Tuesday March 19th, 2024
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Hassan Al Banna's Grandson Has Been Detained in France Over Alleged Rape Charges

The 55-year old grandson of the Muslim Brotherhood's founder faces allegations by several women that span several decades.

Staff Writer

Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University, Tariq Ramadan, has denied accusation of raping and sexually assaulting several women after being detained and questioned by French police on Wednesday. Claiming that the allegations are a set-up by his rivals in an attempt to slander his reputation, Ramadan has fought back by filing a defamation lawsuit against his accusers, as reported by Egypt Independent.

In a series of sexual allegations against the academic, French author, Henda Ayari - who claims to have mentioned the encounter in her book without naming her attacker – has explained that she was prompted to file the lawsuit after the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal. According to the Telegraph UK, the 55 year-old Swiss national is said to have raped Ayari in her hotel room in 2012. Among the other reported victims is a 42 year old Muslim convert who also filed a complaint claiming to have been raped by Ramadan in Lyon in 2009. Four Swiss women - believed to be former students of the professor from the 1980's and 1990's - have also come forward accusing Ramadan of having made sexual advances towards them at the time.

Ramadan, who has previously worked with the UK foreign Office Advisory Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, is reported to have taken a leave of absence following the accusation. The renowned professor, who is the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan El-Banna, was also selected by Tony Blair to take part in dealing with extremism in the UK in 2005, after the 7/7 attacks in London, according to the Telegraph UK.

In the recent waves of empowerment sparked by the Weinstein Scandal, between 2017 and 2018, a number of women have decided to speak up against moguls in Hollywood. Encouraged further by the #MeToo movement, victims have come together and are coming forward with accusations and allegations involving important figures in various industries across the globe.