Bahar Mustafa banned whites and men from an event (Picture: Facebook)

A university diversity officer who banned men and white people from an event about equality has said she cannot be racist because she’s an ethnic minority woman.

Bahar Mustafa faced a backlash after hosting the event which she said was a ‘BME Women and non-binary event only’.

Other students disagreed with what she said, and Goldsmith’s, where she is the student union welfare and diversity officer, expressed concern over the views.

But she has now defended what she said.


She said: ‘There have been charges laid against me that I am racist and sexist towards white men.

‘I, an ethnic minority woman, cannot be racist or sexist towards white men, because racism and sexism describe structures of privilege based on race and gender.



‘Therefore, women of colour and minority genders cannot be racist or sexist, since we do not stand to benefit from such a system.’

OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF RACISM A belief that one’s own racial or ethnic group is superior, or that other such groups represent a threat to one’s cultural identity, racial integrity, or economic well-being; (also) a belief that the members of different racial or ethnic groups possess specific characteristics, abilities, or qualities, which can be compared and evaluated. Hence: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against people of other racial or ethnic groups (or, more widely, of other nationalities), esp. based on such beliefs.

GOOGLE'S DEFINITION The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

HOW THE CPS DECIDES WHAT'S RACIST The definition is: ‘A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’ We also have an agreement with ACPO that the police will identify a file that refers to a religiously incident. We define a religious incident as: ‘Any incident which is believed to be motivated because of a persons religion or perceived religion, by the victim or any other person.’ Both definitions help in raising awareness of the racist or religious element in any offence right from the point of reporting, through investigation, up to and including any prosecution.

TERRY PRATCHETT ‘Just because someone’s a member of an ethnic minority doesn’t mean they’re not a nasty small-minded little jerk.’ Thanks to Martin Williams for pointing this one out on our Facebook page