New NUS president praised Jew-hating cleric
THE NEWLY elected president of the National Union of Students has publicly praised an antisemitic cleric and raised money for a Muslim advocacy group widely accused of having sympathised with terrorists.
In a 2018 article, Shaima Dallali gushed that Yusuf al-Qaradawi — who has called for Jews to be wiped out — was “the moral compass for the community”. Ms Dallali has also labelled a critic of Hamas a “dirty Zionist” and posted a video of anti-Israel protesters calling for an intifada.
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) has called for an urgent meeting with Ms Dallali while campaign group Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS) warned that “antiJewish racism in the NUS is spiralling out of control”, adding that public funding should be cut unless there was profound change.
Ms Dallali will take over from outgoing president Larissa Kennedy, who is herself facing calls to quit her twoyear term early over her suggestion that Jewish students could segregate themselves to avoid watching anti-Zionist performer Lowkey at an NUS concert.
Ms Dallali was elected by NUS delegates on Monday despite the revelation last week that she tweeted in 2012: “Khaybar Khaybar O Jews … Muhammed’s army will return #Gaza”, in a reference to a massacre of Jews in the year 628CE.
She offered an unreserved apology for the 2012 post, which she said was an “unacceptable” reference made as a teenager.
However, since then Ms Dallali has continued to post incendiary messages.
In April 2020, Ms Dallali wrote that for Ramadan she was raising money for Cage, a Muslim advocacy group that drew outrage in 2015 when its research director hailed notorious Isis terrorist Jihadi John as a “beautiful young man” who was “extremely kind and gentle”. Last year, the Commission for Countering Extremism last year urged the government to crack down on Cage.
On its website, Cage denies accusations that it is an apologist for terrorists, saying its goal is to “ensure that the pursuit of justice is carried out fairly”.
On Twitter, Ms Dallali called Jordanian preacher Dr Waseem Yousef a “dirty Zionist” after he wrote that Hamas was launching rockets from between residents’ homes and was making “a graveyard” for children in Gaza.
And in a 2018 article she wrote that Muslim Brotherhood cleric Yusuf alQaradawi was the “moral compass for the Muslim community at large”.
In a sermon on 9 January, 2009, Qaradawi lashed out at Jews, calling on God to “kill them, down to the very last one”.
Ms Dallali also has a YouTube account on which, in 2014, she posted two videos showing protesters calling for an intifada and a “hit” on Tel Aviv.
A spokeswoman for the UJS said: “Jewish students have spoken to us and raised their concerns over much of the messaging Dallali has put out on her social media in the past.
“We hope that she will come to the table, work with the UJS and understand how to support Jewish students.
“We call on Shaima and her team to join us in rebuilding those bridges to ensure that the NUS becomes a space where Jewish students once more feel welcomed.”
A spokesman for LAAS said: “Ms Dallali’s internet footprint features incitement against Jews, trolling of British Jewish organisations and repeated support for extremist organisations.
“At a time when antisemitism has risen, it is unacceptable that Ms Dallali is now responsible for the welfare of Jewish students in the UK.
“If the NUS won’t act it should be made to face the consequences, including the withdrawal of any public funding.”
Ms Dallali said she would “love” to meet UJC when she took up office and would “listen to the concerns of all students”.
The NUS said it was sorry to Jewish students “who have been hurt by what they’ve read” and would be reviewing what more it could do to “ensure Jewish students feel welcome in our spaces”.
She has continued to post incendiary messages