Following last week’s events at Goldsmiths College, Queen Mary student Tom Owolade has written on the failure of the Goldsmiths Feminist and LGBTQ Societies to stand with Maryam Namazie, and their expressions of solidarity with students responsible for the disruption. This article is cross-posted below, and all views are his own, and do not necessarily […]
Continue readingTag Archives: freedom of speech
Student groups side with ISOC against Maryam Namazie (Update: ISOC President resigns)
UPDATE 09/12/2015: Since the pledges of support for Goldsmiths Islamic Society (ISOC) from the Feminist and LGBT Societies, statements made by Muhammed Patel, the President of Goldsmiths ISOC, have come to light in which he refers to homosexuality as “a disease” and uses the phrase “fag lovers”. Following this, a statement has been released by […]
Continue readingStudent Voice: Macer Gifford speaks at UCL
Student Rights was pleased to report last month that University College London Union (UCLU) had reversed a decision to ban Macer Gifford from speaking on campus. Last night an event with Gifford went ahead, and he was able tell students about his experiences fighting Islamic State in Syria. Here, Kavar Kurda, the Head of UCL […]
Continue readingReport: Maryam Namazie Speaks at Warwick University
On Wednesday evening, Student Rights travelled to Warwick University to hear human rights campaigner Maryam Namazie address students. The event, entitled ‘Apostasy, Blasphemy and Free Expression in the age of ISIS’, discussed how the rise of extreme Islamist movements has suppressed human rights in the Middle East, and also focused on attempts to silence criticism […]
Continue readingHamza 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 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 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 […]
Continue readingHeriot-Watt blog highlights student misperceptions
In July, Student Rights’ new report ‘Preventing Prevent? Challenges to Counter-Radicalisation Policy on Campus’ highlighted how misunderstandings were driving student opposition to the Prevent strategy. A blog posted over the weekend by Heriot-Watt University Student Union (HWUSU) demonstrates many of these fallacies, and shows the extent to which students have failed to understand the policy […]
Continue readingPrime Minister addresses campus extremism in speech
Yesterday, the Prime Minister used a visit to Ninestiles School in Birmingham to give a speech addressing the challenges posed to the UK by extremism. In outlining the ideology espoused by Islamist extremists and detailing how it could be opposed, the Prime Minister touched on many of the issues Student Rights has sought to highlight […]
Continue readingNew Student Rights report examines challenges to Prevent
A new report by Student Rights has found that the government’s counter-radicalisation strategy, Prevent, is being prevented from functioning effectively due to widespread student opposition, despite significant concerns about on-campus extremism. ‘Preventing Prevent? Challenges to Counter-Radicalisation Policy On Campus’, released today, has recorded over 100 on-campus events each year since 2012 hosting speakers with extreme views or a history […]
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