krauss. He hosted Brandeis University delegates to Al-Quds in December 2005, October 2007, and May 2008. He visited Brandeis in April 2007 and was the Al-Quds faculty leader for the Summer Institute in Turkey in August 2007.

Exchange Visitors:

Motasem Hamdan is assistant professor of health policy and management at Al-Quds University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and visited Brandeis in 2006 as part of the exchange.

Omar Abu Humos is a professor of English Language at Al-Quds University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and visited Brandeis in 2006 as part of the exchange. He also hosted delegations at Al-Quds in October 2007 and May 2008. He is currently working with Sue Lanser and Elaine Wong on curriculum development and exchanges in English Language. Prof. Abu Humos is a member of the Al-Quds Committee for the Support of Teaching.

Derek Isaacowitz is associate professor of Psychology and of the Volen Center for Complex Systems at Brandeis University. He was a member of the Brandeis delegation that developed and facilitated the May 2008 workshop on student assessment. Dr. Isaacowitz also met with several faculty in psychology and health policy and is developing potential research and curricular collaborations with these departments.

Daniel T. Kryder is associate professor of Politics at Brandeis University. He was a member of the Brandeis delegation that developed and facilitated the May 2008 workshop on student assessment. He is also discussing potential collaborations with Al-Quds faculty in political science, history, and area studies.

Bob Lange is associate professor of Physics. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and the Science Education Exchange and hosted Al-Quds delegations in spring and fall 2006. He visited Al-Quds in October 2007 to further develop partnerships in the sciences. He continues to advise on the Effective Teaching workshop, mentoring program, and exchanges.

Susan S. Lanser is a professor and chair of the Women's Studies Program at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and traveled to Al-Quds University in May 2006 to further plan the exchange. She hosted Al-Quds University delegates in October 2006. She is co-leading this phase of the Effective Teaching exchange, including developing the effective teaching workshops, a mentoring program, and English Language exchanges.

Marya Levenson is the director of the Education Program at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and traveled to Al-Quds in October 2007 to co-lead the Effective Teaching Workshop. She will be co-leading the next phase of the workshop, mentoring program, and exchanges.

Mousa Abu Teir is the chair of the Physics department at Al-Quds University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and visited Brandeis in October 2006 as part of the exchange. He also hosted the Brandeis Effective Teaching group in October 2007 and May 2008.

Elaine Wong is the senior associate dean of arts and sciences at Brandeis. She participates in the Effective Teaching exchange with Susan S. Lanser and Said Zeedani. She traveled to Al-Quds University in May 2006, October 2007, and May 2008; she also hosted the Effective Teaching delegation in 2006. She is co-leading this phase of the Effective Teaching exchange, including developing the effective teaching workshops, a mentoring program, and English Language exchanges.

Exchange Hosts:

Taisir Abdullah is professor of psychology and director of West Bank activities at the Child Institute of Al-Quds University. He hosted Brandeis delegations to Al-Quds in October 2007 and May 2008, and he is currently working with Derek Isaacowitz on exchanges in pyschology.

Mark Auslander is Assistant Professor in Anthropology and Director of the Interdisciplinary M.A. Program in Cultural Production. He has participated in the Effective Teaching exchange, as well as the American Studies Exchange. He hosted Al-Quds delegations of students and faculty in March and October 2006.

Sarita Bhalotra is assistant professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Christine Bishop is human services research professor, director of the Ph.D. Program and holds the Atran Chair in Labor Economics at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Bulbul Chakraborty is professor of Physics and chair of the Physics department at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Peter Conrad is Harry Coplan Professor of Social Sciences at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Saker Darwish is associate Professor of Physics at Al-Quds University. He is co-leading the next phase of the Effective Teaching Exchange and coordinated the May 2008 workshop. He hosted Brandeis delegations in October 2007 and May 2008.

Jonathan Decter is assistant Professor and Edmond J. Safra Professor of Sephardic Studies at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and hosted visiting Al-Quds faculty in fall 2006.

Omar Dhaher is an instructor in the Computer Science department at Al-Quds University. He participates in the Effective Teaching.

Dian Fox is professor of Spanish, Comparative Literature, and Women's Studies at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Greg Freeze is the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of History and associate dean of graduate studies. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Thara Fuller is the experiential learning coordinator in the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Laura Goldin is assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program and internship director for the Environmental Studies Program. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Maria Green is assistant professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Perry Hanson is the vice president and vice provost for libraries and information technology at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange, and co-directs the Administration and Finance Exchange.

