Yesterday, the government launched its Counter-Extremism Strategy, which included the expectation that the National Union of Students (NUS) “avoid providing a platform for extremist speakers”. This follows a week in which NUS officers have toured the country spreading misinformation about Prevent, and shared platforms with a CAGE official at a number of events. They have […]
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Hamza Tzortzis at Oxford Brookes University
Last week Hamza Tzortzis, a senior member of the Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), appeared at Oxford Brookes University. Student Rights has been monitoring extreme speakers on UK campuses since 2009 and has logged a significant number of events featuring Tzortzis, who has a history of intolerant statements. On apostasy, he has said: “If […]
Continue readingNietzsche Society poster uses racist imagery
While students have traditionally been very good at challenging the presence of the far-right on their campuses, Student Rights has continued to document racist or fascist activity. We have reported on attempts at campus infiltration by the neo-Nazi group National Action, and attempts to set up British National Party front groups by party activists. This […]
Continue readingControversial anti-gay activist speaks at Dundee University
Tackling extremism on the UK’s university campuses has featured heavily in the public debate in recent weeks, with guidance provided by the government requiring institutions to: “…ensure they have proper risk assessment processes for speakers and ensure those espousing extremist views do not go unchallenged.” While there has been a focus on Islamist speakers, it […]
Continue readingNUS President denounced for cutting ties with CAGE
A number of activists within the student movement have signed an open letter denouncing the National Union of Students (NUS) President Megan Dunn for issuing a statement pledging to cut NUS ties with CAGE. Following Dunn’s claim that “working with Cage would not be compatible with the NUS’s policies on ‘anti-racism, anti-fascism and how we […]
Continue readingStudent Voice: Free speech and the alienation of Israeli students
The limits of freedom of expression on campus, and the difficulty in striking a balance between providing safe spaces and arenas for robust debate, have become increasingly pertinent issues in recent weeks. Here, King’s College London (KCL) student Emma Webb gives her take on how Israeli and Jewish students feel campus activism against Israel has […]
Continue readingPreventing Prevent at SOAS
CAGE Director of Outreach, Moazzam Begg, whitewashed his history of radicalism during a controversial student event at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) earlier this week. The former Guantanamo Bay detainee claimed that: “before Guantanamo and Bagram I wasn’t politicised”. This is stark contrast to what he told the FBI in 2002, when […]
Continue readingMaryam Namazie barred from Warwick University (Update: Warwick SU reverse decision)
UPDATE 28/09/2015: Following widespread coverage of this story the Student Union at the University of Warwick has changed its decision and allowed Namazie to speak. In a statement released over the weekend, the union has said that: “Warwick SU has a process for assessing any potential risks or legal issues associated with any external speaker, […]
Continue readingUniversity of Westminster diversity report released
In June, Student Rights spoke to the Sunday Times about a leaked report commissioned by the University of Westminster which had found serious concerns about the university Islamic Society. With the report being released this month, the story has now been covered in the Guardian, focusing on the society’s “ultra-conservative” views, as well as the […]
Continue readingGovernment outlines need to challenge campus extremism
The government has clarified that the legal duty for public bodies to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” will apply to universities from 21st September. This will put a legal requirement on institutions to have policies in place to challenge on-campus radicalisation, including at extremist events. Guidance […]
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