Maryam Namazie

Maryam Namazie is a political activist, campaigner and blogger

Goldsmiths Student Union request and more

I have received the following email from the Chief Executive of Goldsmiths Students’ Union today (one of three since yesterday) asking to remove the video of my talk for the Atheists Society on Monday 30 November on Apostasy, Blasphemy and Free Expression in the age of ISIS. You can see my reply refusing to do so below.

I’m disappointed and concerned to see that the video you have posted of you speaking at the event at Goldsmiths hosted by Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society and entitled: Apostasy, blasphemy and free expression in the age of ISIS’ has still not been removed.

A number of students have complained about the video as their consent to be filmed was not asked at the start of the meeting by your camera-operator and this is now viewable on a public website. This is very distressing for these students and we therefore ask that this video is removed from your site as a matter of urgency.

Again, I would appreciate a response asap so I can reassure students that action is being taken. Thank you.

I wrote back:

Thank you for your email.

We won’t be removing the video of my talk at Goldsmiths and the attempts at intimidation carried out by a number of the Islamic Society’s “brothers”. The video has now gone viral and been posted on numerous media outlets and other websites.

I am sorry for any distress caused, particularly as a result of the intimidation tactics of the Islamic Society prior, during and after my talk, and in particular that caused by some of the ISOC “brothers” who attempted to disrupt the event. Nonetheless, this was a public meeting; all those attending saw it being videotaped and made no requests for anonymity. There was implied consent. Moreover, given that some ISOC members have made their own selective clips of the meeting and publicised it on social media, a video of the entire meeting is needed to clarify any misinformation and provide the full facts. This is particularly crucial given that the Goldsmiths Atheist Society is calling for an investigation into the debacle.

I look forward to Goldsmiths investigation and hope that it helps to put an end to its ISOC’s unrestrained attempts at creating fear and intimidation at the expense of free expression and dissent.

If you haven’t also heard, both the Feminist Society and LGBTQ+ Society of Goldsmiths have come out with solidarity messages – for the Islamic Society – and of course not for me. The irony…

 

Comments

10 responses to “Goldsmiths Student Union request and more”

  1. The Shame and the Disgrace of the Pro-Islamist Left | THE REGRESSIVE LEFT

    […] a positively craven gesture, the Goldsmiths Student Union has since written to Namazie requesting that the recording of the event be removed from youtube. (She […]

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  2. Goldsmiths Isoc and ASH may face action over Maryam Namazie lecture | London Student

    […] Goldsmiths students’ union announced it was investigating the lecture shortly after the ASH society said it would make a complaint against the Islamic society. The union also asked Namazie to remove a recording of her lecture while the investigation was being conducted, but the speaker refused. […]

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  3. Il paradossale diritto di reprimere i diritti altrui – A ragion veduta

    […] Come se non bastasse, due associazioni rappresentanti categorie che certo non vanno a braccetto con l’islam hanno espresso solidarietà nei confronti dell’Isoc. L’associazione femminista ha scritto sul suo canale Tumblr che «condanna l’azione dell’Ash e conviene che ospitare noti islamofobi all’università crea un clima d’odio», mentre l’associazione lgbtq+ ha diffuso attraverso Facebook un comunicato contenente frasi che hanno dell’assurdo: «Se loro [l’Ash] si sentono intimiditi gli consigliamo di guardare alle basi della loro ideologia. Noi riteniamo che gli attacchi personali e sociali condotti in nome della “libertà d’espressione” sono deplorevoli e vanno a discapito del benessere di studenti e staff del campus». Dal canto suo l’unione studentesca ha fatto sapere di aver avviato un’inchiesta interna, e nel frattempo ha chiesto a Maryam Namazie di rimuovere il video dell’evento dai suoi canali. Namazie ha argomentato un netto rifiuto. […]

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  4. Maryam Namazie owns some whiny muslim hecklers, they later call the waambulance… – VIDEO | Holes in the Foam

    […] Now, the Chief Executive of the school’s Students’ Union is asking Namazie to take down the video: […]

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    […] of students and staff on campus. In a positively craven gesture, the Goldsmiths Student Union has since written to Namazie requesting that the recording of the event be removed from youtube. (She […]

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  6. Students Heckled Ex-Muslim During Talk; Now, They Want the Video Removed from YouTube – Krugerable

    […] Now, the Chief Executive of the school’s Students’ Union is asking Namazie to take down the video: […]

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    […] a positively craven gesture, the Goldsmiths Student Union has since written to Namazie requesting that the recording of the event be removed from youtube. (She […]

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  8. Now Goldsmiths #LGBT Society Stands With Islamist Bullies | Godless Spellchecker's Blog

    […] the other societies’ inability to stand up for basic human rights and decency. Maryam Namazie has refused the requests, and rightly […]

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    […] Max Fisher, Giles Fraser, Chrystia Freeland, George Galloway, Mohamed Ghilan, Musa al Gharbi, Goldsmith Feminists, Greens, Zara Hafeez, Hussein Hamdan, Daniel Haqiqatjou, Amira Hass, Dilly Hussain, Murtaza […]

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  10. Women speaking out on Islamic totalitarianism and TCD move to suppress it. – Page 98

    […] messages – for the Islamic Society – and of course not for me. The irony… Goldsmiths Student Union request and more Sign in or Register Now to […]

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