Men linked to a banned Islamist group whose members have been jailed for terrorism offences are operating outside universities in east London, it emerged this week.
Videos posted online show young Muslim men interviewing students outside Queen Mary University in Mile End Road arguing democracy is not compatible with Islam.
Using the name Need4Khilafah, the group includes several people involved with Al-Muhajiroun, the group led by hate preacher Anjem Choudhury.
One man in the videos, Abdul Muhid from Whitechapel, organised a march through Brick Lane in December led by Anjem Choudhury against the sale of alcohol.
At the time Mr Muhid - who was jailed in 2007 after telling a crowd to bomb the UK - told the Advertiser his group The Shariah Project was “strongly linked” to Al-Muhajiroun.
The video outside Queen Mary shows a man saying: “As Muslims, we do not believe in a system of parliaments and democracy where man legislates law.
“Rather, God almighty has set down the law and man merely has to adhere to that law and follow it.”
Abu Rumaysah, 30, a spokesman for Need4Khilafah, said it was an umbrella group that included people from The Shariah Project and Muslim Prisoners, which was also set up by Abdul Muhid.
Mr Rumaysah denied Need4Khilafah was a front group for Al-Muhajiroun, but said it was associated with Choudhury among others.
Rupert Sutton, researcher with the group Student Rights, which found the videos, posted since January, said: “The fact this organisation is targeting students in this way is pretty worrying.
“To have two videos outside campuses in the space of two months makes it something universities should be particularly aware of.”
He added: “They should be doing everything they can to inform their students and staff that they should challenge this group and its ideology.”
A spokesperson for Queen Mary University said: “We believe that our students have the intelligence and powers of discrimination to judge for themselves the merits or otherwise of opinions put forward and views debated, whether on or off campus.
“We monitor groups who have an interest in our student body, and where we suspect their activity is a cause for concern, we will always seek the support and guidance of the relevant authorities.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here