CAIRO, February 13 (IslamOnline.net) – The University of Birmingham faces legal action from 14 British Muslim students over accusations of racial and religious discrimination.

The Birmingham's Guild of Students, supported by the university, annulled the election of the students to represent the educational institution at the National Union of Students' annual conference in April, The Guardian reported Friday, February 11.

The decision was blamed on alleged fraud, an accusations vehemently refuted by the students.

“I would urge the university to reverse its decision for the sake of fairness and equality,” Arafat Ben Hassine, a spokesman for the Reinstate the Birmingham 14 Campaign, said.

“I would also urge the student union to respect the decision of the students and their choice.”

Elections for the NUS Conference took place on the 25th October 2004, with all the elected delegates being of Muslim origin, according to the Web site of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) in the UK and Ireland.

Hasan Salim Patel, the head of student affairs at FOSIS, said its was “pretty sad” that the elections were annulled “without any clear substance”.

In a joint statement, the students' union and the university described charges of racism and discrimination as “unfounded, and utterly refuted”.

Some 80 per cent of the 1.6-million-strong Muslim community in the UK have reported experiencing acts of discrimination and Islamophobia, said a recent report by the Open Society Institute.

The students’ campaign is also backed by the black human rights organisation The 1990 Trust.

“I'm shocked that the student union and university have acted in this manner,” the head of the trust, Karen Chouhan, said.

“We at the trust sincerely hope that the students union/university decision is not guided by a fear of Muslims or any Islamophobic sentiment.

“Further, we would like to know how this action fits with the legal requirements of their race equality policy,” she added.

Chouhan pledged “to do everything possible to support these students and their campaign”.

“I fully support the legal action being taken by the Birmingham 14. Black people face discrimination from institutions regularly and it is necessary to challenge it in every way possible. Legal action will ensure that justice is done by these students,” Pav Akhtar, the NUS Black Students Officer said.