Now Goldsmiths #LGBT Society Stands With Islamist Bullies
Thanks to released video footage, there can be no remaining doubt that Maryam Namazie was subjected to intimidation and general thuggish behaviour during her Goldsmiths University talk by members of The Islamic Society (ISOC). It’s now also clear that ISOC lied about what happened too.
Bizarrely, Goldsmiths Feminist Society then came out not in support of the minority female whom male ISOC bullies attempted to silence, but in support of the aggressors themselves. This catastrophic failure to reason had many asking: “Is it possible to be more morally confused than this?”
As if mistaking this rhetorical incredulity for a challenge, Goldsmiths LGBT Society released a statement in support of ISOC’s thuggish Islamists too. Amazingly, they did this after watching the video footage.
I carried out a quick search of ISOC’s social media pages. Any postings in support of LGBT or feminist issues eluded me, oddly. Apart from this event advertisement, in which they do my work for me by confirming Islam and feminism are mutually exclusive:
Maryam Namazie on the other hand, won’t shut up about gay and women’s rights.
Interestingly, any critical comments posted on the LGBT Societies Facebook page in response to this scandal were deleted, and their authors blocked. They explained this behaviour by saying:
‘We reserve the right to moderate the comments and all islamaphobic, racist or inflammatory comments will be removed’.
Here’s the comment that earned me a deletion and a block from posting any further comments:
‘Islamophobic’, racist or inflammatory? You tell me. Perhaps a gentleman who identifies as part of the very groups they claim to support may have better luck:
Sorry John-Paul, you were blocked and deleted too. Tone down your racism next time.
Unsurprisingly, President Of Goldsmiths Islamic Society, Muhammed Patel seems to take a rather unfavourable view on LGBT issues. As reported on Harry Matz’s Blog, Patel’s personal social media pages reveal he is a supporter of homophobic hate-preacher Haitham al-Haddad, who in his article titled ‘Standing up against Homosexuality and LGBTs’ had this to say:
“In order to combat the scourge of homosexuality Allah has ordained us to speak out, and that we should co-operate with others in righteousness and God-consciousness.”
And al-Haddad’s views on women are even worse. Please take a moment to absorb his abhorrent views on rape, domestic violence, FGM, female slavery and abortion – then ask yourself what type of person would choose to show solidarity with such an individual.
When al-Haddad was invited to speak at Westminster University, their LGBT Society petitioned against it. ISOC President Muhammed Patel shared a counter-petition demanding that al-Haddad be allowed to speak. Patel bemoaned the free speech ‘double standards’ of those that wished to have the talk cancelled – which is astounding hypocrisy when you consider he attempted to have Maryam Namazie disinvited.
Of course, this mere support doesn’t prove he endorses al-Haddad’s views on women and LGBT rights (although it would seem odd to openly support such a person), but elsewhere on his Facebook page, he also denigrates a Muslim woman as a ‘populist’ for standing up for gay rights. This, I’d suggest, is not indicative of a healthy attitude towards LGBT (or Feminist) issues.
UPDATE 8 December 2015: The below tweets are said to belong to Muhammed Patel, current president of Goldsmiths Islamic Society:
However, Goldsmiths Islamic Society did invite Hamza Tzortzis to speak in February. This is a man who links homosexuality to “sexual abuse of children, polyandry and cannibalism”. Again, not a great indicator of LGBT credentials.
These are the people and ideas the Feminist and LGBT societies at Goldsmiths are standing in solidarity with, all the while abandoning an ex-Muslim, Iranian minority female like Maryam Namazie – who relentlessly champions the very values they claim (and fail) to uphold.
The Goldsmiths Student Union has finally released a preliminary statement on the matter:
‘This matter is currently under investigation and we are not in a position to comment further. Goldsmiths SU are aware of a video that has been posted online without consent of the attending students, we have contacted the speaker and requested that this video is removed.’
It’s not surprising they would want this video removed. It shows the world the disgraceful way the ISOC Islamists have behaved, and shines a light on the other societies’ inability to stand up for basic human rights and decency. Maryam Namazie has refused the requests to remove the video. You can read her reasons here.
These people aren’t committed to human rights, they’re in love with identity politics – and they must never be seen to be criticising our Muslim ‘friends’, no matter what they do. Everything is ‘Islamophobic’, and that’s bad don’t you know.
Women and LGBT individuals would be the first to experience oppression or the express route from a rooftop were theocratic bullies of this kind able to grasp hold of any real power. You betray your oppressed brothers and sisters when you offer solidarity with fascism of this kind.
I’d encourage you to contact the university directly with your complaints about ISOC’s behaviour. It seems the LGBT and Feminist Societies aren’t up to the task.
Stephen Knight is host of The #GSPodcast. You can listen to The Godless Spellchecker Podcast here, and support it by becoming a patron here.
Very well said, thank you. As an old school feminist from the 80’s, I am appalled and shocked by the politics of the “feminist” and LGBT societies. Back then, we’d fight misogyny and woman-hating and not side with oppressors.
Me too. Who are these women who don’t put women’s concerns at the forefront of their movement?
Good work as always Stephen. You probably should have tagged this with Regressive Left as well. It’s yet another stark and frightening example of how the Left is becoming its own worst enemy.
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. What is going on? Where did this generation fall down at? Why are these groups self destructive? They’re basically committing suicide at the worst or returning to the closet.
Reading the email sent to Maryam Namazie from the Chief Executive of Goldsmiths Students’ Union struck me as very odd:
“A number of students have complained about the video as their consent to be filmed was not asked at the start of the meeting by your camera-operator…”
In the US I always understood that if you have no expectation of privacy, then you can be photographed/filmed. I find it hard to believe that anyone at a public event could successfully claim an expectation of privacy. I’m curious what the laws are in the UK but I suspect they are similar and that this Student Union representative has no idea what s/he is talking about.
I think the SU rep does know what he’s talking about and that is why he could only ‘request’ that the video be removed – he certainly couldn’t demand it. It was not a secret filming and those students know fine well that if they didn’t want to be filmed, they didn’t need to go and sit in the front row, right underneath the camera. As Maryam said in her reply, ‘their consent was implied’. I find it extraordinary that the SU chief is so open about his wish to appease the offenders and their friends.
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The right to criticize religion, ALL religions, is one of the cornerstone of democracy. That is how democracy could thrive at the beginning. There is no such evil as islamophobia.
I’ve seen it all now. Radical feminists allied with Islamic misogynists!
@Gus Those are no radical feminists those are extreme liberal left “feminists”. No real radfem would defend those male bullies.
I support freedom of speech and thought. Was of the impression that universities promoted the same.
This ridiculous concept of a “Safe Space”.
Merely another tactic to oppress others in the vicinity.
As for the feminists supporting Islamists, you have allied with people that would willingly threaten your rights, as they did Maryam’s.
May as well be chickens voting for Colonel Sanders.
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It would be a disgrace if those boys and the girls who participated, were not shown the academic door. They argue that they are in the U.K. so Maryam should shut up, but really, they’re in the U.K. in a university lecture, wtf are they doing acting like 2 year olds denied a candy?
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