Georgetown University: At The Root Of Our Islamic Misperceptions

I recently attended a lecture at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Walid Phares was the lecturer and his presentation was quite informative. However, there I was left with a question I really wanted to ask. The people running the FAU lectures give out index cards on which members of the audience can write questions, but my question was not one chosen.

I then went to Plan B, which required my buying Dr. Phares's book, "The Coming Revolution." As I placed my book before him for his signing, I said, "I have to be honest. I bought this book so that I might ask you a question.

"Why is it," I asked, "that the CIA and the FBI come up with two totally different assessments as to the risk posed by the Muslim Brotherhood. The FBI tells us that they pose a very real threat. The CIA says they are rather benign. What's going on?"

Mr. Phares flashed a big smile and explained. "You must understand that the CIA and the FBI recruit from different pools of young people. FBI recruits come from a wider segment of American society. Their recruits come from a range of colleges and universities. The CIA selects from a smaller pool of colleges. They favors schools like Georgetown University where courses on Islam are taught by people who are essentially Islamists."

I trust I've written down correctly Dr. Phares's words. But, I do stand behind my memory of the essence of his brief remarks to me.

What this all seems to show is how the kind of education we get has such great importance. For you and me, it's important to know what's going on. For institutions such as the FBI and the CIA, it's critical.