EDL threaten uni with demonstrations
University called traitors for allowing Muslim conference
The English Defence League have threatened to march on campus and have accused the University of helping “to enable Islamic extremism”.
In a letter addressed to the Chancellor and the Senate of the University of Nottingham, Simon North of the EDL threatened the action in the wake of an Islamic conference held by Family Retreat, a branch on the Muslim Research and Development Foundation, at the East Midlands Conference Centre on 29th March to 1st April.
At the time of the conference, a combined force of activists, including the EDL, managed to muscle up nearly a dozen protestors to protest against the conference outside of the west entrance.
They claim they will be left with no choice but “to organise demonstrations both outside and within the university grounds” if the University do not ban the group from using it’s facilities again in the future.
A University spokesman ensured us they had followed their usual procedure and “Assurances were received from the Muslim Research Development Foundation that it does not support or promote any speaker in expression of racist views against any minority or race.”
“Such a booking is aligned with the University’s commitment to freedom of speech and the requirements of the 1986 Education (No2) Act. The Act requires that – so far as it is reasonably practicable, and within the bounds of lawful speech – no premises of the University shall be denied to any individual or body of persons on any grounds connected with the beliefs or views of that individual or of that body, or the policy or objectives of that body.
“This commitment sometimes means listening to challenging views, but it is a principle we defend. It sometimes means the University comes under pressure, including pressure from groups wishing to protest on its campuses.”
“Put simply, by hosting a conference filled with hate preachers and fanatics, you have helped to enable Islamic extremism.”
The list of speakers claim condone violence in marriage and the death penalty for all those who leave Islam, blackened the “good name of the University”, according to the EDL. They claim this is contrary to the University’s code of conduct which states any conduct which “damages the good name of the University” is forbidden.
As a result of the conference, the University have “betrayed every value that you should hold dear as academics, and as human beings. But worse, far worse than any betrayal of yourselves, you have betrayed us, the people of this country.”
Concluding the letter, the University was called a traitor and accused of treason, “A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.” For all the non-classicists, that’s a quote from Cicero.