A diversity chief at a school that blocked a Jewish MP’s visit has been sacked after praising Hamas terrorists who massacred Israelis on October 7.
Saima Akhtar was the diversity and inclusion coordinator at Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), a multi-academy trust which runs Bristol Brunel Academy.
The school was criticised for cancelling an appearance by Labour MP Damien Egan – who is vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel – after buckling under the pressure of planned protests by National Education Union (NEU) members of its staff and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
It also barred a speaker from Israeli-owned Check Point software technologies from a summer conference in July.
Akhtar has now been dismissed by CLF after describing Hamas militants as ‘heroes fighting for justice’.
She supported the attacks on October 7, 2023 which claimed 1,200 lives, mainly civilians, and saw 250 others taken hostage in the single worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.
The diversity chief urged people to ignore ‘media attempts to paint Israel as a victim’ just a day after the massacre.
Akhtar also sat on the council of Bristol Brunel Academy, a body designed to hold the school principal and her leadership team to account regarding academic quality, staff wellbeing and student safeguarding.
School diversity chief Saima Akhtar, pictured, has been sacked after praising Hamas terrorists who massacred Israelis on October 7
Her school, Cabot Learning Federation, previously barred an appearance by Labour MP Damien Egan – vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel – amid planned protests
CLF commenced an investigation into Akhtar’s comments on social media after The Times published a story highlighting them.
After discovering she had lost her job, the diversity chief insisted she was not a ‘leader’ in the academy hierarchy.
She said: ‘The ‘leaders’ or decision makers still have their jobs and don’t look like me, but anyway.’
When it was put to Akhtar that these ‘leaders’ might have kept their jobs because they had not published posts supporting the October 7 attacks, she replied: ‘No, you just didn’t find them. Anyway, I hope you sleep well knowing your ‘journalism’ got someone sacked.’
On the day of the massacre, the diversity chief quoted Nelson Mandela in a Facebook post, writing: ‘We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.’
The following day, she added that ‘Palestine is fighting back’ against Israeli ‘apartheid’.
Akhtar said: ‘This is an oppressed people standing up and fighting back. Just imagine if this was Ukraine attacking Russia?
‘Heroes fighting for justice and their right to exist. Palestinians are no different. #FreePalestine.’
On October 16, 2023, she added: ‘The real problem is the West and the mainstream media. They’re liable for ethnic cleansing and genocide because of their unprecedented support of Israel.’
Akhtar has also boasted about attending Free Palestine protests in Bristol and openly quoted Hamas’s call for the destruction of Israel: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’
Her Linkedin profile reads: ‘My approach is intersectional, trauma-informed, and unapologetically anti-racist, with a strong commitment to trans rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and global solidarity, including support for Palestinian human rights.
‘My journey into equity work began in 2003, when I was denied time off for Eid on the grounds that I had “recently had 10 days off for Christmas.”
A Facebook post where the diversity official describes Israel as a ‘settler colony’ adds that she has stopped believing in a two-state solution to the conflict
‘That moment crystallised my lifelong mission: to challenge discriminatory practices and create inclusive, affirming environments where every individual – regardless of race, faith, gender identity, or background – can thrive.’
The diversity official has also described Israel as a ‘settler colony’ and posted on Facebook that she has stopped believing in a two-state solution to the conflict.
The Daily Mail has approached CLF for comment.
Mr Egan was in February forced to visit the school in secret after pro-Palestinian protestors threatened to target his trip over his links to ‘Friends of Israel’.
He was barred because of ‘safeguarding concerns’ after the activists, who claimed to be representing the views of teachers, parents, and residents, highlighted his links to Labour Friends for Israel.
To the NEU and PSC, forcing Mr Egan’s cancellation was ‘a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of the NEU trade union staff group, parents, and campaigners standing together.’
Mr Egan is the vice chairman of Labour Friends for Israel – a Parliamentary group which advocates for Israel, which it considers the ‘historic homeland’ of Jewish people, and a two-state solution to the conflict. It does not receive Israeli government funding.
The visit was rescheduled but teachers were not told, so Mr Egan made his visit in secret.
Mr Egan, Labour MP for Bristol North East acknowledged ‘people have got a right to protest’, but pointed to ‘security considerations’ for members of Parliament.
He said he ‘had a lovely visit, meeting the head and the school council, the children, the questions, it was fabulous’.
Jon Redford, the NEU’s Bristol representative, told BBC Politics West that staff had ‘no intention’ of getting Mr Egan barred from his visit. He claimed there had only been a discussion that staff might wear keffiyeh scarves and watermelon badges, in support of Palestine, but the protest outside the school was ‘entirely independent’.
Staff ‘wanted to show their opposition to a supporter of a genocidal regime coming to their school,’ he said. ‘They wanted to show there was a different perspective, that he needn’t expect complete support for his views.’
When asked what evidence there was, Reddiford pointed to his links to Labour Friends of Israel and his visit to the country.
Mr Egan defended his visit as ‘a good thing’ because it allowed him ‘to go out and meet with people’.
Labour Friends of Israel’s website says it is funded by ‘the generosity of members of the Jewish community and those who share our commitment to the State of Israel’.
CLF, a multi-academy trust which runs Bristol Brunel Academy, pictured, also barred a speaker from Israeli-owned Check Point software technologies from a summer conference in July
Egan, who became an MP after a 2024 by-election, told The Times: ‘This group works with left-leaning organisations in Israel, but also in Palestine in the West Bank as well.
‘They’ve been pushing the government to put money into a peace programme that will bring civil society organisations this year from Israel, from the West Bank, to come in and speak.’
An Ofsted inspection of Bristol Brunel Academy found ‘no evidence of bias’ in the day-to-day running of the school.
However, the trust that runs the school, Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), has agreed to commission an independent review of the decision to cancel Mr Egan’s visit in September.
The CLF also cancelled a speaker from Israeli tech company Check Point Software Technologies at its summer conference last July following NEU pressure.