Interfaith Week 2011
Hate Speech: the Border Between Rational Discussion and Irrational Hatred
- Royal Holloway University of London
- 17 November 2011
- For more details about this event at Royal Holloway University of London click here
This seminar, jointly organised by the Islamic Society at Royal Holloway University of London and the Foundation, is part of the on-going Foundation’s projects with university students. The students were invited to question the following:
“Freedom of speech is a necessity of university education. We don't promote hateful speech, but positive criticism and rational differences of opinion -political, religious or academic -are not hate speech.”
Arslan Shafiq, the chair: Discussing our differences should be strengthened by sharing our commonalities.
Amarbeer Singh: I have never experienced hate speech on the campus. An event such as this helps educate the students and provide a safe forum to express our views.
Hate speech does occur against Muslim students on the campus. It is a good idea for the NUS to monitor hate speech on the campus. All students think that the Prevent programme is just like the Big Brother. That is why all students voted against it.
All speakers were presented with a copy of the book “Confronting anti-Semitism and Islamophobia” published by the Foundation