Under pressure SU will make decision on controversial ex-Muslim activist

The SU have rubbished reports ex-Muslim activist Maryam Namazie is banned from speaking to the  Atheists’ Society.

The Student’s Union said a final decision is yet to be made on whether she will be allowed to talk.

Namazie is a human rights campaigner and secularist who condemns the violence of the Islamist movement.

She said: “The Islamic movement is a movement that slaughters people in the Middle East and Africa. It’s important for us to speak about it and criticise it.”

The original claims cited Namazie’s potential to insult other religions and incite hatred were the reason for the banning.

The SU called her “highly inflammatory” and said: “We have a duty of care to conduct a risk assessment for each speaker who wishes to come to campus.”

The SU Building

President Isaac Leigh said on the SU’s Facebook page: “The process for reviewing this particular speaker event has not been completed and, once I and senior staff members have reviewed it, a further statement will be made.”

In relation to the reported banning the National Secular Society, they  said: “It is absurd and sinister that an atheist speaker should be banned from campus for their views, and that ‘insulting other faiths’ is grounds for a speaker to be banned.”

Reports of the banning caused outrage and initiated debate across the country, with public figures wading into the controversy.

Renowned scientist Professor Brian Cox tweeted to condemn any banning actions, posting: “We can’t allow over-sensitive students to wrap themselves in intellectual cotton wool.

“It is our job as professors to provide students with intellectual armour. No ideas should be beyond discussion.”

Namazie herself as been left angered by the events, writing: “Inciting hatred is what the Islamists do. I and my organisation challenge them and defend the rights of ex-Muslims, Muslims and others to dissent.

“These sort of Lefties have one set of progressive politics for themselves – they want gay rights, equality for women and the right to criticise the pope and the Christian-Right, and another for us.”

The Student’s Union are expected to make their final decision imminently.