As was commented on here last week, Leeds University recently cancelled at the last minute an advertised public lecture organised by its German department on how the Nazis fostered anti-Semitism in the Middle East.
The University claimed the lecture was cancelled because its German department had not gone through the mandatory procedures for such events that would have involved a risk-assessment exercise that would have enabled it to provide adequate stewarding arrangements. Because it hadn’t, so the University claimed, the lecture had to be cancelled on safety grounds.
The University vehemently denied cancelling the lecture in response to complaints from its Muslim students.
Below is the text of an email to the University’s Vice-Chancellor sent in advance of the cancellation of the lecture by an engineering student there who, apart from his name, signed himself former head of its ‘Palestinian Solidarity Group’.
The text of the email, complete with original misspellings, was published last Friday in the Jewish Chronicle, a weekly newspaper catering for Britain’s 300,000-strong Jewish community.
‘To the Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University…
‘I have noticed the following on our University Website: Lecture: Wednesday March 14, Hitler’s Legacy: Islamic Antisemitism in the Middle East.
‘As a Muslim student and Arab, this has came across to me as a great shock. I already live with the rise of Islamophobia that this country creats [sic], and the lies passed here and there, but never thought it would get to an extent that an Academic Institution would bluntly advertise such a Talk.
‘ It is Absolutely disgracefull [sic] from the University of Leeds German School of Modern Languages and Cultures, to proide [sic] such a talk or at least such a title to students. The only intention that you have from doing this is to increase hatred, as I clearly regarded as an open racis [sic] attack. “Islamic Antisemitism in the Middle East!!??” Excuse me, but the middle east consists of Arab States, around 300 million Muslim Arabs, whomyou [sic] are accusing collectively buy [sic] such a title.
‘ I wonder what makes you speak of this? What would have happened if you were to speak about Hitler’s Legacy and the Israeli Zionist Anti-Palestinians? Would this not sound much better? Would it not be more logical?
‘The term Anti Semite is defined as Anti any descendant of Sam [see ocford dictionary], so how dare you speak of Islamic Antisemitism if Muslims and Arabs are Semites whether you wish or not.
‘I hope that this matter is looked into in the appropriate manner, for as an educational academic department, it is of total noncense [sic] to provide talks built on no Academic founded arguments. What difference are you to any illetrate [sic!!!] in the streets?
‘I know I sound harsh in the Approach, yet I feel I have not said anything compared to what I should say, knowing that you are attacking me and my race bluntly’.
The Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews was also quoted by the newspaper as saying:
' We hear so much about what has to be tolerated to uphold the principles of free academic discourse. The decision taken by Leeds University strikes at the heart of this issue, with the administration now engaged in censorship of their own lecturers and running scared of those they fear offending -- all at the expense of those they have calculated they can ignore.'
This figure did not accept the University's explanation. Nor did Melanie Phillips. I wonder why.