Readers of Harry’s Place will have a range of opinions about Anne Marie Waters and Sharia Watch. But I expect it can be agreed that she raises some fair points in her sharp response to Hilary Aked’s recent hit piece, billed as ‘the first of an occasional series from Spinwatch’.
In the past, Aked has targeted Student Rights, criticising their work exposing extremism in British universities. You can read one response from them here. Student Rights tackles hate and extremism of all kinds – a very recent post highlights a problem with anti-Muslim graffiti at Birmingham University. But it is certainly true that FOSIS has been a key target of their campaigning. Yesterday they drew attention to a troubling event held in conjunction with iERA. As Anne Marie Waters points out, such problems are completely off the radar for Aked:
You wrote an article in the Huffiington Post in May 2013 commending the Federation of Student Islamic Societies. What is your opinion on the fact that the Government, in its report on Islamic extremism at universities, stated that “FOSIS has not always fully challenged terrorist and extremist ideology within the higher and further education sector”?
Aked was keen to quiz Waters on Sharia Watch’s funding. As she was writing under the aegis of Spinwatch it’s worth noting that their own sources of funding are not above criticism.
Here is Anne Marie Waters’ response to some of the weaker claims made in Aked’s post:
In your emails to me, you point to one video (but have given more than one clip of the same video in an apparent attempt to imply there is more than one) speaking at Speakers’ Corner, and ask why Alan Ayling is in the crowd. Well, because it is a public place and he is free to attend that public place and to listen to whatever speaker he likes. Do you disagree with a person’s right to attend a public place and listen to public speeches? And no, I do not know Alan Ayling; he has certainly never given me any money. This is true regardless of how much you attempt to imply otherwise.
…
You ask me why I follow Kevin Carroll on Twitter. I also follow Tommy Robinson – did you miss that one? I follow lots of people on Twitter – I follow Labour, Tories, Lib Dem, the Guardian, the Telegraph, and even the Westboro Baptist Church (before you accuse me of homophobia, I’m gay and not homophobic in any way). I will follow whoever I wish. Are you willing to justify everyone you follow on Twitter? Are there any Hamas supporters for example? If so, why? Do you support Hamas?
Although Kevin Carroll’s views may not be very edifying, I can’t imagine they are any worse than those of Ibrahim Hewitt, followed by Spinwatch.
He also refused to answer a question about whether he supported the homophobic laws in some Islamic countries, where some do include death by stoning. He said to answer the question requires a much deeper discussion than could be discussed on a phone call.
I would have thought ‘no’ would suffice.
Perhaps Hilary Aked should aim to be less selective in her criticisms of extreme, or unwelcome, views.
