Homophobic cleric Abu Usamah at-Thahabi will no longer be visiting the University of Reading tomorrow after the event he was due to attend was cancelled because of fears of violent protests.

The cleric has advocated that gay men should be thrown off a “mountain” and previously referred to gay people as “perverted, dirty, filthy dogs who should be murdered”.

Thahabi was due to attend Reading University’s Muslim Society on Thursday as part of a series of talks designed to raise awareness of Islam as a faith.

Yesterday, the Student Rights group called on the University of Reading to review it decision to allow the controversial cleric on campus.

In a statement on Wednesday, Reading University Muslim Society, Reading University Students Union and the University of Reading said it had decided to cancel the event due to threats “from extremist groups”.

The statement read: