Middlesex University reportedly to cut ties with Islamic College over links to Iran and inflammatory staff

Middlesex University is reportedly cutting ties with the Islamic College.

The University is terminating its partnership with the Brondesbury Park-based institution, whose degrees are validated by Middlesex University and which has received hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxpayer funds, according to the JC.

The Islamic College is alleged to be the British affiliate of Al-Mustafa International University, which is controlled by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and which was sanctioned by the United States in 2020 because it is allegedly “a recruiting platform for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.”

Earlier this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to all MPs supporting the Government’s mooted ban on the IRGC terror group.

There is no evidence that the Islamic College itself is involved in terrorism. A staff member, however, reportedly claimed that mass-murderer Anders Breivik was an “ultra-Zionist, freemason, Islamophobic who claims to belong to the Templar order of the Rose-Cross.”

In addition, a former Principal of the College, Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour, has reportedly been captured on video apparently urging the crowd at a rally in 2013 to chant their support for the antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation Hizballah, which has since been proscribed by the British Government.

Another lecturer was reportedly captured on video comparing Israel’s policies to those of the Nazis. The JC has reported that, after it began investigating, this video is no longer available. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”

The founder of the College, Saied Reza Ameli, who until 2006 was a trustee of the Irshad Trust, the charity that runs the College, is reportedly now a secretary to Iran’s Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution.

The Islamic College runs courses on Arabic, Islamic studies and Islamic law at undergraduate and graduate levels. Its degrees are “validated” by Middlesex University, and, in addition to significant taxpayer funds received under the Covid furlough scheme, it is owned by a charity, enjoying the benefit of tax-incentivised donations.

The Islamic College is closely associated with the controversial Islamic Centre of England.

A spokesperson for Middlesex university reportedly said: “Following a review of our partnership with the Islamic College in London we have mutually agreed to terminate. Middlesex University has a statutory duty of care to students currently studying at the college and we are in close contact with the regulatory body, the Office of Students, to ensure a smooth transition. The end date of our partnership will be December 31, 2023.” 

In a further statement, spokesperson for the University said: “Middlesex University validates academic provision offered by the Islamic College and provides services related to oversight of academic quality and standards, in line with standard sector practice. All of our partnerships are regularly reviewed and we undertake thorough due diligence before formalising any collaborative relationship. We are grateful to the JC for bringing these serious allegations to our attention and we will be raising them with the Islamic College as a matter of urgency.”

The Islamic College denies affiliation to Al-Mustafa University. A spokesperson said that the College’s aim is to “offer programmes of the highest standards in Islamic studies, promulgate a rational and critical study of religion, enhance community cohesion and promote interfaith dialogue. It is not engaged in the dissemination of any ideology.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitismby universities.

If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].