Oxford Islamic Studies Professor Arrested in Paris on Charges of Rape

Reports indicate that Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Islamic studies professor at Oxford University, has been arrested in Paris on charges of raping two women. According to Agence France-Presse, a judicial source stated that following complaints from the two women in France, Ramadan was detained for questioning by the French police. This judicial source clarified that the Paris judicial police had summoned Ramadan for questioning, and his arrest is part of the legal process for investigations regarding the complaints and allegations made. According to the report, the police can hold this Islamic studies professor in custody for 48 hours, but he will be released after this period. Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss citizen and a prominent Islamic thinker in the West, has denied all these allegations, claiming that these accusations are part of a campaign by his opponents to tarnish his reputation. On November 7, Oxford University announced that following the allegations of rape and sexual harassment against Ramadan, he decided to take a leave of absence from the university. The two women who claim that Mr. Ramadan raped them said they approached him for religious guidance. Henda Ayari, a Muslim feminist activist, previously told the French newspaper Le Parisien: 'When he attacked me in a hotel room in Paris in 2012, I felt like I was going to die.' The second woman, who is disabled and whose identity has not been disclosed, also stated that Mr. Ramadan raped her multiple times in a hotel in Lyon, France, in 2009 and beat her. A judicial source had previously told Agence France-Presse that the prosecution is simultaneously investigating both cases of rape and will also examine sexual assault, acts of violence, and threats of death. Tariq Ramadan's lawyers argue that a thorough investigation should be conducted to prove that these two women did not conspire with each other. According to Reuters, the Paris prosecutor's office began investigating this case several months ago following Ms. Henda Ayari's complaint. In response, Tariq Ramadan has also filed a defamation lawsuit against Henda Ayari. Tariq Ramadan, a researcher and professor of Islamic studies, is the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, a thinker and activist considered the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.