Goldsmiths College

 

In February 2012, the Goldsmiths’ Islamic Society held a panel debate entitled ‘Is There Rational Proof for Belief in a Creator?’ ^[1] One of the Muslim speakers invited was Hassan Choudray, a Hizb ut-Tahrir ‘sympathiser’.^[2]

Faculty

Shakeel Begg, the Islamic Chaplain of Goldsmiths, has been quoted in the Times voicing support for terrorist attacks against Israel.^[3] Begg describes jihad as the “greatest of deeds”.^[4]

Extremist Speakers

• Abdur Raheem Green^[5], a British presenter and lecturer, as well as chairman of the iERA. He has advocated domestic violence, saying that a husband has the right to “apply some type of physical force” against his wife.^[6] He has also argued, “Islam is not compatible with democracy”.^[7] He has expressed support for the killing of adulterers and homosexuals.^[8] Green has also written posts in support of convicted terrorist Ali Tamimi.^{[9] [10]}

• Hamza Tzortzis^[11], a lecturer and reportedly a former member of Hizb ut-Tahrir.^[12] He has said that “we as Muslims reject the idea of freedom of speech, and even the idea of freedom”, and that Muslims should strive to re-establish the Islamic caliphate, where “this idea of freedom was redundant, it was unnecessary”.^[13] Tzortzis wants to criminalise homosexuality, which he has likened to paedophilia and cannibalism.^[14]