FANATICS’ CAMPAIGN OF HATE ON CAMPUS
Revealed: how Islamic zealots who backed Jihadi John are poisoning minds of students
The notorious organisation that backed Jihadi John i s now targeting young Muslims at their universities in a sinister campaign, the Mail can reveal. CAGE – the group that provoked horror after calling the Islamic State killer a ‘beautiful young man’ – was involved in at least 13 student events last term.
Its representatives are being given unchallenged platforms at campuses across the country.
They are using them to tell young Muslims to sabotage the Government’s anti-extremism policy Prevent, claiming it is an attempt by the State to spy on them. The organisation’s outreach director Moazzam Begg has been given extraordinary access to students – speaking without being challenged on at least 11 separate occasions last term.
In a series of inflammatory lectures, he has told impressionable young Muslims that they are being treated in a similar way to Jews under the Nazis.
He also claimed Western reaction to the Paris terror attacks was disproportionate – because, he said there were ‘no children reported killed’ – and spoke dismissively of the deaths of only a ‘ handful’ of Western hostages beheaded by IS.
Last night Home Secretary Theresa May said universities should not be allowing such ‘damaging, extremist rhetoric’ to go unchallenged. And she
said the investigation showed that ‘there is still more work to be done to challenge those who spread hatred and intolerance’.
It is thought that up to seven universities which held CAGE-linked events could now face an investigation by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Disturbingly, some of them told the Mail they’d had no idea that CAGE-linked events had even taken place on their campus.
Some events saw hostility and even abuse levelled at members of university staff who had been sent to monitor them. In CAGElinked university events last term, the Mail witnessed students being told:
‘As terrible as Paris was, there were no children reported killed’,
The Paris attacks were simply IS ‘responding to what it sees as an assault on itself ’,
There ‘is no Islamic threat’ and ‘no evidence or proof’ that ‘so-called radicalisation is actually happening’,
The Government are ‘ white-supremacists’ who want to ‘isolate’ Muslims,
There is nothing wrong with ‘being extreme’ and that the very notion of extremism is racist,
They should support convicted terrorists, many of whom been ‘wrongly imprisoned’ due to ‘prejudice’ and ‘fabricated accounts’. The revelations will horrify parents at a time of mounting concerns over radicalisation in schools and on campuses. They will also fuel growing concerns that universities are turning a blind eye to Islamic extremism – even as they clamp down on speakers considered Right-wing or non-PC.
Advocacy group CAGE provoked a public outcry in February after claiming the security services were to blame for the actions of knifewielding Mohammad Emwazi, known as Jihadi John. Despite the outcry, it has been allowed to hold a string of events aimed at young people. None of those attended by the Mail featured any opposing viewpoint.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: ‘This investigation highlights exactly the sort of damaging extremist rhetoric which none of us should allow to go unchallenged.
‘Our universities have a proud tradition of championing free speech – but this should never be at the expense of giving extremist views the oxygen they need to flourish.’
The ease with which CAGE is able to hold
events on university campuses is all the more astonishing given that atheists, rightto-life groups, and those who support Israel are amomg those who have been prevented from addressing students.
Last night CAGE – which is not a proscribed organisation and denies any links to terrorism or support for violent extremism – said it was among hundreds of organisations which oppose Prevent.
A spokesman added: ‘CAGE has been invited to speak at a numerous public events including universities for several years. This has always been with the full awareness of the relevant institutions.’
Mr Begg said he had repeatedly condemned the actions of IS, including the Paris terror attack.