A deep concern
A public Facebook post by the Goldsmiths ISOC dated 5 hours ago:
Goldsmiths Islamic Society expresses a deep concern regarding Goldsmiths Atheist, Secular & Humanist society’s event with renowned Islamophobe Maryam Namazie, which is due to be held tonight. Namazie is known to hold very controversial views i.e. labelling the the niqab as a “bin bag” and calling the veil a symbol of “far right Islamism”. She also regularly shares platforms with right wing fascists such as Douglas Murray, of the Henry Jackson Society. We feel that at such a sensitive time for Muslims, where islamophobic attacks have dramatically risen, it is dangerous for such a person to be given a chance to express such bigoted views. We feel such an individual will violate our safe space, and are disappointed that someone so controversial has been given a platform.
Yes, Maryam holds “very controversial views,” like the view that all Muslims should be entirely free to leave Islam whenever they want to, and the view that women should never be forced to wear a niqab or a hijab or any other religious gear, and the view that the laws should be the same for all people, not sorted and altered according to religion.
Maryam also holds the view that Muslims as a group should not be confused with Islamists, and the view that Islamism presses hardest on Muslims, and that it’s both possible and necessary to dissent from Islamism and Islam without demonizing Muslims in the process.
Goldsmiths ISOC is doing far more to muddy those waters than Maryam is. Whoever wrote that awful post is presuming to speak for Muslims in general at Goldsmiths, as if all Muslims at Goldsmiths are as illiberal and coercive as the jerk who wrote that post.
Wait. Goldsmith being such a blatantly Jewish name, what are those Islamix even doing there? ;-)
As you say, who authorised them to speak for everyone in the first place? “Author” – not hardly.
This is Goldsmiths – http://www.gold.ac.uk – part of the University or London, originally founded by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths as its Technical and Recreative Institure in 1891.
The Company got its Royal Charter in 1327 and has been responsible for hallmarking since 1300. The Jews were expelled from England by King John in 1290 and were allowed to return by Oliver Cromwell in 1657.
I realise you are just being sarky, Rrr, but given how readily the paranoids can make a conspiracy out of half or less of a fact, I’m just limiting their options – with this one at least!
Thank you Maureen. Yes, I was indeed being snarky.
It figures the institution would have a history, of which I am ignorant. But perhaps these self-appointed spokespersons also could do with a little instruction on their future alma mater. Among other things.