Difference between revisions of "Raheem Kassam"
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Revision as of 14:54, 10 January 2013
Raheem Kassam is the National Director of Student Rights - Tackling Extremism on Campus.[1] He is also Campaigns Director at the Henry Jackson Society[2]and Research Fellow - Homeland Security and Transatlantic Affairs at the Bow Group think tank. [3]
Contents
Education
Kassam attended Bishopsholt School and then Westminster University where he studied politics.[4] His Student Rights bio also says he worked for a time at Lehman Brothers.[5]
Activities
Conservative Party
Kassam was the vice chairman of the Hillingdon branch of Conservative Future in 2008-2009. He served on the Conservative Future national executive in 2009.[6]
From February to June 2010, Kassam was Campaign Director of "Elect Michelle for Wentworth and Dearne."[7]
Governetz Limited
From August 2008 to November 2009, Kassam worked as a researcher for Governetz Limited.[8]
KeepRightOnline
From May 2009 to June 2010, Kassam was Chief Executive of the political campaigning and PR organisation KeepRightOnline.[9]
TaxPayers' Alliance
From June to October 2010, Kassam was Manager of the Coalition Against Hate Education. Kassam's Linkedin profile describes this role as follows:
- Managing the Coalition Against Hate Education, my role entails forging international alliances with think-tanks in an effort to affect public policy globally with the hope of ending 'hate education' which is often taxpayer funded. I am responsible for the development of the campaign as well as seeking international partners and managing our combined efforts.[10]
British Tea Party
According to the Daily Telegraph, Kassam was also one of the organisers of the Tea Party UK, launched in 2010 by the Freedom Association. He told the paper that members 'want to counter what we believe is a Left-wing bias in our culture'
The group was reportedly being advised by low-tax libertarian activists from the US but Kassam tried to distance the British tea party from the socially conservative stances of its US counterpart, saying 'We are less concerned with "God, guns and gays"'.[11]
Students Rights
Accrding to his Linkedin profile, Kassam became manager of Student Rights in October 2009:
- In this role I oversee the entire operation of the Student Rights organisation, across the Events, New Media, Research and Campaign workflows.
- From inception to construction and delivery, I am tasked with liaising with the Universities across the UK to deliver the manifesto pledge of Student Rights, to ensure freedom of speech and freedom from political oppression for students on campuses.[12]
Conservative Political Action Conference
Kassam describes the following incident in a post at Standpoint:
- I am reminded specifically of an occasion — ironically at a pub in Washington D.C. during the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2010 — when I had to distinguish in child-like terms the difference between Islam and Islamism. After a good half an hour, many of the 10-strong audience still hadn't grasped that there was a difference, let alone acknowledged any of the subtleties I was trying to explicate.[13]
Henry Jackson Society
According to his Linkedin profile, Kassam has been Campaigns Director at the Henry Jackson Society since September 2010.[14]
The Commentator
On his Twitter feed Kassam describes himself as an 'executive editor' of the neoconservative website The Commentator.
Views
Neoconservatism
According to the Evening Standard, Kassam calls himself 'a Michael Gove Conservative' and cites his school reforms and his 'staunch and unapologetic' views on foreign policy as the reason. He also stated that Margaret Thatcher is one of his idols but called himself 'a bigger fan' of former US senator and Republican Barry Goldwater'.
Kassam is also strongly Atlanticist and has said: 'I want to see an unbreakable bond with the US. It has led the way, showing how a country can flourish unashamedly in favour of democracy, free markets and the live-and-let-live attitude.'[15]
Criticism
In November 2012 Kassam tweeted a link to an article by Nick Gray of Christian Middle East Watch published by The Commentator called 'Why There Are No Bomb Shelters in Israel'.
It received a negative response even from figures who might be considered neoconservative political allies of Kassam's. Shiraz Maher of the International Center for the Study of Radicalisation said the article was 'essentialising Muslims' and called it 'ridiculous'. Aymenn J Al-Tamimi of the Middle East Forum tweeted at Kassam: 'the fact that you put this piece up illustrates how you flirt with anti-Muslim bigotry'. Kassam responded: 'I'm a flirtatious kind of guy'.[16]
Publications
- So we gave £19m to the Palestinian Territories - but where does it go?, The TaxPayers' Alliance, 7 June 2010.
- An Important Distinction, Standpoint (Online Only), September 2010.
Affiliations
- Taxpayers' Alliance
- Henry Jackson Society
- Student Rights
- Bow Group
- Conservative Party
- The Commentator
- Tea Party UK
External Resources
- BBC misrepresents BRICUP's SOAS meeting, British Committee for the Universities of Palestine, 26 January 2010.
- Charlie Pottins, BBC twice bitten, but still not shy, RandomPottins, 9 October 2010.
- Sunny Hundal, Who is Raheem Kassam? A Wikipedia mystery, Liberal Conspiracy, 1 June 2012.
Contact
- Twitter RaheemJKassam
- Linkedin Raheem Kassam
Notes
- ↑ About, Student Rights - Tackling Extremism on Campus, accessed 18 December 2010.
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 18 December 2010.
- ↑ Research Team, undated, accessed 18 May 2012
- ↑ Josh Neicho, Rainbow Tories: the geek, the fundraiser and the Tanzanian immigrants son, Evening Standard, 6 October 2011, accessed 10 January 2013
- ↑ About Us, Student Rights, accessed 10 January 2013
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ John Swaine, British Tea Party launched by Conservative activists to challenge Coalition, Daily Telegraph, 18 September 2010, accessed 10 January 2013
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ An Important Distinction, Standpoint (Online Only), September 2010.
- ↑ Raheem Kassam, Linkedin, accessed 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Josh Neicho, Rainbow Tories: the geek, the fundraiser and the Tanzanian immigrants son, Evening Standard, 6 October 2011, accessed 10 January 2013
- ↑ Screengrab of Twitter exchange between Kassam, Maher and Al Tamimi, captured 7 January 2013
