***Article first published by 'Voice of Europe' on Oct. 8, 2018***

A university lecturer has come under fire for saying “terror attacks were carried out by Muslims because of Islam”.

Blackburn’s tweet said: “If the left hadn’t told me the EDL were the real threat I would have carried on thinking it was machete-wielding, Koran-quoting Muslims.” Further he tweeted: “I know the media haven’t told us but I suspect these terror attacks were carried out by Muslims because of Islam.”

Michael Blackburn’s comments were deemed “Islamaphobic” by The Tab and has him entangled in a public dispute, despite their being factual.

Lincoln University, despite the wave of attack, has defended Mr. Blackburn citing that he has freedom of speech, though not mentioning the accuracy of his tweets.

The Tab had stated on 5 October 2018 that “Lincoln University defends lecturer who tweeted ‘terror attacks were carried out by Muslims because of Islam,’” further stating that the tweets were Islamophobic and anti-feminist as a matter of fact, rather than opinion.

The tweets under fire were posted between 2012 and 2018 by Michael Blackburn, an English lecturer at Lincoln University. One tweet said: “If the left hadn’t told me the EDL were the real threat I would have carried on thinking it was machete-wielding, Koran-quoting Muslims.” and in 2017 he said: “I know the media haven’t told us but I suspect these terror attacks were carried out by Muslims because of Islam.”

Lincoln University’s response to the tweets was to cite freedom of speech, saying they “recognise individuals’ rights to hold different beliefs and views”, and that the ability to “speak freely and to explore ideas is fundamental to the idea of a university.”

“Upholding academic freedom and respecting the views of others are joint commitments shared by all members of the university and we have a clear Code of Practice on the Freedom of Speech, which is designed to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is secured for all staff, students and visiting speakers.”

The University of Lincoln website has this to say about their Senior Lecturer, Michael Blackburn. “Michael is a well-established poet and writer, with many years’ experience in publishing, tutoring and literature promotion. He is a former editor on Stand Magazine; founder-editor of Sunk Island Publishing; first Literature Animateur (Literature Development Officer) for Lincolnshire (1988 – 1993); Writer in Residence on the Internet (c/o Channel and Arts Council, 1995) and Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Lincoln University, 2005 – 2008.

Since 1984 he has had over a dozen titles published. He is a columnist for the online magazine, The Fortnightly Review, and is a regular on Siren Radio’s Inspired On Air programme. His personal archive is now housed in the Special Collections at Leeds University Library.”

The Tab approached Mr. Blackburn for comment, however he declined.