Blog Index

This Saturday, a ‘Call of Duty’ Dawah training course taught by Subboor Ahmed, a member of the Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), will take place at the group’s London offices. Held in association with the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS), this event was also promoted by London Metropolitan University Islamic Society. It will be followed ...

UPDATE 27/01/2015: A further incident of anti-Muslim graffiti has been uncovered at the University of Birmingham, with a message reading “Kill Islam before it kills you” discovered in the ladies toilets of the Guild of Students. That a second incident has followed the first so quickly is deeply concerning, and the university authorities must act to ...

With the Spring Term barely underway after Christmas at many universities around the country, Student Rights has already logged a number of events featuring extreme or intolerant speakers. As well as tonight’s event at SOAS, this week has seen Wasim Kempson, who has publicly expressed support for a convicted terrorist, invited to speak at the university. Meanwhile, ...

Entitled ‘The Rise of ISIS: Origin and Reality’, an event at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) on Friday will feature speeches by Abdullah Al-Andalusi and Muhammad Dilwar Hussain. Given their previous output on the subject, it is likely that the speakers will focus on blaming the West for the group’s rise and attraction ...

The response to the recent targeting of London South Bank University (LSBU) Islamic Society’s Facebook page with anti-Muslim messages highlights how online hatred can be dealt with. On 1st January Student Rights found an individual had posted publically on two links shared by the Islamic Society, claiming that “Islam is a cancer” and “All Muslims just ...

This weekend the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), an organisation with a history of support for violent extremists, was due to hold a conference on Islamophobia at Birkbeck College. However, the event has now been forced to relocate after far-right extremists threatened to target the event. The conference details were publicised on the far-right Casuals United blog, ...

This weekend the charity Helping Households under Great Stress (HHUGS) will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a gender segregated event at an unannounced London venue. Promoted on Facebook by the Islamic Societies at Kingston University and the University of Westminster, this shows how online networks can expose students to extreme groups and individuals. HHUGS encouraged people to ...

The announcement last week by the Home Secretary of new measures to combat extremism on campuses was welcomed here at Student Rights. Theresa May confirmed new laws will make dealing with extremist speakers a legal duty for universities and colleges, ensuring it is taken seriously by institutions. However, as media attention moves on, Student Rights continues to ...

With the issue of extremist speakers on university campuses in the news, tonight the former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson will speak at the University of Oxford. Originally due to address the Oxford Union on 23 October before being returned to prison, Robinson’s invite has caused controversy, with anti-fascist groups calling for him to ...

The announcement today from the Home Secretary of new powers designed to challenge the ability of extremists to target students is welcome evidence that the issue is being taken seriously. A bill due to be published on Wednesday will mandate that universities, as well as schools and colleges, have policies in place to deal with the ...

Three events over the next week at Durham University, the University of Northampton, and Cardiff University, highlight the ease with which extreme speakers can find platforms on campus. These events, interfaith debates on a variety of topics, all advertise speakers with a history of intolerant views. The first event, this Friday at Durham University, features Yusuf Chambers ...

On Tuesday it was reported that an event called ‘Criminalising Islam’, featuring several extreme speakers, would be hosted at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) on 14 November. Part of Islamophobia Awareness Month, the talk will see Sulaiman Ghani and Abdullah Al-Andalusi discuss the “movement all across the globe towards the criminalising of Islam…particularly ...

On 26th October the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS), an organisation which claims to represent mainstream Muslim students, hosted an online webinar featuring Dr Uthman Lateef. The webinar was promoted through the FOSIS London Twitter and Facebook accounts to students throughout the UK. It was further advertised on campuses through Facebook by student groups at Queen ...

It has been reported this week that the Edinburgh University Student’s Association (EUSA) has withheld a motion to ban the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) from holding events and advertising on campus after an SWP legal threat. Sponsored by the university’s Feminist Society, the motion also intends to prevent the spread of the SWP by refusing affiliation ...