Link: https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/relentless-how-uk-lawyers-israel-targets-pro-palestinian-voices

When academics Ghazala Mir and Tarek Younis agreed to speak about Islamophobia in an online event hosted by a leading UK mental health association, the last thing they expected was to be de-platformed.

In August 2024, Mir, a professor at the University of Leeds medical school, and Younis, a senior lecturer in psychology at Middlesex University, were invited by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), the UK’s leading professional body for cognitive and behavioural psychotherapists, to deliver a webinar to therapists on Islamophobia and mental health.

"Our plan was to engage in a meaningful dialogue on the impact of Islamophobia, and to highlight the importance of ensuring our mental health services don’t worsen the traumas already experienced by Muslim patients," said Younis, who is also a clinical psychologist.

But trouble began for the pair when they co-wrote an article promoting the event for BABCP’s official magazine, which was also published online as a blog post.

"They had no issue with us including a citation stating that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza."

But not everyone welcomed the webinar's message. After the BABCP began advertising the event, a member and a non-member filed a complaint, accusing the association of promoting extreme left-wing propaganda.

BABCP initially found no grounds to remove the article. But when the pro-Israeli UK Lawyers for Israel group, or UKLFI, complained with a 23-page dossier listing pro-Palestine social media posts made by Younis and Mir, the matter escalated further.

The dossier alleged that Younis and Mir had shared antisemitic content - allegations that both academics firmly deny. BABCP took down the article, and the organisation's CEO apologised for referencing the situation in Gaza as a “genocide”.