Christians Under Attack

Universities across the country have experienced problems with radical   preachers and extremist members of Islamic Societies, but this is the first   known case of individuals with extremist links being elected to senior   positions in the student union.

Mr Mahri is a member of the "Global Ideas" society which was banned by the   university last year for inviting Jamal Harwood, a senior member of Hizb ut   Tahrir, to address students.

He has used the tag #bringbackkhilafah on the Twitter website and posted a rap   song he wrote called "Khilafah's Coming Back" which refers to "the Kufr", a   derogatory term for non-Muslims, on his Facebook page.

The Khilfah refers to the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate run according   to shariah law.

The newly elected vice-president, Mr Achchi, has circulated documents   published by Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Mr Achchi used Scribd, a social networking site, to post Hizb ut-Tahrir memos   calling on Muslims to overthrow democracy and establish the Khilafah.

In his union election manifesto, he wrote: "I have been a politically active   student throughout the duration of my studies... I am a fighter, and NEVER   back down!"

Just under 13 per cent of 23,000 students voted in the elections on April 1.   Both men will take up their posts at the end of June.

Mr Mahri won with 1,084 votes. His closest rival got 742. Mr Achchi won with   1,132 votes, a majority of 112.

Steve Barfield, 48, an English literature lecturer at Westminster, told the   London Evening Standard: "How can they represent women or gay and lesbian   students who are already struggling against sexism and homophobia, if this   seems to be their political agenda?"

Shiraz Maher, a former member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, who is now a lecturer and   journalist, said: "Hizb ut-Tahrir despises democracy and believes Shariah   law must be imposed over the whole world, by force if necessary. I think   unless we challenge this we are sleepwalking into a very dangerous future."

Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said: "Our rules   state individuals or members of organisations or groups identified as   holding racist or fascist views are not allowed to stand for election or go   to, speak at or take part in conferences, meetings or any other events."

He said the issues surrounding the Westminster University vote "will be   considered formally next month by the relevant committee".

A University of Westminster spokesman said: "If our students have concerns   that the actions of fellow students step beyond acceptable behaviour or   statutory regulations, then we have appropriate mechanisms in place to deal   with these concerns."

A number of terrorists have studied at British universities including members   of the fertiliser bomb and trans-Atlantic airlines gangs as well as Umar   Farouq Abdulmutallab, the Detroit underpants bomber, and Taimur Abdulwahab   al-Abdaly, the Stockholm suicide bomber.

A report by Universities UK, the umbrella organisation for universities,   earlier this year said that many universities considered animal extremism   more of a problem than Islamist extremism

http://www.telegraph.co.uk