Imam resigns from College post over Palestine event

An imam and chaplain has resigned from his role at Blackburn College after plans for a ‘Palestine Awareness Day’ were cancelled ‘without explanation’.

Imam Saleem Seedat (pictured above) had been in the role for 13 years and along with leading and organising the Friday prayers on campus, he provided pastoral care to students.

Blackburn College provides multi-faith facilities at three locations around the campus and access is open to everyone of all faiths and none.

Blackburn College said it was following Department for Education guidance, which advised it is ‘unable to host political or exclusionary events’.

The college said it had a strong record of welcoming ‘people from different cultures, perspectives and experiences’. The event had been due to take place last month.

However, when contacted the Department for Education (DfE) said the any decision was made by college leaders without direct input from DfE officials. 

In an extensive and wide-ranging post on Wednesday evening, Mr Seedat said he was ‘unable’ to continue in his role.

He said: “During the week before we finished for the Christmas holidays, I was informed the proposal for Palestine Awareness Day was rejected. 

The event was being organised by some University Centre students where they were due to speak alongside a reputable Palestinian speaker; known to regularly speak at diverse events across the country and share the lived experience of herself and other victims in Gaza.”

He added: “The management decided, suddenly, to not allow the event, though the planning of the event was taking place not only with their knowledge but with their request to me, several months ago, to provide specialist support to the students as College Chaplain and in light of my academic background and national experience of engaging and sharing platforms with leaders of other faith communities including the Jewish community.”

Mr Seedat said he had escalated the matter to Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM).

He went on: “Neither was there any rationale provided as to why, on one hand, I was asked to offer and deliver training to staff on how best to manage issues surrounding the conflict, as part of their Continuous Professional Development (CPD), in the previous academic year, and then, on the other hand, all that guidance used to prepare staff, totally being overlooked in the decision made. 

As a side note, it would be important to keep in mind that I was appointed at Blackburn College as Chaplain by LCM to ensure that the person appointed was deemed representative of the community, whilst ensuring that the chaplaincy – and by extension the college – was working within the framework of the law and college policy. 

He added: “In this regard, over the period of 13 years, I have consistently been a ‘critical friend’ of the management of the college in challenging the inequalities affecting the under-represented community.”

He went on to say “expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness” were being stifled and he had resigned after being “left with no meaningful alternative to address this matter of public interest”.

The college, which is aware of the statement and also the full list of claims made, said ‘equity, diversity, and inclusion’ was one of the institution’s core values.

A Blackburn College spokesperson said: “Individuals from different cultures, perspectives and experiences are at the heart of Blackburn College.

“We are guided by our values in everything we do and recognise that being a diverse and inclusive college helps us fulfil our responsibility to make a difference in transforming the lives of our students through education.

“Equity, diversity, and inclusion at Blackburn College is one of our core values.

“Following Department for Education guidance, and in line with our own Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy, Blackburn College is unable to host political or exclusionary events.

“Blackburn College works closely with Blackburn with Darwen Interfaith Forum, as well as a number of community groups, to provide a safe environment for all.”

In its most recent Ofsted inspection, the body awarded Blackburn College a ‘good’ rating, with inspectors praising its leaders’ creation of a “cohesive and harmonious culture.”

‘Outstanding’ ratings were given to behaviour and attitudes, personal development, education programmes for young people and adult learning programmes.

The Department for Education said ‘the decision on the protest was made by college leaders without direct input from DfE officials’ and it was for ‘the college to comment on the decision’.