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New NUS president accuses media of printing falsehoods New NUS president accuses media of printing falsehoods
(4 months later)
The new National Union of Students president, Malia Bouattia, has accused the media of printing falsehoods about her being antisemitic and supporting Islamic State rather than celebrating her “incredible landmark” election.The new National Union of Students president, Malia Bouattia, has accused the media of printing falsehoods about her being antisemitic and supporting Islamic State rather than celebrating her “incredible landmark” election.
Bouattia became the first black woman and first Muslim to be elected head of the NUS last week, but her overwhelming victory has been tainted by negative headlines and threats by some individual student unions to disaffiliate from the NUS.Bouattia became the first black woman and first Muslim to be elected head of the NUS last week, but her overwhelming victory has been tainted by negative headlines and threats by some individual student unions to disaffiliate from the NUS.
In a piece for Guardian Opinion on Sunday, Bouattia said she was used to vitriol, having received rape and death threats since her election as NUS black students’ officer two years ago, forcing her to involve the police for her parents’ protection.In a piece for Guardian Opinion on Sunday, Bouattia said she was used to vitriol, having received rape and death threats since her election as NUS black students’ officer two years ago, forcing her to involve the police for her parents’ protection.
She said those threats had not broken her will and she would continue to stand strong amid the current controversy.She said those threats had not broken her will and she would continue to stand strong amid the current controversy.
“Instead of celebrating and publicising this incredible landmark [my election], the media coverage has been cluttered with stories calling me a racist, an antisemite, an Islamic State sympathiser and more,” she writes.“Instead of celebrating and publicising this incredible landmark [my election], the media coverage has been cluttered with stories calling me a racist, an antisemite, an Islamic State sympathiser and more,” she writes.
Related: I’m the new NUS president – and no, I’m not an antisemitic Isis sympathiser | Malia Bouattia
“The truth is, as those who know me well understand, I’ve always been a strong campaigner against racism and fascism in all its forms.“The truth is, as those who know me well understand, I’ve always been a strong campaigner against racism and fascism in all its forms.
“Some may not agree with my politics and ideologies, but I do believe the student movement has a shared goal: to liberate education, creating and supporting access and opportunity for all. This is what I intend to focus on.”“Some may not agree with my politics and ideologies, but I do believe the student movement has a shared goal: to liberate education, creating and supporting access and opportunity for all. This is what I intend to focus on.”
The main controversy surrounded Bouattia’s campaign was over past comments describing the University of Birmingham – with its large Jewish community – as “something of a Zionist outpost” and separate claims about “Zionist-led media outlets”.The main controversy surrounded Bouattia’s campaign was over past comments describing the University of Birmingham – with its large Jewish community – as “something of a Zionist outpost” and separate claims about “Zionist-led media outlets”.
Students at a string of student unions including York and Oxford are agitating to reject membership of theNUS in the wake of her election.Students at a string of student unions including York and Oxford are agitating to reject membership of theNUS in the wake of her election.
In response, Bouattia distinguishes between Zionism, religion and ethnicity, insisting that if people interpreted her comments as taking issue with Judaism, that was never her intention. “There is no place for antisemitism in the student movement, or in society,” she writes. “If any of my previous discourse has been interpreted otherwise, such as comments I once made about Zionism within the media, I will revise it to ensure there is no room for confusion.”In response, Bouattia distinguishes between Zionism, religion and ethnicity, insisting that if people interpreted her comments as taking issue with Judaism, that was never her intention. “There is no place for antisemitism in the student movement, or in society,” she writes. “If any of my previous discourse has been interpreted otherwise, such as comments I once made about Zionism within the media, I will revise it to ensure there is no room for confusion.”
She adds that her criticism of the media was aimed at outlets she believes to be biased in covering the Israel/Palestine conflict. “I was not talking about the media as a whole, or repeating despicable antisemitic prejudice,” she writes.She adds that her criticism of the media was aimed at outlets she believes to be biased in covering the Israel/Palestine conflict. “I was not talking about the media as a whole, or repeating despicable antisemitic prejudice,” she writes.
On claims that she refused to condemn Isis by delaying a national executive council motion condemning the group two years ago, she points out that she supported a reworded version, having been satisfied that it did not condemn all Muslims, as she felt the original did. “Yet newspaper reports this week still depict me as a young Muslim who supports Isis,” she writes. “This is simply not true.”On claims that she refused to condemn Isis by delaying a national executive council motion condemning the group two years ago, she points out that she supported a reworded version, having been satisfied that it did not condemn all Muslims, as she felt the original did. “Yet newspaper reports this week still depict me as a young Muslim who supports Isis,” she writes. “This is simply not true.”
Bouattia suggests criticism of her for campaigning against the government’s anti-radicalisation Prevent strategy is because she is a Muslim woman, highlighting that she is far from alone in her concerns about the programme.Bouattia suggests criticism of her for campaigning against the government’s anti-radicalisation Prevent strategy is because she is a Muslim woman, highlighting that she is far from alone in her concerns about the programme.
She writes that the NUS should be “opening minds, educating people, and building human connection through intelligent discussion instead of angry rhetoric” and says she is committed to continuing the NUS’s long-running fight against injustice, wherever it may rear its head.She writes that the NUS should be “opening minds, educating people, and building human connection through intelligent discussion instead of angry rhetoric” and says she is committed to continuing the NUS’s long-running fight against injustice, wherever it may rear its head.
“As always there will be times when we disagree,” she writes. “From tuition fees to Israel/Palestine, it’s to be expected, and to be celebrated, that students won’t always see eye to eye. That’s the beauty of democracy. There is, however, something we must all agree on: there is no space for prejudice in our movement, and I will continue to fight it in all its forms, whomever it targets. That is my promise.”“As always there will be times when we disagree,” she writes. “From tuition fees to Israel/Palestine, it’s to be expected, and to be celebrated, that students won’t always see eye to eye. That’s the beauty of democracy. There is, however, something we must all agree on: there is no space for prejudice in our movement, and I will continue to fight it in all its forms, whomever it targets. That is my promise.”