Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

The Oxford Debating Union met at the weekend to debate whether or not the West should be suspicious of Islam.

The remarkable thing about this debate is that the side arguing “No, the West should not be suspicious of Islam”, did seem to make a very good case for the affirmative.

Pro-Islam Side Kicks Own Goal

Student debater and moderate Muslim Aisha Khan gleefully boasted that if it wasn’t for the generosity and protection of Muslims on the Oxford committee, one of her opponents would probably not make it home from the debate alive.

Aisha Khan said…

“Steven Yaxley-Lennon, known to his hooligans as Tommy Robinson…

“Steven, there is a crowd outside rioting against you tonight.

“And without the protection and generosity of a Muslim Palestinian president and a mostly South Asian executive committee, you would be quite literally cooked.”

Hey, you’ve got no need to be suspicious of Muslims because, well, as long as you’re in our good graces, we’ll make sure the pro-Muslim mob out the front don’t lynch you…

That’s a hell of an argument and the biggest own goal I’ve seen, including at the World Cup.

Jonathan Sacerdoti reveals that the Islamic plan to take over the West slowly and from the inside out. “Islam doesn’t only attack with bombs, sometimes it uses our own freedoms and our own lands and our own institutions against us.” pic.twitter.com/itqOqpNBCA

— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) August 3, 2026

Charlie Hebdo Cartoon

And then there was this fascinating drama.

One of the debaters for the affirmative — Laurence Fox — arguing the West should be suspicious of Islam, advised he would be showing a cartoon of Muhammad during his speech. Fox said…

“The West should resist Islam in the strongest terms on free-speech grounds alone.

“So, here we are with this cartoon…”

Well, there was an audible gasp from everyone in the room.

And then faster than you can say Charlie Hebdo, people began running interference.

Muslims on the negative team argued there was no need to test their commitment to free speech by showing the cartoon.

They’ve already proved their commitment to free speech by holding the debate in the first place.

Muslim student Arwa Elrayes argued…

“Is it not enough that I as a Muslim president have invited you to this chamber to give your arguments?

“Is that not enough justification and evidence for you to believe that we do believe in free speech? I would not become the president of a free-speech society if not for that.”

And then members of the audience began interjecting, urging the debate chair to discover some rule or regulation that would prevent the cartoon from being shown.

So, by now you’re getting the idea.

The very people insisting the West has no need to be suspicious of Islam were desperate to prevent a cartoon of Muhammad from being shown in public.

Eventually, however, the debate chair ruled the cartoon could be displayed.

“So it is in that spirit that I will not submit. I show you this as an Englishman who believes in free speech. I will not submit. I will not bow down.”

Fox pulled out the cartoon, which depicted… Charlie Hebdo!

Turns out the cartoon wasn’t of Muhammad at all.

The affirmative side weren’t that silly. Everyone in the room, not least those arguing there was no need to be suspicious of Islam, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

But the point had been well and truly made.

Watch the full debate here.

___

Republished and edited from the YouTube transcript.

Image via screenshot of YouTube.