The speakers who WERE muzzled
WHILE a string of universities hosted CAGE events last term, academics and writers with views deemed ‘offensive’ to Left-wing opinion have faced extraordinary bans.
Historian David Starkey was excluded from a video promoting Cambridge University after student officials and lecturers claimed he had a history of ‘racism and sexism’ – despite his vehement denials.
Cardiff University attempted to ban feminist Germaine Greer from giving a talk last year over objections to comments she made about transgender people. Students claimed her view that men did not become real women if they had sex-change surgery ‘had no place in society’ and argued her presence at the event would be ‘harmful’ to attendees.
Feminist Julie Bindel was banned from a debate on free speech at the University of Manchester in October because of comments she made about transgender people almost a decade ago.
She was branded ‘abhorrent’ by an officer of the student union because she once ques- tioned the right of sex-change men to be treated as women. Maryam Namazie, an Iranian-born human rights activist who has spoken out against the brutal treatment of women in some Islamic countries, was initially refused the chance to speak at Warwick University over fears it could upset Muslim students.
An undergraduate at the same university, George Lawlor, was branded a ‘rapist’ after he dared to question the effectiveness of ‘consent workshops’. A Nietzsche reading group was banned at University College London following fears it would promote a ‘far-Right, fascist ideology’ – even though the philosopher’s works are widely studied at universities.
And a student event at Goldsmiths, University of London, claimed to ‘promote equality’ in May – but excluded everyone except black and ethnic minority women and ‘non binary [gender neutral] people’.
At Oxford, columnist Brendan O’Neill was denied the chance to debate on abortion in November when student feminists claimed it was unfair for ‘a person without a uterus’ to discuss the issue.
In one of the most recent examples of campus censorship, a campaign is under way at Oxford to remove a plaque and statue at Oriel College dedicated to Cecil Rhodes.
Campaigners say the colonialist was racist – even though he has helped fund generations of scholars – including those of ethnic minorities – to study at Oxford.