# Cambridge hires academic who backed banned terror group 2026-08-12T22:12:29+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Cambridge University appointed Farah Ahmed as an assistant research professor at its Faculty of Education last year, despite her past support for Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamist group proscribed in Britain. In a 2002 pamphlet for the group, republished in 2017, Ahmed described Western education as a threat to Muslim beliefs and condemned democracy as a corrupt tradition. Ahmed, who now teaches undergraduates and supervises postgraduate research, also criticised British schools for teaching that child marriage and polygamy are wrong. A Cambridge spokesperson defended the appointment, citing the faculty's commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law. Ahmed stated in 2010 that she was no longer a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: academic freedom, Cambridge University, extremism, Farah Ahmed, Hizb ut-Tahrir, UK Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/cambridge-hires-academic-who-backed-banned-terror-group/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/cambridge-hires-academic-who-backed-banned-terror-group/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.