Union Denounces “Student Rights”

In May, Union Council voted to denounce the right wing group called Student Rights and condemn Islamophobia. Imperial became the 9th Student Union to pass this motion, in addition to the NUS who have recently condemned this group. Yesterday, Imperial College Union published an open letter on their website to Mr. Raheem Kassam, Director of the Henry Jackson Society’s Student Rights Project.

The other Unions who have voted against Student Rights include LSE, Goldsmiths, Birkbeck, UCL, Queen Mary, King’s and Kingston. The motion was passed unanimously by Union Council.

Hilary Aked, a PhD student working with Universities to pass this motion said: “Ever since it was set up in 2009 by the right wing Henry Jackson Society think tank, the ironically named Student Rights group has consistently undermined, rather than empowered, students. In response to the growing success of the student fightback against it, the organisation's activities have reached new lows in recent months and its anti-student attacks make plain once and for all its real – antagonistic – relationship with students. The credibility of Student Rights has been challenged on three main counts: first, its lack of transparency about its links to the right wing think tank the Henry Jackson Society; second its lack of legitimacy given its track record of generating hostile press coverage about students as opposed to defending their rights; and third, the way this negative attention has focused overwhelmingly on Muslims.”

In the open letter from the Union it states: “We would like to reiterate that we are strongly against Islamophobia, as well as all other forms of prejudice and discrimination – including sexism, racism and homophobia, and will continue to challenge any organisation that acts to the contrary, or that threatens our efforts to build a more cohesive and inclusive university environment.”

Hazem El-Turk, the president of the Islamic Society commented:

“The Imperial College student body has today sent a clear message fully rejecting the non-student Student Rights group, whilst reiterating its commitment to challenging all forms of discrimination, from homophobia to Islamophobia. At a time when Islamophobia is worryingly on the rise in wider society, the passing of this motion is an important step in discrediting pressure groups that work to undermine Muslim students in particular, and who contribute nothing to the student movement.”