Hugh Muir interviews James Hodgson, student union activities officer at University College London, who emphatically rejects calls for a ban on UCL’s Islamic Society. He tells Muir:
“Of course it is going to be difficult and I am sure we will get some stick, but we are going to defend the Islamic Society and its right to hear from controversial speakers. We will not allow extremist activities. But at the same time we are determined not to yield. The Islamic Society is not a hotbed of extremists. Its activities are prayer meetings, cultural events, debates and music. We are going to stand up for freedom and tolerance. Surely that’s what the terrorists want to destroy.”
Update: See also the Al Jazeera interview with FOSIS president Faisal Hanjra and “Islamic Societies Exposed” on the FOSIS website.