by Annabel Sinclair, Jewish News
University says Farah Ahmed did not write the comments in a 2002 publication and they do not reflect her views
Cambridge University has defended an academic after a publication she contributed to more than 20 years ago called for Muslims to study engineering and computer technology to help produce weapons for “Jihad”.
Dr Farah Ahmed, now an assistant research professor at Cambridge’s Faculty of Education, contributed to the 2002 publication produced by Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamist group which was banned as a terrorist organisation in Britain in 2024.
The writings were revealed by The Spectator, which reported that Ahmed and senior Hizb ut-Tahrir activist Nazreen Nawaz contributed to a chapter setting out plans for an Islamic education system.
The chapter stated: “The motivation to study engineering would be to aid the development of machinery for Jihad and Allah’s reward for this is immeasurable.”
It continued: “The motivation for studying computer technology would be to elevate the Islamic society over all other societies in the world, to show it as a shining example and to produce advanced weaponry for Jihad in order that the deen (Islam) may dominate over all other deens as commanded by the Creator.”