Students tell of shock over ‘UCL bomber’ Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

MOST people woke up on Boxing Day expecting to laze about on the couch, sleeping off the Christmas excesses and watching TV repeats and soaps.
But that sleepy Saturday was shattered by rolling news reports of the “UCL bomber” – the latest instalment of drama from Al-Qaeda, featuring hidden explosives, security lapses and terror in the skies. It was not long before the mainstream media fixed its gaze on University College London, Bloomsbury. In particular, at its Islamic Society, of which the  23-year-old Nigerian suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was president in 2007. Mr Abdulmutallab was criticised for organising a “War on Terror week” during his time at UCL and it was claimed that the university had a “patchy record in facing up to the problem”.
This week the current president of the society, Mojeed Adams-Mogaji, defended his former student colleague.

“We are all deeply saddened and shocked at the alleged actions, and, like everybody else, we are very relieved that there was no direct human tragedy as a consequence,” he said.
“As a society, we unequivocally denounce all acts of terrorism. It is unfortunate however that as a result of the incident, the positive campus work of the Islamic Society has been tainted and maligned.
“We would like to make clear that despite minority claims, Mr Abdulmutallab had at no stage demonstrated signs of radicalisation during his time at UCL – a point clearly reinforced by many who knew him, including student and staff members alike.”
The Islamic Society, currently with 90 members, meets weekly to debate issues such marriage, death and the afterlife. It sets up tournaments including “Brothers Football” and podcasts of scholarly talks can be downloaded from its website.
Members can learn about how to recite the Qu’ran and the website promotes study group meetings that are “open to anyone irrespective of their gender, race, religion or colour”.
Prominent Islamic speakers are often invited on to campus to talk to society members. While president, Mr Abdulmutallub invited former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg to speak about his time in the controversial prison camp.
James Hodgson, events officer at University College London Union, said: “It is my job to approve speakers to the society. I have never had to veto a speaker – I can’t, legally, if the speaker holds controversial viewpoints. There is a difference between what is controversial and what is illegal. I think people tend to forget that.”
Unlike most university unions, UCLU does not operate a no platform policy for fascist or racist speakers.
Mr Hodgson, 21, said: “It’s true we are one of the few students unions not to operate a platform policy.
“The National Union of Students do operate a no platform policy for people like Nick Griffin. But we don’t have that policy.”
Mr Abdulmutallub was the fourth president of a university Islamic society to face terrorist charges in three years. One is facing a retrial on charges that he was involved in the 2006 liquid bomb plot to blow up airliners.
On Saturday, Britain’s terrorist alert status was raised to “severe” – the second highest terror level – following a political conference on Yemen, the country where Mr Abdulmutallub is alleged to have collected his explosives before boarding the flight to Detroit from the Netherlands.
Provost Professor Malcolm Grant reignited the debate on Monday by stating that universities should “not be a substitute for security services” and that “hyperbole and hysteria” in the mainstream media   could undermine the university’s legal duty to promote free speech.
He said an independent inquiry, led by Dame Caldicott, Principal of Somerville College, Oxford, will aim to establish the facts surrounding Mr Abdulmutallub’s “radicalisation”.
Professor Grant said: “Campuses are and should be safe homes for controversy, argument and debate. This clearly does not include incitement that could lead to terrorism and murder. We are setting up a full independent inquiry into what transpired while he was here and his association with the student Islamic Society and their activities.
“The panel’s report will be published, and we will act on whatever recommendations it makes.”
TOM FOOT