Freedom Society investigated by Exeter Students’ Guild following allegations of Islamophobia

The Freedom Society has been investigated by the University of Exeter’s Guild following allegations of Islamophobia.

The allegations came after Exeposé received a voice recording of an event held by the society.

At the event, which took place on the 10th of October 2024, called Two Tier Policing: Injustice Unveiled, a former University of Exeter student was recorded making alleged Islamophobic remarks.

The unnamed graduate who now studies at The University of Law was invited to be a speaker at the event, which covered policing of last summer’s riots and perspectives on race and immigration. The riots followed the killing of three girls in Southport last summer. This is when “far-right” demonstrations erupted nationwide, with many of them turning violent. At the time, false information was shared that the perpetrator was a Muslim immigrant, something dispelled before the aforementioned Freedom Society event.

A recording of the talk, provided anonymously to Exeposé, revealed that the speaker made several inflammatory statements about immigration and race.

He described immigration as the “ethnic displacement” of the White English population by Muslims, stating: “They’re literally replacing us in our own country. We’re being genocided.” He further characterised the history between the “native English population” as one of “relentless attacks”, citing terrorism, street violence, and grooming gangs as examples. This is when he called grooming gangs a “cute term for the mass racially targeted rape of young English girls.”

The speaker, who has not been named, also referred to White English people as “a disprivileged [sic] native population who don’t even have the right to collectivise and defend themselves,” and framed the summer riots as “natives essentially rebelling against their displacement.”

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The student spoke about how the riots brought “ethnic divisions” to the surface and criticised multiculturalism, stating it was “rooted in the idea that White people have it coming to us”. When asked how he would handle policing, he responded: “There would be no minorities to police.”

Since Exeposé’s investigation into the event, Exeter’s Guild has looked into the allegations of Islamophobia. A spokesperson published an article on the event, and in this claimed that since the speaker was no longer a student, they had no authority to take action on them.

However, the Guild did acknowledge that not all guidelines were followed at the event, such as one surrounding “some ambiguity about the student status of the speaker”. The spokesperson also said “some portions of the speech” at the event breached the Guild’s Code of Conduct.

The Freedom Society’s committee also has to take part in training “to ensure future events are organised in line with Guild policy”. The society’s Pints and Policy events were also suspended but have now resumed. The society was further allowed to continue with its on-campus presence during this time, which included members setting up a stall at Forum.

Exeter Students’ Guild via Google Maps

The University of Exeter condemned the remarks as “deplorable” but reiterated their commitment to freedom of speech within legal bounds.

The University spokesperson continued by saying: “We are clear that the University supports and protects the right to freedom of speech and expression, so long as this is within the law. We are equally clear that there is absolutely no justification or place for any type of discrimination, hate speech or harassment within our community. We are committed to taking all appropriate action to ensure our campuses and community are both safe and welcoming for everyone.”

The speaker defended himself, acknowledging that some comments may have “crossed the line of political correctness” but insisted that addressing these issues was necessary.

A Freedom Society spokesperson told The Exeter Tab: “Freedom Society stands firmly against Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination that threaten free expression, open debate, and mutual respect.

“As a free speech advocacy organisation, we believe that a society valuing open discourse must also ensure that individuals, regardless of faith, can express their beliefs without fear of harassment, violence, or marginalisation. Committed to fostering diverse perspectives, we do not seek to alienate any individual or group on campus.

“To address concerns and uphold these principles, we have revised our risk assessment and speaker policy, made internal changes on the vetting of speakers and worked with the Guild to ensure that any concerns are handled professionally and respectfully.

“We welcome any individuals with further concerns to reach out to us on any of our official channels found on our Guild webpage, or via official Guild channels.”

A spokesperson for Exeter Students’ Guild told The Exeter Tab: “Islamophobia has no place within student life, our campus, or the wider community. We are taking this seriously.

“We want to reassure our students that the Guild’s response has been robust and that we’re committed to ensuring Exeter is a safe and inclusive space for everyone. We conducted an investigation and have taken steps to ensure societies follow our policies to ensure speech is always lawful, allow dialogue between those with different perspectives and experiences, and protect the voice of minority groups.

On its website, the Guild also said: “We all have a role to play in creating a campus community that is inclusive, respectful, and safe for all people – no matter what their background, identity, or belief might be. This is what we stand for; this is what it means to be an Exeter Student. We believe that freedom of speech within the law has an important role to play in allowing dialogue between those with different perspectives and personal experiences, as well as protecting the voice of minority groups.

“We know, however, it is incidents like this one which intensify the daily challenges faced by Muslim students in our community. Your Guild continues to amplify the voices of Muslim students by working proactively and collaboratively with student faith and cultural societies and the wider Muslim student community.”

To read more about accessing support or how to report, you can click on this link.

Featured image via Freedom Society and Google Maps