Tim Hickey is professor and chair of Computer Science and chair of the Internet Studies Program at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and hosted visiting Al-Quds faculty in fall 2006.

Joseph Lumbard is an assistant professor in Classical Islam at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and hosted visiting Al-Quds faculty in fall 2006.

Najah Manasra is the acting director for the Insan Center for Gender Studies and Research at Al-Quds University. She participates in the Effective Teaching exchange and visited Brandeis in fall 2006 to meet with Brandeis faculty, students, and administrators.

Bashir Martin is in charge of the AmeriCorps and VISTA programs in the division of student life at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

A.K. Nandakumar is professor of the practice at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and the Health Policy Exchange, and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2005, spring 2006, and fall 2006. He visited Al-Quds University in 2006.

Marisol Negron is Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Latino Studies. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Nancy Nies is director of English as a Second Language programs at Brandeis. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Jessica Paquin is the academic internships administrator at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Dan Perlman is Associate Professor of Biology. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Cynthia Phillips is program coordinator for Information Technology Management and Software Engineering and an instructor in the Rabb School of Continuing Studies. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Vardit Ringvald is professor of Hebrew and director of Hebrew and Arabic Languages at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Azadeh Samadani is assistant professor of Physics. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Sara Shostak is assistant professor of Sociology. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Richard Silberman is assistant provost at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Dawn Skorczewski is director of University Writing and associate professor of English and American Literature. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Sybil Smith is executive director of the Rabb School of Continuing Studies at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Melissa Stimell is associate professor of the practice in Legal Studies and internship director for the Legal Studies Program. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Mustafa Abu Sway is the director of the Islamic Research Center at Al-Quds University. He participates in the Effective Teaching exchange.

Stan Wallack is professor and executive director of the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange and hosted an Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006.

Sue Wawrzaszek is chief university librarian at Brandeis University. She participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange, the administration and finance exchange, and the American Studies Exchange and has hosted Al-Quds delegations in spring and fall 2006.

David Wedaman is associate director of research and information Services at Brandeis University. He participates in the Effective Teaching Exchange, the Administration and Finance Exchange, and the American Studies Exchange, and hosted Al-Quds delegations in spring and fall 2006.

Stephanie Gerber Wilson was the special projects manager at the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public life. She managed the Brandeis/Al-Quds partnership and hosted the Al-Quds delegation in fall 2006. She is currently the assistant director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies.

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MIM: Hamas activist Mustafa Abu Sway is a faculty presenter for The Shusterman Center for Israel Studies.

Schusterman Center for Israel Studies > About

Our Mission


The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, founded in 2007, is dedicated to promoting exemplary teaching and scholarship in Israeli history, politics, culture, and society at Brandeis University and beyond. The Center is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the modern State of Israel by training a new generation of scholars and teachers, building a vibrant academic community, and supporting research, publications, and conferences. It seeks to make Brandeis a hub for nurturing and catalyzing Israel Studies.

http://www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter/about/index.html

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http://www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter/SIIS/facultyIsrael.html

Schusterman Center for Israel Studies > Summer Institute for Israel Studies

Select Faculty Presenters in Israel


Mustafa Abu Sway
is Associate Professor and former Director of the Islamic Research Center at Al-Quds University. Prof. Abu Sway also served at the University as the Coordinator of the MA Program in Contemporary Islamic Studies. He was Associate Professor and head of the Department of Philosophy at the International Islamic University Malaysia and taught at Boston College and Bethlehem University. Prof. Abu Sway was also a Visiting Fulbright Scholar-in –Residence at Florida Atlantic University. His areas of expertise are Islamic philosophy and epistemology and studies on Al-Ghazzali and he is the author of many publications including Islamic Education Textbook for Seventh Grade, Islamic Education Textbook for Eleventh Grade, and Islamic Culture. Prof. Abu Sway has a B.A. in English Literature from Bethlehem University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Boston College.

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For more on Abu Sway see:

So Happy to Have Hosted Hamas -Florida Atlantic University thanks Fulbright for bringing Hamas activist Mustafa Abu Sway to their campus http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/60

Mustafa Abu Sway - Affiliations to Hamas leaders Hasan Yousef , Sheik Jamal Hamimi, and Al Aqsa Imam Ekrima Sabri , via PASSIAhttp://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/24

Hamas peacenik Fulbright prof Abu Sway :"give non violent resistance a general chance to prove whether it is a valid or invalid method" http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1651

This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/3579