Manchester University society shut down after anti-gay Muslim video expose

A society at the University of Manchester has been shut down after a student secretly filmed an extremist Muslim saying gay people should be killed – with a complaint then received by police.

The comments were secretly recorded by Middle East studies student Colin Cortbus at a public meeting organised by the Global Aspirations of Women student group at the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union earlier this month.

When Mr Cortbus asked the chairperson of the meeting – whether “in the Islamic society in which you strive for,” would they “feel comfortable, personally and morally, to kill a gay man?”

The chairwoman of the meeting replied: “Absolutely.”

Mr Cortbus also asked whether in the Islamic state they were advocating – would they feel confident to kill him if he “did something as com­pletely innocent as kiss another man outside the Students’ Union.”

The chairwoman replied: “Yeah, abso­lutely,” adding, “But it’s the fact that you can’t just see it as it is. People have this issue that the punishment, penal code, everything is so completely inhumane, but who even says that these things are inhumane?”

The University of Manchester’s Student Union Executive strongly condemned the homophobic language – but also criticised Mr Cortbus for his undercover recording of the meeting – that in turned angered many students who felt his actions were justified.

Following a complaint to Greater Manchester Police, the Global Aspirations group has now been closed by the Student Union Executive.

The issue of extremism on British university campuses remains in the spotlight.

An Islamic cleric, who has urged that gay people should be punished with death, is due to visit Reading University’s Muslim Society on Thursday.

• Dec 01 2023

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