Islamic Society students disrupt university lecture on blasphemy and make 'death threat'
Source: express.co.uk
Maryam Namazie gave a lecture on blasphemy at Goldsmiths
Maryam Namazie was giving a lecture on blasphemy at the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society (ASH), of Goldsmiths in London.
Her talk was repeatedly disrupted by members of the university's Islamic Society (ISOC) with hecklers shouting and turning off her Powerpoint presentation when she showed a cartoon of Jesus and the prophet Muhammad.
Ms Namazie fled Iran's repressive regime and now campaigns against Islamic extremism.
The ISOC complained ahead of the talk saying Namazie's views "create a climate of hatred and bigotry towards Muslim students".
A number of ISOC members attended the talk, titled 'Apostasy, blasphemy and free expression in the age of ISIS', with university security forced to intervene and kick members out.
Go to express.co.uk to see the video
Ms Namazie, speaking after the event, said: "After my talk began, ISOC 'brothers' started coming into the room, repeatedly banging the door, falling on the floor, heckling me, playing on their phones, shouting out, and creating a climate of intimidation in order to try and prevent me from speaking.
"I continued speaking as loudly as I could. They repeatedly walked back and forth in front of me. In the midst of my talk, one of the ISOC Islamists switched off my PowerPoint and left. The University security had to intervene and remain in the room as I continued my talk.
"Eventually the thug who had switched off my PowerPoint returned and continued his harassments.
"At this point, I stood my ground, screamed loudly and continued insisting that he be removed even when the security said he should stay because he was a student.”
The student was eventually escorted out of the meeting and Namazie continued her talk to the audience which included a number of female members of the ISOC.
One member of the audience, lecturer and activist Reza Moradi, said a member of the ISOC made a gesture threatening to kill him during the talk.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Reza Moradi said: “They came in for trouble and made lots of noise. They were very intimidating and I was genuinely worried about Maryam Namazie.
“When the security guards first led out two ISOC members, one of them moved towards me and went ‘boom’.
“At that moment I just thought he was intimidating but it bothered me the way he did that.
“He and his friend came back in later and he was talking to his firend and I said shut up to him and then he looked directly into my eyes and moved his hands into a handgun shape and touched the middle of his forehead.
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Read more: express.co.uk
