Top London university to host pro-Hamas speakers‏

University College London has defended its decision to host a conference featuring several radical Islamic preachers, despite admitting it has full knowledge of their incendiary remarks.

Ignoring calls by the Union of Jewish students for the university to stop the event, this Saturday's Ramadan Conference, organised by UCL's Islamic Society, will include Jalal Ibn Sa'eed and Zahir Mahmoud who have made controversial comments about Israel and martyrdom.
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Last year radical international preacher Mahmoud was recorded as saying in a speech in Birmingham that, "Hamas are not terrorists. They're freedom fighters." While Jalal Ibn Sa�eed, has said , "Most of us are guilt. We selfishly live like the Jews who only care about themselves and call the rest of us goyim, those who are damned and those who are enslaved to them."
Mandy Smith, of UCL Students' Union, said: "We are indeed aware of these comments and were aware of them when we approved the speakers' invitations.
"We cannot ban a speaker based on their beliefs, it is against our rules and it is against the law. Hate speech is forbidden in forums that we host and if speakers were to break these rules and regulations we would intervene if we thought a criminal offense was occurring."
She added: "The speakers have been invited to speak at a spiritual event.
We allow all of our religious societies to host events that they feel add to their development and as a charity and as a Union we are obliged to do this in an open and fair environment."
Mark Gardner of the CST said: "Our concerns about the speakers at this conference are well known, so the responsibility now clearly lies with UCL and the organisers to ensure that no transgressions occur."
UJS, who will not be present at the conference as it is on Shabbat, said: "We are concerned about the impact this may have on the welfare of Jewish students and have been in dialogue with Professor Malcolm Grant, provost at UCL, to find ways of allowing freedom of speech on Campus whilst safeguarding Jewish student welfare."