Guardian caption: The University of Cambridge said it will not stop the event, in line with its freedom of speech policy. Photograph: Poohz/Getty Images/iStockphoto
I was on a train to London yesterday when I was called by Sarah Marsh, a “journalist” with The Guardian. She asked me for comments on students’ and academics’ opposition to our forthcoming Cambridge University talks (free tickets still available here.) At the end of the call I told Sarah we’re big fans of her paper. She replied, “Yeah… right!”
We find it significant that no mention is made of Elizabeth Hobson speaking at the event. Mention of a young woman speaking there would counter the narrative of dangerous men being behind the event. But we’re pleased that reference is made to Janet Bloomfield’s excellent article from 2014, “13 reasons women lie about being raped”. No link is provided, it’s here. We will not be deterred from pointing out that feminists have long used rape as a political weapon with which to bludgeon men as a class – and create employment for otherwise unemployable feminists – or that feminists lie relentlessly about the issue, as they lie about domestic violence, and so many other issues.
Mention is made of our manifesto but no link provided, it’s here.
Ms Marsh’s article is here. An extract:
Dr Maha Rafi Atal, one of the letter’s signatories, said: “The university isn’t taking the concerns of female staff, who have been harassed by this group, seriously. We wrote this open letter to give people the chance to voice their concerns, the signatures are mixed but I am getting new names all the time. The staff union separately got concern about this from their members and have written their own separate letter.
“This is a group who are part of anti-feminist websites that spend lots of time harassing and threatening feminist women journalists and academics. [J4MB: Not even one example is provided of us “harassing” or “threatening” anyone, needless to say.] They have publicly, on their website, written a series of posts attacking and almost cyber-stalking various feminist Cambridge scholars … ones who work or teach in [the] building this event is going to be taking place [in]. There are particular posts about specific academics here.”
I think this may be the first time we’ve been accused of “almost cyberstalking” feminists. Exactly which posts are being objected to, I have no idea. All in all, an article with the journalistic integrity for which The Guardian is world-famous.
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