Read The Knives for Free Online Page B

that have caused us concern. We have often spoken of the Islamic societies? Their calibre varies from college to college, some of high standard and great value to Muslim students. Others …’ The Sheikh shrugged and slowly set a glossy printed leaflet down on the tablebefore Blaylock. ‘Our society at Russell, we have had some disputes. Who keeps the key to the prayer room, what content is put on social media … But, it has been okay. Now, the society has connected itself to an organisation that is new to me, and already they have booked a series of talks that, well …’
    Blaylock looked at the leaflet. It advertised a list of Islamic Society debates scheduled up to Christmas. The billings – ‘Does the Media Understand Sharia?’, ‘Can a Good Muslim Be Gay?’, ‘What Is Preventing a Palestinian State?’, ‘What is the Real Meaning of Jihad?’ – had a uniformity to Blaylock’s eye, as did the repeated listing of one Dr Ghassan Doumani as guest speaker. At the foot of the leaflet was the legend ‘In Association with the Institute of Islamic Praxis’.
    ‘Is this Institute by any chance headed up by Dr Doumani?’
    Professor Mankad nodded. ‘A remarkably busy man.’
    ‘You can sense, I think,’ said Hanifa, ‘the tenor of what is proposed, the attitude to non-Muslims, to Israel, to same-sex relations … For the first-year students newly arrived to Russell, keen to join in activities … it sends a confrontational message, I think.’
    Silently, glumly, Blaylock agreed. It was Russell he hoped his son Alex might attend to read Law in a year’s time.
    ‘Now, Home Secretary, I have of course tried to speak to the society president, but he has been persistently avoiding me.’
    ‘I see.’ Blaylock shifted in his seat. ‘The issue, it seems to me, is the one you raise about the duty of care owed to your students. We don’t want to be painted as Orwellian bullies. But it may be that universities and student unions are a bit out of date on free speech issues – certainly if we’ve got parties who want to use free speech as a platform to argue that other people shouldn’t speak freely.’
    Mark Tallis was clicking his pen. ‘Are female students welcome to attend these sorts of events?’
    Hanifa winced. ‘They are, though lately there has been this business of separate seating, if the invited speaker wishes it so.’
    Blaylock threw a pointed look to Tallis. ‘Well, then, it may be past time to look more closely at the validity of the invitations. It’s been on our minds, in fact – the idea of some second-level order to bar certain kinds of gatherings on campuses.’
    ‘On what grounds?’ Professor Mankad looked very alert.
    ‘On the grounds of their being un-collegiate. We won’t abide segregation. No union within a union, no state within a state.’ Blaylock turned to Geraldine, who sat taking notes. ‘I need a report done on the college societies, nationwide. And I want to see the Director of Counter-Extremism Strategy tomorrow for a catch-up.’
    ‘Shall I invite the Minister for Security?’
    Blaylock knew why Geraldine asked. His Security Minister Paul Payne was zealous in his junior brief yet apparently unsatisfied, possibly seeing himself as a Laertes miscast as Osric. Blaylock preferred to keep Payne out of the way by tasking him with issues such as cyber-security, which Blaylock never really understood.
    ‘No, just me and Rory Inglis. Sheikh, Professor, forgive me but—’
    The two visitors rose to go. Mankad, though, looked at Blaylock very directly. ‘Where I live in Stepney, I understand this “Free Briton Brigade” intend to march?’
    ‘Yes. I am just in receipt of a petition to ban it.’
    ‘You have a view?’
    ‘It’s the view of Scotland Yard that counts. You have a view yourself?’
    ‘I do. These rallies, they are an incitement to violence.’
    ‘Well, there is a right to demonstrate. But if, as you say, the intent is to provoke disorder then we won’t be