Namazie Speaks at Warwick: ‘Unconditional free expression in universities is long gone’

Following the controversial overturning of the decision to ban Namazie from speaking at the university, on the 28th of October, the outspoken secularist campaigner finally made it to Warwick.

Last Thursday, the political activist Maryam Namazie, who in 2005 was named ‘Secularist of the Year’ and in 2007 founded the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, spoke to Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists (WASH) about her views on Islam and apostasy in the modern age.

Additional police officers were posted to most of the doors and entrances of the Maths and Statistics building in which she spoke.

Fortunately, no security threats arose during the talk, and the session progressed smoothly without serious disruption.

The session was divided into an hour long presentation, which was then followed by an hour of audience Q&A.

The days when unconditional free expression in universities is long gone. Religion has always had a privileged place in societies, and critics of religion have never been free to express themselves.”

Maryam Namazie

Benjamin David, President of WASH, introduced the event as “the largest event in the history of the Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists society.”

He also spoke about his experience in dealing with the SU crisis following Namazie’s initial rejection from coming to Warwick. He said that censoring activists like her would only serve to “create an environment incapable of expending real discretion.”

Following this brief introduction, Namazie told audience members that she believed the SU’s claims of her views being “inflammatory” and “inciting hatred” were “absurd”.

She added: “The days when unconditional free expression in universities is long gone. Religion has always had a privileged place in societies, and critics of religion have never been free to express themselves.”

Namazie’s talk ranged from the Charlie Hebdo killings earlier this year and the problems she has with the veil and burka, which she described as a “body bag” and “mobile prison”. She also discussed her controversial nude protests in support of women’s liberation.

During the Q&A, one audience member questioned her on the effectiveness of nude protesting, saying that we should “use logic to oppose these problems, rather than using nudity and flashing our bodies.”

Namazie rebutted these claims by saying that nude protests help bring “worldwide attention to misogyny and injustice towards women”, which she said is a harsh reality for females in countries such as Iran and Bangladesh.

Others questioned her on her view of the British political left, on the difference between Islamists and ordinary Muslims, and on the limits to our freedom of speech.

The largest event in the history of the Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists society.”

Benjamin David,  WASH President

The two-hour event closed with a round of applause, after which Namazie chatted freely with audience members and handed out leaflets on secularism and the taboo-breaking TV programme she hosts, ‘Bread and Roses’, which is secretly aired in Iran and discusses issues such as apostasy, blasphemy and atheism.

Namazie later tweeted: “Thanks for an amazing evening students of Warwick University… I really enjoyed discussions!”

The full talk will soon be uploaded to her YouTube channel, ‘Nano GoleSorkh’, for any of those that missed it.

In September, Namazie had controversially been denied permission to speak at the University by an anonymous member of Warwick Students’ Union (SU).

Yet this decision was later overturned by the SU due to the fact that the ban was unauthorised, the application not having been looked over by the chief executive or the director of membership services.