KUWAIT – Kuwait’s minister of the interior and members of the country’s parliament want officials at Kuwait University to take action against professors they believe to be supporting terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The Kuwaiti Parliament recently called on the minister of education to take action against several professors at the publicly funded university who stand accused of funneling money, weapons and fighters to the Islamic State and Al Nusrah Front, an Al Qaeda outfit, Al-Fanar Media reports.

The education minister told representatives the accusations lack proof and has resisted calls to suspend the men.

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The exchange follows claims by Kuwaiti minister of the interior Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled that the university is “promoting extremism,” and previous attempts by the parliament to condemn Sharia Law professor Shafi Al Ajami and others accused of raising money for extremist fighters in Syria, according to the news site.

“The U.S. Department of Treasury included the names of two Kuwait University professors, Al Ajmi and Hamid Al-‘Ali as ‘specifically designated global terrorists’ last August with an accusation of supporting and financing extremist groups in Iraq and Syria,” Al-Fanar Media reports.

The university’s teachers union is backing the accused and lashing out at parliament.

The Kuwait University Faculty Association believes the professors should get their day in court and denied that the university provides “a haven for extremism,” according to the news site.

“The Minister’s accusation distorts the image of the university and its professors and creates instability and vulnerability inside the university campus,” the association, which is accused of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, said in a statement.

The issue with extremist professors at Kuwait University is apparently nothing new.

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According to Al-Fanar:

An academic survey conducted in 2009 by the education faculty entitled “Kuwait University: An Environment for Fanaticism and Extremism” found that the fanaticism of professors reaches its peak in Sharia College, where extreme allegiance to tribes was common and almost 10 percent of professors were viewed as extremist in their religious and political views.

Salem Al-Kandery, an assistant professor at Sharia College, says the absence of a government role in social and humanitarian work gives Sharia professors additional status.

“Sharia professors enjoy a special status in society,” he said, “because of their specialization in Sharia and religion. With the absence of laws and governmental role in humanitarian work, a Sharia professor is a judge of religious, life, political, economic, and societal affairs.”

So it makes sense that Sharia professors at Kuwait University are quite hesitant to crack down on their colleagues.

Salem Al-Shemri, a professor of faith at the Sharia College at Kuwait University, told the news site that absolute proof of a faculty member’s support of terrorism should be established before taking action – evidence that’s critical “to maintain the integrity and independence of the university,” Al-Fanar reports.

Fellow Sharia professor Hussein Al-Saeedy thinks the university’s role is limited to enforcing its by-laws.

“Kuwait University is supposed to be an independent scientific entity which does not support any specific political or intellectual trends,” he told the news site. “The university has internal by-laws to deal with any infringement by any professor that misrepresents his role or image as a university professor.”

Conflicting reports suggest that between 100 and 400 Kuwaitis have joined the Islamic State. Kuwaiti chairman of the Syrian Committee for Human Rights, Waleed Safour, contends the Islamic State “was primarily financed by extremist parties in Kuwait.”