Comments on: No, Westminster University Isn’t ‘Shredding All The Qur’ans’ Because Of ‘Prevent’

By: David Boothroyd

David Boothroyd — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 19:34:49 +0000

It seems Shelly Asquith has deleted her twitter account.

By: RobJFH (@RobJFH)

RobJFH (@RobJFH) — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:19:13 +0000

Even if the Quran was the most brilliant text ever written and a subset of its followers didn’t overreact to the slightest perceived slight, this woman has *still* made up an outrage story to smear a group of people she doesn’t like.

It’s the M.O. of Katie Hopkins. Different target, different politics, but otherwise exactly the same.

The fact that, yes, people have been killed for being accused of desecrating this book means she could’ve had blood on her hands had other people – you included – not gone out of their way to do the fact-checking she should’ve done in the first place. Well done to you, but it’s sad to learn the NUS is still being run by regressives like Asquith.

By: Elaine C

Elaine C — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 10:07:26 +0000

I have a child at the University of Westminster. I any harm comes to them because of Shelly Asquith’s irresponsible claims, I shall hold her, along with the perpetrators, personally accountable.

By: Monaogg

Monaogg — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 13:11:29 +0000

Thank you for your clarity.
It would still seem there are too many who are unable to see that what they say fuels the problems, or understand that it is this blindness that hampering Labour as an effective opposition.

By: Stephen Knight

Stephen Knight — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:21:08 +0000

In reply to Gerry Hill.

Both. Items that were not collected were disposed of. As planned. As warned.

This is s far cry from Asquith’s claim that the university is shredding ‘all the students’ Qur’ans’ due to some anti-Muslim prejudice inspired by Prevent

By: Gerry Hill

Gerry Hill — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:18:23 +0000

There seems to be still some ambiguity here. “That is exactly what happened” said the university. What happened – removal by the Islamic Society or “disposed of” or a bit of each?

By: bootjangler1

bootjangler1 — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 20:47:03 +0000

She didn’t, after a heavy night, hear someone talk about their shredded wheat breakfast while someone else nearby was talking about the koran? It’s entirely possible.
I wonder if this will fizzle to zero, be a “Fireman Sam” one-day online freak-out, or a full-on “Danish”.
Is she stupid? I shall answer that myself – yes, oh blimey, yes.
Maybe BBC Asian can run a phone-in on what the right punishment should be.
I suppose *if* students have already been saying this for a few months, we should be grateful that nothing has happened anyway, shred or no shred. But now, we have the “social media” effect.
On a side note, any thoughts on this?
https://www.ascl.org.uk//index.cfm?originalUrl=news-and-views/news_news-detail.ascl-produces-paper-over-ramadan-and-exams.html
There is a link to the full document in the first paragraph.
It is school advice for Ramadan at exam time from the Association of School and College Leaders, after consultation with various types.
To me, the “advice” tips over into demands, with “all” at times being affected, as well as modifying whole school activities, as well as telling teachers not to administer “tiny amounts” of water because it is “not allowed” until very obvious dehydration effects occur, as well as separating (for some reason) those not fasting, as well as a number of other concerns.
There doesn’t seem to be the very simple solution of exempting exam-taking students from fasting, but rather that everything else bends in order to accommodate conservative religious practice, which is noted as an “obligation” quite a few times.

By: Richard Sanderson (@RichSandersen)

Richard Sanderson (@RichSandersen) — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 20:45:02 +0000

Ah. Shelly Asquith, a name very familiar to progressives and liberal campaigners. She has long being a regressive who is hostile to liberal values, Ex-Muslims, freedom of expression, and in particular, the Prevent strategy, etc. Every single time, she has doubled-down or wiggled around when confronted with evidence and facts.

If this claim has no basis, it is extremely irresponsible of her to spread this rumour. I’m sure she is very critical of those on the right who spread “fake news”.

I am open, as I’m sure Stephen is, to the fact this might have happened. Whether it was deliberate or not is another. But this type of claim is similar to false claims of blasphemy we here about in Pakistani villages, and this sometimes results in people getting killed.