‘Saudi Arabia’s Tentacles’

Thank you for writing about the seriousness of the Saudi funding of American textbooks, a situation that obviously would promote the Islamic global war against Western society – especially Israel and America. [“Saudi Arabia’s Tentacles,” Editorial, November 2, 2005]

According to Alyssa Lappen, an investigative reporter for FrontPage Magazine, the Saudis have spent $90 billion on education in the U.S. This should give us good reason to be concerned.

You rightly praise New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein for “barr[ing] the head of Columbia University’s Middle East Institute, Rashid Khalidi, from lecturing the city’s teachers on how to teach the Middle East.” But Mr. Khalidi remains in the Edward Said Chair at Columbia University, which receives money from the United Arab Emirates.

It was Edward Said who defined the goals of the Middle East Studies Association in North America, which is funded by U.S. taxpayers through the Title VI of Higher Education Act.

This is the Department of Education’s program for funding Middle East Centers and advanced student fellowships, which was established to “produce specialists to serve U.S. defense and security needs.”

The 2,600 member organization does exactly the opposite. It exists mainly to promote anti-Israel dogma, creating an environment of ideological terrorism that threatens Israel’s very right to exist. This hatred for Israel, the little Satan, carries over into a hatred for America, the big Satan.

Identifying the problem is important, but is not enough. Action must be taken. First, all Title VI taxpayer money should be withheld while a full examination is conducted as to how the money is being spent. As you suggest, schools must investigate whether Saudi propaganda is being taught in the classroom.

If discovery is made that such is the case, the teachers and books should be removed. There is no time for hesitation here. Serious measures are required to stem the tide of anti-Americanism now growing in America’s schools.

HELEN FREEDMAN
Executive Director
Americans For a Safe Israel/AFSI
Manhattan

‘For City Council’

In your endorsements for City Council, I was disappointed that Raquel Lacomba Walker, who is running on the Conservative line for City Council in District 20 in Flushing, Queens, was not mentioned. [Editorial, November 4, 2005]

Her opponent, Councilman John Liu, a Democrat, has proudly dismissed her as an unknown face in city politics, so up until now his reelection campaign has consisted solely of tearing down her promotional posters. However, she is a powerful voice for change to be reckoned with.

She is a strong advocate for keeping small businesses in New York, keeping taxes down, curtailing spending, improving the quality of education by promoting school choice and accountability, reducing crime by effective policing, preventing terrorism, and rejecting the moral bankruptcy of anti-war, anti-American elitists who undermine our efforts to spread freedom in the Middle East.

Moreover, she has focused on congestion and overdevelopment, major quality-of-life issues in the heart of overcrowded Flushing that have been neglected by Mr. Liu.

Standing up as the leading spokesperson against the massive $500 million Flushing Commons project, she has rallied the support of the Korean-American Small Business Association, Save Our Flushing Community, and other community groups and local merchant associations that have cried out in vain against big bankers, developers, and City Council bureaucrats stealing their living space, their livelihoods, and hard-earned money for their pet projects.

Now they have a popular voice that has grown loud enough to bring Mr. Liu out in public to take notice.

PHIL ORENSTEIN
Queens Village, N.Y.