By Cassy Fiano
In case you’ve been thinking that the one thing the United States is really missing to make us truly great is sharia law, then fear not. Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is here to change that, pledging $32 billion to promote Islam and sharia law in America.
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a senior member of the Saudi royal family, announced that he will be giving away his entire $32 billion fortune to charity–but his past statements and commitment to promote Islam in the United States have raised red flags for some.
Alwaleed Philanthropies’ statement regarding the prince’s intentions indicates his donation would “help build bridges to foster cultural understanding.”
“Philanthropy is a personal responsibility, which I embarked upon more than three decades ago and is an intrinsic part of my Islamic faith. With this pledge, I am honoring my life-long commitment to what matters most – helping to build a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world for generations to come,” says Prince Alwaleed.
Alwaleed is CEO of the Saudi investment conglomerate Kingdom Holding Company and has large stakes in Citigroup, Apple, Twitter, General Motors, 21st Century Fox, Euro Disney, and other companies, according to the Huffington Post. He has been called Saudi Arabia’s Warren Buffet.
Investor’s Business Daily notes that Alwaleed has extensive ties to Muslim Brotherhood leaders. “For example, he tapped ‘tele-Islamist’ Tariq Al-Suwaidan, widely reported to be a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, as the channel director of his Islamic religious TV outlet Al Risala.”
… In 2005, the prince contributed $40 million to expand Islamic studies in the United States. Twenty million dollars went to Harvard to create a campus-wide Shariah law studies program, while another $20 million was pumped into Georgetown University for a “Muslim-Christian understanding” program.
In his statement released earlier this week, Alwaleed indicates that he plans to model his philanthropic work after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The money will go towards “supporting needy communities, through health promotion, eradication of diseases, provision of electric power to remote villages and hamlets, building orphanages and schools, and much more, as well as providing disaster relief and empowering women, youth and poverty alleviation.”Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, commented: “Prince Alwaleed’s generous commitment promises to significantly extend the great work that his foundation is already doing. His gift is an inspiration to all of us working in philanthropy around the world.”
Anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller sees Alwaleed’s generosity as a Trojan Horse, believing the money will primarily go towards what she calls the “Islamization of America.”
There is no reason that we should accept this money, as Islamic terrorism has already made an indelible mark on this country, and sharia law would simply promote more terrorism. Add in the fact that Saudi-funded mosques are already working to instill sharia law and it’s obvious that not only is this donation needless, it’s dangerous — we don’t need backwards, violent, misogynist laws dictating anything in our country.