Human rights activist calls for VC resignation

By Danny Crowley

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City’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) society is demanding an apology from the acting vice-chancellor after he allowed a controversial preacher to speak at the university.

Human rights activist Peter Tatchell (below) was also angered that the preacher Abu Usamah was allowed to come to City and called for the resignation of Prof Julius Weinberg.

Tatchell said: “The acting vice-chancellor seems unwilling to uphold the university’s equal opportunities policy. He has failed to defend Muslim, Jewish, Christian, gay and women students and staff against these hate-mongers. Having neglected to ensure that the university is a safe, non-threatening place to work and study, Julius Weinberg should stand down.”

The chairman of the LGBT society, Giulio Folino, told the Inquirer that he wants an apology from the acting VC. Folino said: “I would like Prof Weinberg to apologise on behalf of City University for inviting the radical hate speaker Abu Usamah to our campus.”

After learning that Abu Usumah was invited to appear on campus, the LGBT society tried to raise their concerns with the university, which did not support their concerns. Folino spoke to the human resources (HR) department and the students’ union.

He said: “Inviting a figure that promotes hate can never be a positive thing for our university and I believe the union and the HR team should have taken appropriate action, rather than justifying the invitation of an extremist’s presence in a university environment, which is meant to be liberal and progressive.”

Tatchell added: “It is utterly disgraceful that the students’ union has defended the hosting of this hate preacher, and that the acting vice-chancellor has not responded to  protests from students. This violates the equal opportunities policies of the university and the students’ union.”

In response to the LGBT society’s request to ban Abu Usamah from speaking, an e-mail from Aidan McDonald, general manager of City University students’ union, said: “In accordance with our obligations under section 43 of the education act the speakers Murthada Khan and Abu Usamah at-Thahabi have been granted permission to speak at the university tomorrow evening on the subject of charity. We have not identified any legal impediment preventing these speakers from presenting on the topic at the university.”

Since making his initial comments Tatchell confronted Prof Weinberg at a City graduation event he was attending to support his friend Marcelle D’Argy Smith, the former editor of Cosmopolitan, who was receiving an honorary doctorate from the university.

Tatchell told the Inquirer that he and Prof Weinberg had “sort of cleared the air” at the event. He said: “I expressed my concern about the facilitation of extremist preachers and he seemed to take on board the need to be vigilant.” He added: “I pressed him to meet with student representatives who were angry and hurt by the situation.

“He assured me that he would meet with any student bodies who wished to contact him but he claimed that he had not heard of any opposition to Usumah before he came to the university.”

Prof Weinberg said that he speaks regularly with student union officers and SU officials and that the only student body that has attempted to contact him is the Inquirer.

He said he had reviewed the way the university vets its speakers. He said: “I have decided that it is not appropriate for the university to hold speaker meetings where there is segregation by gender, as this is not consistent with the university values statement.”

Prof  Weinberg added: “I think a discussion with the LGBT society  is necessary so that they can explain what they are asking me to apologise for.”