What Happened: Catherine Bennett’s Observer column criticizes Imran Khan’s suitability for Oxford’s chancellorship due to his controversial views, suggesting Lady Elish Angiolini as a better candidate.
What you need to know: Despite positive press coverage of Imran Khan’s bid for the chancellorship at Oxford University, a critical column in the Observer by Catherine Bennett argues that Khan is an unsuitable candidate.
What more: Bennett highlights Khan’s controversial views, including his past praise of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, as well as his regressive views on women and admiration for the Chinese Communist Party’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. She contends that these positions conflict with Oxford’s values of free speech and human rights. In contrast, Bennett supports Lady Elish Angiolini as a more appropriate candidate due to her legal background and commitment to Oxford’s values.
Also: The article also notes that while Khan has received endorsements from British MPs, an Oxford associate professor believes Khan’s chances are slim and suggests that the PTI’s goal might be to create a high-profile issue rather than to win the position.