Israel Matzav

Georgetown: Islam okay, Protestantism not

Georgetown University, which just seven months ago hosted the Fifth Annual Student Palestine Solidarity Conference, and which eight months ago accepted a $20 million donation from Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud to expand its Islamic studies department, has now ejected Protestant groups that have been ministering to Georgetown students for 'years,' according to an article in today's Washington Post. At least they're consistent. The next thing will be to impose a quota on Jewish students....

Georgetown's Protestant chaplaincy, part of the office of Campus Ministry, told the six outside Protestant groups Aug. 17 that they would no longer be allowed to reserve rooms for weekly meetings, use Georgetown's name or organize on campus without an invitation from a student. Between 100 and 300 students are active in the groups, which include Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, national organizations.

Georgetown spokesman Erik Smulson said yesterday that the Protestant chaplaincy had recently been reorganized -- including making one of its three part-time chaplains full time -- and wants more control over its on-campus ministries.

Protestant students make up about a fifth of the student body at Georgetown, and there had been "communication and coordination problems" with some members of the private ministries, Smulson said. "It was hard for Campus Ministry to keep track of them," he said.

Although other campus faith communities have affiliations with private groups, such as the Catholic group Knights of Columbus or the Jewish group Hillel, Smulson said each of them is overseen by a Georgetown faculty member.

But leaders and student members of the Protestant groups were angry yesterday and met at a Capitol Hill home to trade complaints.

They said various private Protestant ministry groups have been welcomed on campus on and off for decades, and only in the past couple of years -- with new leadership in the Protestant chaplaincy -- has their goodwill been called into question.

I guess the Protestant chaplaincy knows its (dhimmi) place a bit better than the 'outside' groups.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:36 PM