SOAS’s Board of Trustees: Censoring Students & Silencing Concerns

On ursday, February 23rd, a group of SOAS students were prohibited from delivering two letters to the Board of Trustees during one of their institutional meetings held in Senate House Library. ese letters were written by two student groups on campus concerned with increasing levels of Islamophobia and securitisation at SOAS. As per procedure, the Students’ Union submitted the letters to be added to the meeting’s agenda ten days prior, but they were le o

Students trying to deliver the letters were confronted by 10 to 15 security guards stationed both inside and outside Senate House Library, who barred students from entering the meeting room. Upon entry, security threatened to call the police on students. is comes weeks a er an extremely violent arrest occurred outside of SOAS, where eight o cers forcefully detained a SOAS student in the main courtyard. A er being denied entry to the meeting room, students read a brief statement aloud, part of which is quoted below:

‘ e removal of the SU update is no surprise to a student body that has been actively resisting Habib’s directorship and the Board of Trustees for its years of silencing and attempted dismantling of any form of mobilisation and union work on campus… is is yet another show of our University’s management style, which prioritises o cially and ociously the removal of any form of dissent and free speech.’ e rst letter, written by the Students’ Initiative Against Racism and Islamophobia at SOAS, details a number of allegations of Islamophobia which have occurred on the SOAS campus over the last few years. ese include inappropriate comments regarding Islam and Muslim identity made by lecturers during class; numerous occurrences of discrimination involving verbal, written, and physical harassment; and an unwarranted removal of a student from the female prayer area by security sta , among many more. Despite countless attempts to resolve these issues through formal complaint channels, little has been done to ameliorate the problem and provide the substantive action that has been called for. Highlighting a perceived hypocrisy, the letter notes the following: ‘ is is unacceptable, particularly in a university that advertises itself on its diversity and teaches Black and Global South Feminist thoughts.’ It concludes

A erwards, students passed the letters to the security guards and stayed for ten minutes further in an attempt to ensure they were delivered to the meeting room, but it remained unclear if they were. ey then le the building.

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Dear Spirit readers, As we approach the year’s last edition, I’d like to take a moment to look both forward and back. At the risk of sounding cliche, the bulk of this letter will be taken up by a massive thank you to all those who have worked on the paper this year.

Firstly, a massive thank you to all of you - the SOAS community. It’s truly been a source of pleasure for us to see interaction with the paper growing issue by issue, something which I hope will continue next year. Release day has been a particular source of joy for all of us at the Spirit, every comment of “I love the paper”, or “I read it every time”, has truly been the motivating factor behind our drive to improve edition to edition. Similarly, I’d love to thank all those who have taken the time to write and contribute to the paper, particularly those who have come back to contribute time and time again. Reading each and every one of your articles has truly been a pleasure, and has con rmed one thing that we all already knew - SOAS truly boasts the most politically engaged, socially conscious student body of any university.

Secondly, a thank you to the team that makes it all happen. No organisation like this is run alone, and whilst it’s me who writes these letters each edition, the truth is that everyone amongst our team has the ability to be in this position. I owe each and every one of you a debt of gratitude for the way in which you curate each of your sections. Whilst it’s impossible to choose a favourite, I’d like to shine a spotlight on our international News and Culture sections. roughout the year, the International News section has consistently highlighted stories that would otherwise be neglected in the mainstream, doing so in a way that has been both entertaining and accessible. Its editor, Viandito, is not someone who o en seeks the limelight (so apologies in advance for this shoutout), but this does not mean that his work has gone unnoticed. Truly an expert on international a airs, his dedication to his section has been admirable and will be missed in years to come. e Culture section is a part of the paper that will always have my heart. Anisah is an editor who never takes her nger o the pulse of pop culture, continually putting the rest of our celebrity knowledge to shame.

The Rise of Pink Pantheress: The TikTok Star turned Popstar

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Her ability to intersect politics and culture is a talent that has made her section unmissable.

Finally, it would be disingenuous of me to say goodbye without thanking three very important people - Amelia, Millie, and Sanna. Sanna is our Creative Director, although to me her job is more akin to witchcra . She masterfully puts the layout of each paper together, o en alone, and o en without the thanks that she genuinely deserves. Aside from this, she is a tireless campaigner for the causes she believes in, uncompromising in her belief that change is possible. Amelia is our Managing editor, essentially the Swiss army knife of the Spirit. She diligently carries out all the tasks that would otherwise puzzle me, (like composing proper emails and public speaking), and generally ensures that the paper is in good health. Despite the fact that she scares the life out of me, it’s been a pleasure to get to know her as a colleague and friend, best of luck wherever your year abroad takes you - they don’t know what’s about to hit them. Finally, Millie. Millie is our Executive digital editor, although realistically she’s been so much more. She tirelessly runs our digital presence, overseeing our website and social platforms at a time of great digital expansion. Aside from this, she’s been the best co-investigator I could have asked for, digging with me to uncover the secrets that so o en remain covered. I’ll genuinely miss spending ungodly hours being sat in the SU, going through meeting minutes line by line in pursuit of a scoop. With the most experience out of all of us, Millie basically is the SOAS Spirit. She knows every policy, regulation, and technicality better than I ever could, truly a girl boss - without the problematic centrism.

With love to Amelia, Millie, Sanna, Ele, Madihah, Viandito, Naaz, Emily, Naeema, Anisah, Hala, Lulu, Unzeela, Clayton, Danyal, Amy, Eman, Sophia, and all those who worked on the paper this year.

Signing o , Toby Editor

in Chief of e SOAS Spirit

Amelia Casey-Rerhaye • Managing Editor

Toby Oliver-Clarke • Editor-in-Chief

Millie Glaister • Executive Digital Editor

Sanna Hamid • Creative Director

Eleanora Catenaro • SOAS News Editor

Madihah Najeeb• National News Editor

Viandito Pasaribu • International News Editor

Naeema Mahmood • Co-Opinion Editor

Emily Holdcro • Co-Opinion Editor

Naaz Hussein • Features Editor

Anisah Mahamoud • Culture Editor

Hala Haidar • Sport & Societies Editor

Lulu Goad • Contributing Designer

Unzeela Manzoor • Contributing Designer

Amy Kan • Contributing Designer

Lulu Goad • Senior Sub Editor

Eman Baasti • Sub Editor

Clayton Barrington-Russell • Sub Editor

Danyal Sabir • Sub Editor

SOAS

Sophia-Fai Roche • Digital reporter

Unzeela Manzoor • Digital reporter https://soasspirit.co.uk/category/news/

News Editors: Eleanora Caterano, Madihah Najeeb & Viandito Pasaribu