Thanks to released video footage, there can be no remaining doubt that Maryam Namazie was subjected to intimidation and general thuggish behaviour during her Goldsmiths University talk by members of The Islamic Society (ISOC). It’s now also clear that ISOC lied about what happened too.

Bizarrely, Goldsmiths Feminist Society then came out not in support of the minority female whom male ISOC bullies attempted to silence, but in support of the aggressors themselves. This catastrophic failure to reason had many asking: “Is it possible to be more morally confused than this?”

As if mistaking this rhetorical incredulity for a challenge, Goldsmiths LGBT Society released a statement in support of ISOC’s thuggish Islamists too. Amazingly, they did this after watching the video footage.

I carried out a quick search of ISOC’s social media pages. Any postings in support of LGBT or feminist issues eluded me, oddly. Apart from this event advertisement, in which they do my work for me by confirming Islam and feminism are mutually exclusive:

Maryam Namazie on the other hand, won’t shut up about gay and women’s rights.

Interestingly, any critical comments posted on the LGBT Societies Facebook page in response to this scandal were deleted, and their authors blocked. They explained this behaviour by saying:

‘We reserve the right to moderate the comments and all islamaphobic, racist or inflammatory comments will be removed’.

Here’s the comment that earned me a deletion and a block from posting any further comments:

‘Islamophobic’, racist or inflammatory? You tell me. Perhaps a gentleman who identifies as part of the very groups they claim to support may have better luck:

Sorry John-Paul, you were blocked and deleted too. Tone down your racism next time.

Unsurprisingly, President Of Goldsmiths Islamic Society, Muhammed Patel seems to take a rather unfavourable view on LGBT issues. As reported on Harry Matz’s Blog, Patel’s personal social media pages reveal he is a supporter of homophobic hate-preacher Haitham al-Haddad, who in his article titled ‘Standing up against Homosexuality and LGBTs’ had this to say:

“In order to combat the scourge of homosexuality Allah has ordained us to speak out, and that we should co-operate with others in righteousness and God-consciousness.”

And al-Haddad’s views on women are even worse. Please take a moment to absorb his abhorrent views on rape, domestic violence, FGM, female slavery and abortion – then ask yourself what type of person would choose to show solidarity with such an individual.

When al-Haddad was invited to speak at Westminster University, their LGBT Society petitioned against it. ISOC President Muhammed Patel shared a counter-petition demanding that al-Haddad be allowed to speak. Patel bemoaned the free speech ‘double standards’ of those that wished to have the talk cancelled – which is astounding hypocrisy when you consider he attempted to have Maryam Namazie disinvited.

Of course, this mere support doesn’t prove he endorses al-Haddad’s views on women and LGBT rights (although it would seem odd to openly support such a person), but elsewhere on his Facebook page, he also denigrates a Muslim woman as a ‘populist’ for standing up for gay rights. This, I’d suggest, is not indicative of a healthy attitude towards LGBT (or Feminist) issues.

UPDATE 8 December 2015: The below tweets are said to belong to Muhammed Patel, current president of Goldsmiths Islamic Society:

However, Goldsmiths Islamic Society did invite Hamza Tzortzis to speak in February. This is a man who links homosexuality to “sexual abuse of children, polyandry and cannibalism”. Again, not a great indicator of LGBT credentials.

These are the people and ideas the Feminist and LGBT societies at Goldsmiths are standing in solidarity with, all the while abandoning an ex-Muslim, Iranian minority female like Maryam Namazie – who relentlessly champions the very values they claim (and fail) to uphold.

The Goldsmiths Student Union has finally released a preliminary statement on the matter:

‘This matter is currently under investigation and we are not in a position to comment further. Goldsmiths SU are aware of a video that has been posted online without consent of the attending students, we have contacted the speaker and requested that this video is removed.’

It’s not surprising they would want this video removed. It shows the world the disgraceful way the ISOC Islamists have behaved, and shines a light on the other societies’ inability to stand up for basic human rights and decency. Maryam Namazie has refused the requests to remove the video. You can read her reasons here.

These people aren’t committed to human rights, they’re in love with identity politics – and they must never be seen to be criticising our Muslim ‘friends’, no matter what they do. Everything is ‘Islamophobic’, and that’s bad don’t you know.

Women and LGBT individuals would be the first to experience oppression or the express route from a rooftop were theocratic bullies of this kind able to grasp hold of any real power. You betray your oppressed brothers and sisters when you offer solidarity with fascism of this kind.

I’d encourage you to contact the university directly with your complaints about ISOC’s behaviour. It seems the LGBT and Feminist Societies aren’t up to the task.

Stephen Knight is host of The #GSPodcast. You can listen to The Godless Spellchecker Podcast here, and support it by becoming a patron here.

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