Phyllis Chesler was abruptly disinvited to speak on the horrors of honor killing at a symposium hosted by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

A feminist scholar who has been critical of the silence from other feminists on the abuse of women in Islamic societies, Chesler's topic was "Worldwide Trends in Honor Killings.”

The talk was to be delivered at an April conference entitled “Violence in the Name of Honor: Confronting and Responding to Honor Killings and Forced Marriage in the West.”

Hosting the event were the university law school and the Saudi-funded King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies.

The King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Arkansas, according to its website, was established with a contribution of $20 million from the Saudi government in the 1990s. It is part of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Speakers included officials from law enforcement and a woman described as a survivor of attempted honor violence. The focus seemed to be on honor violence in the west. It is an interesting event to be sponsored by the King Fahd Center and the last-minute withdrawal of an invitation to a feminist scholar who has been outspoken on Islamic violence against women has certainly brought some excitement to a sleepy corner of academia.

The Daily Caller gives some behind the scenes information on the rescinding of the invitation:

The Fayetteville campus is home to a Muslim Students Association, which reportedly is funded by the Saudi government. The emails, according to the Daily Caller, indicate that the organization was rallying against the Chesler appearance.