Islamic students at top UK university ‘ preaching hard-line extremism’
By ANIMonday, October 18, 2010
LONDON - Radical Islamic extremism is being openly practised by Muslim students at a leading university campus, according to a report by a UK counter-extremism think tank Quilliam.
According to the Daily Mail, Quilliam has claimed of having evidence of the president of City University’s Islamic Society, (ISoc) openly preaching extremism during prayers held inside the campus during the 2009-10 academic year in London.
They said the president, Saleh Patel, was recorded saying: “When they say to us the Islamic state teaches to cut the hand of the thief’, yes it does! And it also teaches us to stone the adulterer.”
“When they tell us that the Islamic state tells us and teaches us to kill the apostate, yes it does! Because this is what Allah and his messenger have taught us and this is the religion of Allah and it is Allah who legislates and only Allah has the right to legislate,” he added.
It further stated that the group had intimidated and harassed staff, students and members of minority groups.
The think tank reportedly interviewed students who claimed that the actions of leading members of the ISoc made members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Society (LGBT) feel ’scared’.
It further stated that some of the Jewish students felt ‘intimidated’, and the group’s actions forced moderate Muslim students to adopt hard-line Islamic practices, which led to some Muslim students publishing an open letter complaining that their religion had been ‘hijacked’ by the ISoc.
The paper quoted the author of the report Lucy James, as saying that it was shocking to know that such extremism was being openly promoted at a university campus in central London, and added that such extremism can create dangerous divisions on campuses and even lead to terrorism if not tackled in correct time.
Meanwhile, City University London Students’ Union has released a statement which read: “The report raises a number of issues so the Students’ Union will be in contact with the authors to review the evidence on which the report is based.” (ANI)
