Extremists target Birmingham campuses in the lead up to Christmas

Although students are already heading home for the Christmas holiday, extremists are still appearing on campuses. This was very much the case in Birmingham. Between 15 and 17 December, the University of Birmingham Islamic Society hosted controversial American preacher Abdul Nasir Jangda. According to the event description, Jangda gave a khutbah (sermon) as well as […]

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Extremist group ‘Sikh Youth UK’ targets students with anti-Muslim film

The extremist organisation Sikh Youth UK has showcased a film demonising Muslims as “predatory sex groomers”, and claims to have screened the film at a number of university campuses, including student societies at Coventry, Nottingham, Nottingham Trent, Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Brunel, Birmingham City, Birmingham and Aston. The documentary, entitled ‘Misused Trust’, contains the fictional account […]

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Yet more racist graffiti on UK campuses

here have been further examples of fascist and racist graffiti on UK university campuses this week, as a student bar at the University of Birmingham saw graffiti targeting ethnic and sexual minorities, as well as the disabled. The Birmingham University Guild of Students released a statement condemning the appearance of the graffiti, described on the […]

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Far-right referrals to Prevent highlight growing problem

An article in the Times on 20th November revealed a worrying rise in the number of neo-Nazi referrals to Prevent, the Government’s counter-radicalisation programme, which are overtaking Islamist-related cases in parts of the UK. While Islamist extremism is still the most common referral reason nationwide, with 2,810 cases making up 70% of those flagged, figures […]

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The Huffington Post: When It Comes To Anti-Semitism, The NUS Just Doesn’t Get It

With the release of the Home Affairs Select Committee’s (HASC) much publicised report concerning anti-Semitism in the UK, campus tensions facing Jewish students have once more become a pressing issue of public discourse. ​Amid the general rise of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK, the British press has notably covered alleged anti-Semitic behaviour within the National […]

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Home Affairs Committee report slams NUS leadership

Yesterday saw the release of the Home Affairs Select Committee’s (HASC) report into antisemitism in the UK, which included a significant section on campus antisemitism. While this section began by detailing the controversy around Oxford University Labour Club, as well as Baroness Royall’s report into the matter, the focus was on the National Union of […]

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Student Voice: Prevent and the NUS’ credibility gap on tackling extremism

Queen Mary student, Jacob Kishere, attended last month’s ‘Students not Suspects’ event at his university which saw NUS vice president, Shelly Asquith, criticised for encouraging students to ensure universities were unable to fulfill their legal duties around Prevent. Here, he gives his take on the positions taken by the speakers. All views are his own, […]

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NUS leadership accused of ‘antisemitic rhetoric’ by student leaders

The long-running controversy over past comments made by National Union of Students (NUS) President, Malia Bouattia, continued today with the release of an open letter signed by three NUS vice presidents and dozens of other student leaders. While Bouattia was not named in the letter, the signatories wrote that:“NUS’ Leadership has rightly come under increased […]

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New NUS President sparks further controversy

The new academic year has barely started, yet the new President of the National Union of Students (NUS), Malia Bouattia, has once again sparked controversy. During her time as NUS Black Students’ Officer, Bouattia infamously opposed a motion condemning Islamic State, and earlier this year 50 Presidents of Jewish student societies criticised her for previously […]

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