Motion Title: Public challenge of Student Rights

Motion Proposer(s): Omar Malik and Bashir Ibrahim

KUSU Notes:1. Student Rights is an organisation that is inconsistent with its criticisms of speakers it sees as

‘extremists’, who have been invited by Islamic Societies, but have expressed opposition to student union ‘no-platform’ policy for the BNP

2. Student Rights have only recently admitted that it is a project of the right-wing Henry Jackson Society, whose Associate Director is Douglas Murray who has argued for ‘conditions of Muslims in Europe to be harder across the board’ – but is not transparent about its origins or funding on its website or materials.

3. LSE, Goldsmith’s and Birbeck Student Unions have voted in favour of condemning Student Rights for its overwhelming focus on Muslim students and that their approach tends to bypass students themselves

KUSU Believes:1. The claims Student Rights makes to the press are often sensationalist and misleading, designed to

grab alarmist headlines about so-called extremism on campus, regardless of the impact on students 2. Student Rights’ activities fuel Islamophobia by disproportionately targeting Muslim students,

contributing to their marginalisation and ostracisation, damaging campus cohesion 3. Student Rights’ legitimacy is wholly questionable given its limited or non-existent links to actual

students, inconsistency on the issue of ‘no-platform’ policies and its lack of transparency about its origins.

4. That we should stand against all racist scapegoating, including Islamophobia.

KUSU Resolves:

1. To mandate SU officers to release a public statement/open letter addressed to Student Rights criticising their lack of transparency, sensationalism, divisive and counter-productive activities and disproportionate preoccupation with Muslim students.

2. To mandate SU officers to write to University management, making explicit students’ concerns about the effect Student Rights have on students’ welfare and campus cohesion

3. To outline publicly to all students via email/social media why the SU has passed policy against Student Rights