Terrorism works, preacher told students

An Islamic preacher told students it was difficult to argue with the views of Osama bin Laden and said “terrorism works” in a speech at the university attended by the Detroit bomber, it can be disclosed.

Referring to bin Laden in his 2005 UCL speech, Mr Green said: "His rational [sic] is ? we are going to keep on killing your women and children until you stop killing our women and children. How do you argue with that?"

Abdur Raheem Green, a Muslim convert and former public schoolboy, told students at University College London that a “permanent state of war exists between the people of Islam and the people who opposed Islam”.

He gave the speech, seen by The Daily Telegraph, to the university’s Islamic society while Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, the Detroit bomber, was a student there in 2005.

A review by UCL into the Abdulmutallab case failed to analyse speeches made by the preacher and other visitors. It concluded that “speakers with controversial but not illegal views were welcome to the extent that they could be expected to stimulate debate”.

The disclosure follows a statement by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, in an interview with this newspaper, in which she said there had been “complacency” by universities about Islamic extremism.

The Government’s Prevent strategy to combat extremism will say it is “concerned that some universities and colleges have failed to engage” with the project, and cite a study showing that at least 55 per cent of institutions did not frequently engage with authorities running the scheme.

Qasim Rafiq, a spokesman for the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, invited Mr Green to speak at UCL along with two speakers from the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and another who has supported the Taliban.
Since then, Mr Green has been invited to give lectures at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies, Queen Mary and Bart’s and at UCL.
Referring to bin Laden in his 2005 UCL speech, Mr Green, who claims he is not an extremist, said: “His rational [sic] is … we are going to keep on killing your women and children until you stop killing our women and children. How do you argue with that?”
Citing the IRA, he added: “The other thing is that it seems that terrorism works. We certainly have precedent.”
Saqib Sattar, a trustee of the Islamic Education and Research Academy, where Mr Green works, said: “The aim of the talk was to combat indiscriminate violence and terrorism and not advocate it.”
A spokesman for UCL said the inquiry had been aware of the speech but added: “Provided the law is observed, we do not operate a 'no platform’ policy in relation to speakers with controversial, distasteful or even repugnant views.”