Sheikh Zayed's legacy besmirched by Harvard slight

I write from Abu Dhabi, where last week the nation was overwhelmed with grief at the death of their leader Sheikh Zayed. I moved here over a year ago to take up a position at Zayed University, a women’s college founded by the Sheikh and named after him. It has been an extraordinary experience teaching young women who will be the future leaders in this nation, a nation that has developed more rapidly and with more social responsibility than perhaps any other in the world. It has also been a unique experience to live in a society led by someone who is sincerely and deeply respected. One of the reasons I left the U.S. and moved here was because of my growing apprehension about the direction in which George W. Bush and his advisors were taking the country. By contrast, the longer I live here and the more I learn about Sheikh Zayed’s policies, the more I have grown to respect him. Not only did he prove to be a visionary leader in the development of the United Arab Emirates, he funded a wide range of humanitarian projects throughout much of the world.

Consequently, I was also deeply saddened at his death last week. My sadness was further compounded by my disappointment in Harvard’s response to his gift several years ago to establish a chair in Islamic Studies. That a small group was able to besmirch the name of such an extraordinary leader is just one more example of behavior that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the U.S. That The Crimson would choose to act as a passive conduit of biased information without feeling the need to uphold any standard of journalistic integrity, is also extremely disappointing.

I feel honored to teach at a university named after Sheikh Zayed; I wish I felt as honored to be a graduate of Harvard University.

JACQUELINE ARMIJO

Nov. 9, 2004

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The writer is Assistant Chair of the Social and Behavioral Studies Department at Zayed University.