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The newly elected Welfare and Community Officer hurls abuse at disabled VPAD on Twitter for not ‘fulfilling her job properly’

Rahma has been open about her disability

| UPDATED

Two nights ago, the newly appointed Welfare and Community Officer directed abuse at current Vice-President of Activities and Development in a thread on Twitter.

Robert Liow accused Rahma Hussein of "not [being] in office for 6 months. that's tragic IMO" because of the lack of prior knowledge of her disability or special arrangements made for her. He threatened a "democracy review" for the SU and students "because nobody I've talked to has seen the head or tail of you" as VPAD.

Robert also said: "Pretty sure most of the KCLSU sabb team is tired of your bullshit", implying she did not take her role on the team seriously.

Rahma's official response released yesterday put Robert's tweets to shame, commenting: "The fact that I need to write all this to defend my record and tell you that DISABLED PEOPLE CAN ALSO HAVE LEADERSHIP ROLES is fucking insane."

The tweets have now been deleted from Robert's account.

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He then proceeded to block Twitter and Facebook users who were actively protesting their disgust at his comments.

In a lengthy response posted on her private Facebook, Rahma began to address claims made by Robert, stating: "Some people have decided that spreading lies about me and the work I've been doing at KCLSU."

She explained her absence from Varsity proceedings was due to an "urgent family emergency matter".

When answering her reasons for not being seen at rallies or the picket lines from the strikes taking place the past two months, she said: "Rahma has something called a disability and can't be around situations which are triggering. Over-crowded spaces and constant screaming is one of them.

"Yes I may look fine but I am disabled, and not turning up to demonstrations does not in any way mean I do not support strikers or free education."

Since some people have decided that spreading lies about me and the work I’ve been doing at KCLSU here is an update and…

Posted by Rahma Hussein on Friday, March 30, 2018

She has extra provisions in place at the SU office that enable her to work efficiently from home on days that she "doesn't feel good".

Rahma then proceeded to list the numerous achievements she can take credit for (one of Robert's major issues), that include leading Black History Month, the Alternative Fresher's Guide, 'This Girl Can' and co-creating 'Women in KCL'.

Comments made underneath Rahma's status included: "Doesn't seem like a very good response from a incoming welfare officer aha", and KCL Ifemsoc wrote: "Ifemsoc publicly endorsed bobby and that apology status isn’t enough. We are calling for an open meeting."

Immediately after the Twitter storm, he 'publicly' apologised to Rahma on a Facebook status from his own account.

It read: "This was a mistake and it has been pointed out to me that the tweets were a racialised and gendered attack on Rahma, which I acknowledge.

"I have committed to an open meeting to address these issues and I will do better in the future – as a disabled student myself, I should know better."

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The location for the open meeting will be revealed next week.

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