A professor of Islamic studies at Oxford University who has advised the Government on countering extremism has been accused of rape by a French feminist author, reports The Telegraph.
Tariq Ramadan, 55, was said to have attacked Henda Ayari after inviting her to his hotel room following a conference on Islam in Paris in 2012.
The 40-year-old author, who spoke about the allegations on social media, claimed she had decided to “name and shame” Prof Ramadan as a “pervert guru” following the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Ms Ayari confirmed to The Telegraph that she had filed allegations against Prof Ramadan for rape, sexual assault, violence, harassment and intimidation with the prosecutor’s office in Rouen.
Prof Ramadan, the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, was chosen by Tony Blair to work on a task force to help tackle extremism in the UK following the 7/7 attacks in London in 2005.
He has also worked with the Foreign Office’s Advisory Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, chaired by Tory Peer Baroness Warsi. He is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University.
Last night, the professor issued a statement through his lawyer, Yassin Bouzrou, saying he “categorically rejects all these false allegations” and will lodge a complaint for slander and defamation with the public prosecutor in Rouen.
A spokesman for Oxford University said: “We are aware of these reports and are taking them extremely seriously. We are not in a position to comment further at this time.”