By ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: An inappropriate choice of a photo to clarify a point by a visiting US academic led to the abrupt end of his lecture following the protest of the audience at Taif University on Tuesday.

The audience was deeply upset by the photo of a dog wearing a Saudi head dress, displayed by the professor from Ohio University who was lecturing on the impact of climate change on desert animals in the Kingdom, Al-Watan daily reported. After displaying a picture of a dog in the United States, the lecturer showed the photo of a dog living in the Saudi climate, wearing a Saudi shimagh and iqal.

The audience did not see eye to eye with the professor and considered the photo an insult to the Saudi culture. The professor apologized twice and said he did not mean anything degrading to the Saudi culture. He explained that the photo was given to him by a Saudi colleague, who took it from the Internet.

The lecture was sponsored by the Saudi Society for Life Sciences and hosted by Taif University.