LONDON - The University College London Union (UCLU) has refused to allow an ex-student who has been fighting alongside the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) in Syria from speaking at an event being organized by a Kurdish organization.
”UCLU has decided not to approve the speaker because there are concerns that an event with a person speaking about their experiences fighting in Syria could lead to others going and fighting in the conflict,” Asad Khan, events officer at UCLU, told Rudaw.
“UCLU feels this is not an appropriate message to be given on a university campus at this time,” he said.
The prospective speaker, who uses the name Macer Gifford, was banned from speaking on campus also because of a recent Amnesty International report accusing YPG of human rights violations, such as forced displacement of non-Kurds and enlistment of individuals under the age of 18.
“In this context, despite the fact that YPG aren’t deemed a terrorist organization, UCLU felt that there was enough evidence to deny the speaker request,” Khan explained.
Kavar Kurda, the head of the Kurdish Society at the university, told Rudaw he was “deeply offended and disgusted” by the decision, which he called “absolutely outrageous.”
"UCL and Asad Khan displayed horrible prejudice against the Kurdish cause and the freedom of speech,” he said.
Khan rejected the accusation.
”We consider freedom of speech on university campuses to be of vital importance, but it was not deemed appropriate for UCLU to provide a platform for speakers from militia groups that have been accused of human rights abuses,” he said.
Kurda believed the concerns that Gifford could encourage individuals to go fight in Syria were “nonsense,” He rejected the Amnesty report, which he called “biased” against YPG, noting the force had received ”praise and support from the Western coalition” fighting the Islamic State group (ISIS).
“The report has been retorted as utter rubbish by numerous outlets and groups, they once again focused on Turkish news sources to be their fountain of enlightenment,” Kurda said about the Amnesty report.
The 28-year-old Gifford -- not his real name -- drew attention earlier this year when he was reported to have told his parents he was going to Turkey for a holiday. Instead, he joined the fight against ISIS in Syria along with YPG forces.
It was not possible to get a comment from Gifford, despite repeated attempts by Rudaw.
Many foreign fighters have traveled to Syria and neighboring Iraq to fight with Kurdish militias battling ISIS, the militant Sunni group that includes thousands of foreign fighters from Europe and elsewhere in the Middle East.
