KCLSU President-Elect Baiyu Liu shouted “Allahu Akbar” and voiced support for Israel at a London University Conservatives event, in apparent contradiction of his campaign pledges on arms investments and ties to Israeli universities.
Roar observed Liu shout “Allahu Akbar” during one of the evening’s debates, which was met with laughter from the crowd. The Arabic term translates to ‘God is Great’ and is a common phrase used within Islam as a declaration of faith.
The comments were made during a light-hearted speech that Liu delivered to student conservatives, as the main speaker for the proposition at the Port & Policy debate.
In a public statement released on his blog, President-Elect Baiyu Liu claimed his use of the phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ “was in no way meant to be offensive but expressed my personal belief in religious diversity on our university campuses, and the urgent need to tackle hatred wherever we see it.”
Liu stated:
“Roar News’ claims take my statements out of context. I stated in my manifesto that I pledged to tackle Islamophobia, and as a person of faith for whom religion is very close to my heart, I strongly disagree with the characterisation of phrases relating to religion as being offensive.”
Liu’s spokesman later elucidated on this saying: “This response on the personal blog is not an admission of saying the specific phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’, but instead a reflection of Mr. Liu’s deep personal opinion in opposition to Islamophobia and all forms of religious and racial discrimination.”
“We were deeply disturbed”, stated the KCL Islamic Society, adding that use of the phrase could reinforce “harmful stereotypes” and contribute to the “normalisation of Islamophobia.”
Later in the evening, Roar heard Liu say,
“Given that we are among friends, I can say that I wholeheartedly stand with Israel” during the event, hosted the day before his election victory as KCLSU President.
This statement may contradict Liu’s published campaign manifesto. In the section titled Our Pledge to the Muslim Community, it states, “DIVEST DIVEST DIVEST!”, in an apparent reference to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to put economic and political pressure on Israel.
Emphasising a distinction between his personal beliefs and his policy commitments as KCLSU President, Liu’s response continued:
“My personal views are inconsequential and separate from my view of what the KCLSU should do. My policies and the commitments made in my manifesto remain in place and I will seek to implement them.”
Following this proclamation of support for Israel, an audience member interjected, yelling back at Liu “So you support genocide?”, leading to further laughter from the audience.
Liu’s speech was wide-ranging and covered several issues, including the impending KCLSU Presidential election result, British Politics, China and his observations of the quality of the debate motions.
One KCL student who was present at the event expressed their dismay after hearing Liu’s comments about supporting Israel, telling Roar:
“The statement we heard seemed to completely disregard his electoral promises. This isn’t what we as students at King’s deserve at all.”
“We are deeply disturbed by a recent incident at a Conservative Society event, during which the incoming KCLSU President shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and later defended it as a gesture of religious diversity. The phrase, sacred to Muslims and central to Islamic worship, was invoked in a setting that stripped it of its reverence, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and contributing to the normalisation of Islamophobia.
These repeated controversies raise serious questions about the culture being fostered within Conservative Society spaces and the lack of accountability surrounding them [in reference to the reported Nazi salute at the same event].
The ISOC condemns Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and all other forms of hatred and discrimination. We strongly urge both the university and the SU to acknowledge the harm caused by these incidents and take concrete steps to ensure the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of all students and staff.”
Spokesperson for the KCL Islamic Society
KCL became the first university in London to commit to divesting from companies directly producing “controversial weapons”. However, a report by KCL BDS Forum claimed that the University retains some investment in companies supporting the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as well as partnerships with universities involved in Israeli weapons development and philanthropic relationships with institutions with links to Israeli lobbies and settlements.
The London University Conservatives event has already sparked controversy after a member of the LSESU Conservative Society was observed by Roar performing a Nazi salute. The event was hosted by City University Conservative Society on 13 March, the day before Liu was elected to serve as KCLSU President.
A spokesperson for the KCLSU told Roar, “Baiyu Liu, as KCLSU President-Elect, does not take office until 1 August 2025. Therefore, KCLSU will not comment on any real, perceived, or alleged statements made by an officer-elect.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated on 30 April 2025 to include a statement from Liu’s spokesperson and reflect the fact that Liu had been the main speaker for the proposition at the debate.
