Birmingham University has withdrawn a controversial lecture following a complaint by UKLFI, who had been contacted by concerned students.

The lecture was part of the course “Children as Citizens” lead by Dr Saba Hussain in the College of Social Sciences, School of Education. The controversial lecture was entitled “The case of the Palestinian Occupied Territory”, and was delivered on 8 February 2024.

The concerned students had been reluctant to submit complaints in their own names for fear of victimisation.

A Powerpoint presentation circulated to students and staff prior to the lecture contained what was alleged to be undisguised anti-Israel political propaganda, full of misinformation and distortion and with no real connection to citizenship and disability.

On 29 February 2024 Saba Hussein announced to the students “It has come to our attention that some students have expressed concerns about parts of Week 4 lectures slides.  While we look into this matter the lecture has been temporarily removed.”

She also wrote, “In accordance with the FoS Act (2023) and the University’s code of practice, the school and the tutors on this module remain committed to free speech and the ideals of open and empathetic discussions on a range of ideas. We also recognize that, again as per the University’s code of practice, there is a duty to recognize the heightened risks associated with materials designed to discuss the ongoing political situation in Israel and Gaza.”

 Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UKLFI commented:  “We welcome the review. While freedom of speech within the law is guaranteed by legislation, this must be reconciled with the university’s other obligations and responsibilities, such as avoiding harassment and discrimination against students related to protected characteristics, fostering good relations between different ethnic and religious groups, and providing academic education of a high standard within particular disciplines.”