A small item in the press a few days ago reported that Prince Ibn Al-Walid of Saudi Arabia had donated 10million dollars to the American University in Cairo to establish a department or centre of American Studiesthere. It should be recalled that the young billionaire had contributed an unsolicited 10 million dollars toNew York City shortly after the 11 September bombings, with an accompanying letter that, aside from describingthe handsome sum as a tribute to New York, also suggested that the United States might reconsider its policytowards the Middle East. Obviously he had total and unquestioning American support for Israel in mind, but hispolitely stated proposition seemed also to cover the general American policy of denigrating, or at leastshowing disrespect, for Islam.