Muslim students to sue college for 'Islamophobia'

London

Three Muslim A-Level students are threatening to sue their college for stress after they were suspended in a row over Islamophobia.

Tahyba Ahmed, Humayra Tasnim, Sumayyah Ashraf, were banned from entering classroom as they send a four page email to all staff and pupils at NewVIc College in Newham, east London, criticising the decision to cancel a discussion on the Government's new counter-terrorism policy.

Their lawyer are said to have contacted the college and called for the trio's immediate return.

The girls said,  'The entire incident has caused us considerable stress and has had a significant impact on us and our families. Our revision has been significantly interrupted and we no longer feel positive about our examination results.’

Fellow students have also launched an online petition for the 'NewVIc3' to be allowed back in the classroom, which is circulating on social media.

College principal Eddie Playfair defended his decision and claimed the suspension was the result of an 'inappropriate use of college communications.'

The trio have been allowed to return to the college to write their exams.  

The disagreement started after a talk on the Government's 'Prevent' strategy, which is being introduced in all British schools, was cancelled by college management. 

A journalist and a local politician were among the speakers, but the girls claim It was cancelled at short-notice after concerns were raised about an unnamed panel member.

In the email the students, aged 18 and 19 years, are said to have accused the college of championing Prevent and made various demands, including that the college make a statement criticising the strategy, according to sources.

The trio were suspended on May 22, the same date as their classes finished ahead of exams.

Mr Playfair insisted that the college was committed to fighting all forms of discrimination. “On 22nd May, an email document which makes various demands of the college was sent to every student and member of staff from three individual student email accounts,” he said in an initial statement.

In a second statement Mr Playfair said, “Their suspension related solely to an allegation that they had misused the College’s e-mail system.”