The Bristol University Conservative Association is set to host two racist individuals in collaboration with the Pinsker Centre, a right-wing think tank, on the 10th of February. In light of recent events, in which Trump's 'peace plan' has furthered suffering and apartheid in Palestine, and in the wake of numerous "It’s Okay To Be White" posters found on campus, there has never been a more important time to oppose racism in all its forms. An event of this calibre is deeply concerning and inflammatory to all anti-racists on campus, and most importantly Muslim and Palestinian students who are targeted by this event.

Colonel Richard Kemp is a racist and a bigot, continuously attacking Muslims from both an anti-immigrant standpoint and an openly racist one. He claims that "Islam is not a religion of peace" and that "Islamic terrorists such as IS don't act under any ‘extreme’ form of Islam, but simply Islamic doctrine as specified in the Quran". Kemp has describer ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as "one of the leading Islamic scholars" and that "good Muslims, and those who are devout Muslims, have to support this activity [terrorism]"(1).

 It is clear to us, from these statements and many more like it, that Kemp is one of the many Islamophobes in society who fan the flames of hate. He is also a regular contributor to 'Breitbart': a far-right news outlet with links to the racist antisemite Steve Bannon. He is also a ‘senior fellow’ at the far-right, Islamophobic ‘Gatestone Institute’. Gatestone promote extreme Islamophobic conspiracy theories such as the ‘Islamification’ of Europe, which have fuelled global attacks on Muslims and Mosques, and is supported by the likes of Tommy Robinson. It has published white supremacist articles supporting conspiracy theories such as ‘White Genocide’, ‘The Great Replacement’ and ‘Race Realism’, which echo the racist posters we have seen dotted around our campus (2). This hateful ideology is taken up by far-right neo-nazis that form the basis of the ‘manifestos’ of mass murderers such as Anders Breivik and the killers in Pittsburgh, Christchurch, Halle and Poway. He also demonises, vilifies, and erases the existence of Palestinian people, claiming that “there never has been a state of Palestine”, contrary to the experiences and ancestral histories of many of our students.

Yossi Kuperwasser served as the head of the research division of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) military intelligence division, aiding the lethal force which is responsible for thousands of unlawful killings, child imprisonments, and human rights violations imposed on the occupied Palestinian people (3). The illegal occupation of the West Bank and siege of Gaza is strengthened deeply by the brute force of the IDF and those in charge, who are responsible for repeatedly committing crimes against humanity and disregarding the basic rights of Palestinians and those who stand in solidarity with them. The welfare of Palestinian students, who have repeatedly been harassed and targeted by the IDF, has not been considered by the University. This is a shameful and embarrassing position for Bristol University to be taking. Kuperwasser has written multiple articles not only dehumanizing and vilifying Palestinians (4),  but contributing to the virus of Islamophobic sentiment which plagues us globally, for example claiming that “verses in the Qu’ran justify terrorism” (5).

On the 11th June 2019, Bristol SU adopted the APPG full definition of Islamophobia (6). A quick search of the names of both of these people should immediately raise red flags. Both of these speakers are in breach of the APPG definition. We do not understand how this event managed to pass a risk assessment. By allowing these racists a platform to speak on campus, the University is perpetuating Islamophobia and neglecting their duty of care to Muslim and Palestinian students, the SU is contradicting its own policy by ignoring the adopted APPG definition, and both are legimitising and glorifying Israeli and British war crimes in the Middle East.

We are deeply concerned that Bristol University has not taken the necessary precautionary steps to ensure the protection of Muslim and racially marginalised students in relation to this event, leaving them vulnerable and targeted. Racism, hate-speech and xenophobic rhetoric should never masquerade as free speech.

We, the undersigned, call on Bristol University to cancel this event, to review the external speaker request system and risk assessment, and for Bristol Students’ Union to take immediate action in honouring their adoption of the APPG definition.


(1)https://youtu.be/VtO_BUI93d0
(2) The Great White Death’, Gatestone Institute:
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11044/euroupe-white-death
(3) https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/israel/palestine 
(4) https://www.haaretz.co.il/opinions/.premium-1.2887115
(5) https://youtu.be/By8umbaYHpI (10.50-11.30)
(6) https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/articles/final-student-council-2019 (Article 5)