Students from the Islamic community of the university threatened the human rights defender with violence

This week, students of radical Islam have threatened reprisals against a human rights activist who lectured on blasphemy. Mariam Namazi, who fled repression-filled Iran, is currently fighting Islamic extremists. She was to give a lecture at Goldsmiths College in London.

However, the lecture, which began on Monday evening, was interrupted by students from the university's Muslim community. They stated that this lecture, in connection with the views of Miss Namazi, violated their rights to the so-called "safe territory". (“Safe space” is a term used in educational institutions and symbolizes the racial, religious and other tolerance of the teaching staff.)

One of the students turned offprojector after the lecturer showed a drawing of Muhammad. At the same time, those in the audience noted that another aimed his fingers at Miss Namazi's head and said, “Boom,” as if he wanted to intimidate her.

The Islamic community protested in advance against this lecture, entitled “Apostasy, Blasphemy and Freedom of Opinion in the Era of ISIS,” and insisted that Mrs. Namazi, in view of her “fanatical beliefs,”should not be allowed to conduct a lesson.

The community pointed to a number of controversial statements she made in the past: for example, she called the hijab a symbol of radical Islam, and compared the niqab to a garbage bag.

The head of the community wrote to the college: “We believe that her presence here would violate our rights to 'safe territory', which, in turn, is an integral and immutable part of Goldsmiths policy. My people feel that here she will only engage in incitement to hatred. "

When the lecture began, a number of Islamic community activists attended and tried to interrupt Ms. Namazi. They even turned her PowerPoint off when she showed the comic "Jesus and Mo" (a comic about the life and thoughts of two prophets of world religions who meet an atheist working inbar): he, according to eyewitnesses, portrayed the prophet Muhammad and Jesus.

After the lecture, Mrs. Namazi told reporters: “As soon as I spoke, the 'brothers' from the community began to enter the lecture hall. They constantly knocked on the door, deliberately fell to the floor, interrupting me,played phones, shouted and tried to intimidate me so that I would shut up. ”
“I kept talking as loudly as I could. They repeatedly walked back and forth in front of me. In the middle of the lecture, one of them turned off my“PowerPoint” and left. The university security officer had to step in and stay in the room so I could talk further. ”

She added that some Muslim girls stayed to hear the lecture and participated inThey later apologized for the behavior of other students.

“Freedom of speech and the right to criticize Islam, as well as leave it without fear of threats, is the right of any person,” she concluded Mrs. Namazi - We are responsible to fight for these universal rights in British universitiesin cities, as well as around the world. "

One of the audience members, teacher and journalist Reza Moradi, said that while he was calming an upset woman in the audience, one of the protesters made a threatening gesture.

“I asked this guy to be quiet, and he brought his hand to his head, put his fingers in the pistol,” Mr. Moradi told reporters.- Then he came up to me and said: "Boom!"It scared me a lot. "

In a statement, the Islamic community accused the organizers of the lecture of violating their rights and called Ms. Namazi a “vile Islamophobe,” denying that any of the students had threatened her with reprisals.

Community activists stated: "Muslim students attending the event were shocked by Miss Namazi's statements and peacefully expressed their opposition to the comics that depicted the Prophet Muhammad in an impartial manner."

“These students were subsequently charged with bullying and violence.Some were even forcibly taken away from the audience. "

A university spokesman said: "Goldsmiths supports free speech. The university has a set of rules to ensure that staff and students, as well as invited guests, are allowed free speech within the law.

Earlier, the Islamic community in Goldsmiths was invited to lecture by some radicals, including Moazzam Begg, who, for example, called Muhammad Emwazi (the executioner of the Islamic State) “a wonderful, kind man.”

Another invited guest of Goldsmiths was Hamza Tsortzis, who openly stated that non-Muslims “should be killed” if they ever decide to fight against Muslims, and also declared: “We Muslims reject the idea of ​​freedomwords. ”

The university's student government was recently shocked when one of its members, Bahar Mustafa, banned white male students from attending self-government meetings and suggested on Twitter the hashtag:“ #killallthewhitessupper ".

Mrs. Namazi, in turn, is one of the members of the “ex-Muslim” movement, which fights to enable Muslims to leave their faith without consequences.

In October, she was barred from speaking at the University of Warwick in the UK because student government activists feared Muslims would feel humiliated and discriminated against.However, the ban was lifted after public outcry.