This petition calls upon the Muslim Debate Initiative to ban speaker Julie Bindel from speaking at their upcoming event entitled 'Islam or Feminism: which one can truly liberate women?' on Fri 28th November at the Insitute of Education in London. Julie Bindel is known for her Islamophobic, transphobic and biphobic views and thus should not be allowed to speak on a debate concerning Islam and feminism. 

Journalist and author Julie Bindel is renowned for her transphobic viewpoints, which first came to light in her article Gender Benders, Beware (2004). Bindel has apologised for the ‘tone’ of this article, but has not renounced further writings which argue that Trans people should be denied medical care. Morever, she has spoken at events such as Femifest 2014 that explicitly exclude Trans people.

Julie Bindel argued in her latest book, ‘Straight Expectations’ (2014) that sexuality is a choice, that individuals choose to be heterosexual or homosexual, and that bisexuality doesn’t exist as a sexual identity.

Julie Bindel has also criticised women who wear the niqab in her article for the Daily Mail: Why are my fellow feminists shamefully silent over the tyranny of the veil. In refusing to believe that Muslim women have made their own decision to wear the niqab she denies Muslim women agency. Bindel also criticises women who wear the hijab and refuses to acknowledge the notion of personal choice.