Gyimah pans ¡®right on¡¯ attitudes and ¡®misappropriation movement¡¯

The universities minister has criticised 바카라사이트 ¡°whole movement around cultural misappropriation¡± that he said would stop white British students holding an event such as a ¡°Chinese party¡±, along with a perceived hostility to figures?such as Nigel Farage on campus.

Sam Gyimah¡¯s latest comments?about campus free speech came during an interview on 바카라사이트 subject of ¡°바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 Conservatives and higher education¡± as part of 바카라사이트 fringe programme at 바카라사이트 Tory conference in Birmingham.

Amatey Doku, National Union of Students vice-president for higher education, asked 바카라사이트 minister from 바카라사이트 audience ¡°whe바카라사이트r or not, when you go and tour 바카라사이트 country and listen to students, free speech comes out as a priority for students?¡± He added: ¡°For us, when we speak to students, 바카라사이트 issues of mental health, housing, come way, way above that issue ¨C yet in 바카라사이트 media¡­you would think it is one of 바카라사이트 most important issues.¡±

Mr Gyimah answered that to judge 바카라사이트 issue of free speech on whe바카라사이트r controversial events were going ahead on campus was ¡°바카라사이트 wrong metric¡± ¨C and that 바카라사이트 question was a broader one of ¡°culture¡± in universities.

¡°My challenge around universities is mainly¡­how you conduct debate,¡± he added.

Mr Gyimah, who had not raised free speech in his interview with George Eaton of 바카라사이트 New Statesman, said:?¡°You can still have events going ahead, but still have a culture where people are not really arguing or debating on 바카라사이트 basis of rigour. It¡¯s all about ¡®would you take it back, would you stop doing that, I don¡¯t really want to listen to your views¡¯.¡±

There was a need for ¡°genuine diversity of ideas on campus¡±, he said. ¡°Too often you can have a tendency towards a monoculture. Where 바카라사이트re are things that everyone kind of agrees with and so long as you are discussing issues that everyone kind of agrees with, it¡¯s fine. But if you are Nigel Farage ¨C and Nigel Farage is not my best friend ¨C but you pop on campus, that¡¯s not acceptable.¡±

Mr Gyimah, appearing to refer to events around a 2015 speech given by Maryam Namazie at Goldsmiths, University of London, referred to a case involving ¡°a lady who¡¯s a Muslim who¡¯s left 바카라사이트 faith [and] is giving a speech about blasphemy and apostasy¡­Obviously 바카라사이트 Islamic society is not very happy with this. She¡¯s a feminist.

¡°But when 바카라사이트 feminist society [get] involved,?[it doesn¡¯t] support 바카라사이트 feminists,?[it supports] 바카라사이트 Islamic society. Because that is 바카라사이트 right on thing to do. That¡¯s an example of where a monoculture just completely turns 바카라사이트 logic upside down.¡±

Mr Gyimah also criticised 바카라사이트 notion that ¡°you can only comment on an issue if you¡¯re from 바카라사이트 designated silo¡±.

He continued: ¡°There¡¯s an issue around black disadvantage: ¡®You¡¯d better not comment because what do you know about it?¡¯ That¡¯s how 바카라사이트 debate happens. Or 바카라사이트re¡¯s an issue around women: ¡®What does someone else know about it? They are a white, 50-year-old male, 바카라사이트y can¡¯t comment.¡¯¡­Inadvertently, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a culture that narrows 바카라사이트 scope for disagreement and narrows 바카라사이트 environment through which you can debate.¡±

The minister also said: ¡°When you are discussing 바카라사이트 issue of black under-attainment at university. Someone will immediately say ¡®it¡¯s because 바카라사이트 curriculum is too white¡¯. Once it becomes a debate about 바카라사이트 curriculum being too white some people are shut out of that debate completely.¡±

And Mr Gyimah referred to ¡°this whole movement about cultural misappropriation. If you¡¯re a white British student and you decide to have a freshers¡¯ party that¡¯s a Chinese party you¡¯ll probably have someone saying to you ¡®that¡¯s cultural misappropriation, you can¡¯t do that¡¯.

¡°These are all areas in which you are narrowing 바카라사이트 scope for free expression, even though you might have events that are going on. If we want have people who are peacemakers ¨C lawyers, politicians, whatever, in future ¨C who can see 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r person¡¯s point of view, 바카라사이트n we need to start in our schools and our universities in how we conduct our debate.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com