The diversity and inclusion leader at a Bristol school that cancelled a visit from a Jewish MP said that Hamas terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre in Israel were “heroes fighting for justice”.
Bristol Brunel Academy has been criticised for suspending a visit by Damien Egan, the Labour MP for Bristol North East and vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel, after learning of planned protests.
Egan was due to visit the academy in September, but the visit was cancelled after the school learnt that protests were planned by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the National Education Union (NEU), and some staff threatened to wear keffiyehs to school on the day.
Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), the multi-academy trust that runs the school, also blocked a speaker from Check Point Software Technologies, an Israeli-owned cybersecurity company, from attending its summer conference in July, after pressure from NEU members.
Damien Egan
ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE TIMES
The Times can reveal that Saima Akhtar, who is the inclusion and diversity co-ordinator for CLF and sits on the academy council of the school, supported the attacks on October 7, 2023, and told people to ignore “media attempts to paint Israel as a victim” on the day after the attacks.
The academy council on which she sits is responsible for holding the school principal and her leadership team to account for academic quality, student safeguarding and staff wellbeing.
At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said the government would act against pro-Palestinian protesters who had helped to prevent the Labour MP from attending the school.
Hamas launched the most brutal attack on Israel in its history when it killed about 1,200 Israelis, committed horrific sexual violence against some victims and took 251 people hostage. Akhtar posted a quote on Facebook from Nelson Mandela on the day of the attack, which read: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
The next day she posted a message which said “Palestine is fighting back” against an “apartheid” carried out by Israel. “This is a war against their oppressors,” she added on her Facebook page.
She added: “This is an oppressed people standing up and fighting back. Just imagine if this was Ukraine attacking Russia? Heroes fighting for justice and their right to exist. Palestinians are no different. #FreePalestine.”
Just over a week later, she wrote: “The real problem is the West and the mainstream media. They’re liable for ethnic cleansing and genocide because of their unprecedented support of Israel.”
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Akhtar has posted about attending marches for Palestine in Bristol and used the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. Hamas uses the slogan to call for the destruction of Israel.
In January 2024, Akhtar said on Facebook that she used to believe in a “two-state solution” for Israel and Palestine, but now subscribed to the view that Israel was not a country but a “settler colony” which wanted to replace “the native population of the colonised land with a new society of settlers”.
In her LinkedIn profile, Akhtar describes her approach to work at the academy trust as “intersectional, trauma-informed, and unapologetically anti-racist, with a strong commitment to trans rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and global solidarity, including support for Palestinian human rights”.
She describes her “lifelong mission” as being “to challenge discriminatory practices and create inclusive, affirming environments where every individual — regardless of race, faith, gender identity or background — can thrive.”
A spokesman for the Cabot Learning Federation said: “We were made aware of these posts yesterday evening and immediately launched a full and comprehensive investigation. The promotion of inclusion and rejection of discrimination are enshrined in the CLF’s core values, and all staff are expected to embody these values in their behaviour, both inside and outside of school.
“We have also commissioned an external review of our existing training and development for staff, to further raise awareness of discrimination of any kind, including race, religion or ethnic origin. We take our responsibilities to educate young people about British values extremely seriously, which is why we invited Mr Egan to speak to our students in the first place.
“While we took the decision to postpone the visit due to concerns about student safety and the disruption to their education from the planned protest, a date for the rescheduled visit had already been confirmed by Mr Egan’s office. This was long before any of the most recent concerns were raised.”
A Department for Education spokesman said: “No Jewish MP should be prevented from attending schools in their constituency. It is a legal duty for teachers to be politically impartial. They must consider the message they are sending to children and young people, who should be supported no matter their faith or background.”
An NEU spokesman said: “It is good that MPs, especially those in the party of government, seek to engage with schools. It is also legitimate for constituents to express their views to MPs on national and international issues.”
The Times approached Akhtar for comment.