Will Oxford University give Hugo Chavez a honorary degree? Part II
By Aleksander Boyd
London 13.04.06 | Yesterday I reported about a conversation and email exchange I had with Alison Miles, Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor & Chancellor at Oxford University, regarding claims made by the Venezuelan Ambassador to the UK, Alfredo Toro Hardy, that an honorary degree would be confered upon Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. I did call the Ambassador's office in order to get his impressions on this matter. His secretary kindly informed me that it is one Kaveh Moussavi, from the Centre for Socio Legal Studies (CSLS), who is behind the initiative of giving away the accolade. How could I miss that? Mind you a visiting professor of the CSLS, William F. Pepper, was the convenor of the Human Rights Seminar, an otherwise noble enough enterprise, alas in this case it was nothing but a platform from where barking moonbats could influence gullible Oxford students on various topics.
Hugo Chavez addressed an audience in that venue. Tariq Ali, was another 'distinguished intellectual' of the seminar. But since no deed in favour of Hugo Chavez comes for free, William F. Pepper was rewarded with some $137.527,42 in 2003. It now surfaces that Mr. Moussavi who happens to have a rather interesting past and works in the very same centre that helped arrange the gig for Chavez in 2.002, plans to give him an honorary degree. Would that be Moussavi's ticket out of bankrupcy? One can only speculate, however as far as issues pertaining to Hugo Chavez are concerned, CSLS has proven to be a joint where intellectually dishonest and crooked individuals are willing to entertain Venezuela's tinpot dictator for a fee. In the past, I have sent four emails to Denis Galligan, director of CSLS, requesting an explanation regarding payments made by the Chavez regime to William F. Pepper, and how these conflict with the supposed integrity that the centre has. To date not one has been replied.
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