Overview

• Free speech campaigners and academic groups have formally requested the Office for Students to investigate Bristol University’s handling of the false Islamophobia allegations against Prof. Steven Greer.
• Greer reported going into hiding, wearing disguises and carrying a screwdriver for protection after a social media campaign demanded his dismissal over remarks referencing the Charlie Hebdo attack.
• A five-month independent inquiry in summer 2021 cleared Greer of Islamophobia but Bristol removed his module on “Islam, China and the Far East” and acknowledged the Islamic Society’s concerns.
• Critics draw parallels with the Kathleen Stock case, noting Sussex University was fined £585,000 for failing to uphold academic freedom.
• The government’s working group on defining Islamophobia, led by Dominic Grieve, faces scrutiny over its potential impact on freedom of speech and campus debate.