Statement from the Students' Union Regarding Recent Media Attention

15 February 2010

LSE is a multiracial and multicultural institution. It should be a safe, welcoming environment, free from prejudice and bigotry. Last month, however, several newspapers chose to publish unsubstantiated allegations about an LSE student, Reza Pankhurst, due to his membership of Hizb ut-Tahrir, and indeed all other Muslim students, linking this to “new concerns about Islamist radicalisation on campus.”

No one should be subject to a media witch hunt. As previously stated, we have not received any formal allegations or evidence regarding the unsubstantiated allegations made in the press; as far as we are aware, Reza has not broken any policy of the Students’ Union, the School or the law.

Moreover, these stories fuel the increasing victimisation of Muslims. We have seen four Muslim students stabbed and others attacked at City University, the burning of a mosque in the West Midlands and breakthroughs by the fascist BNP. In universities, staff have been pressured to spy on Muslim students, armed police have arrested innocent students on campus and academic freedoms have been attacked under the so-called anti-terror laws. The Higher Education Minister has admitted that special branch operate on campuses to spy on students, as well as councils instructing teachers to spy on pupils as young as 11.

Some papers also chose to publish a number of unfounded allegations about the LSE Students’ Union Islamic Society. The Islamic Society is one of the most active and visible societies on campus. We have never received complaints about the society's activities or had any cause to believe that they were promoting extreme or discriminatory viewpoints. A letter responding to unfounded claims about the Islamic Society in the press can be viewed on the link below.

We stand with students and staff united in opposition to Islamophobia and racism on campus. We reject the scapegoating of all Muslim students and are united in opposition to the victimisation of our colleagues. We support the statement that the LSE have released about Reza making clear "no concerns about his conduct have been raised with the school" and which mentions clearly that he is not known to be a member of a proscribed group nor to have said anything unlawful which would breach LSE regulations.

For the full LSE statement, see
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/news/internalNews/internalNewsArchive/2010/01/RPankhurst.aspx

For the letter to The Times rebutting allegations against the LSE Students’ Union Islamic Society, click here