Islamic students claimed seminar was promoting a narrow viewpoint

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies was invited to participate in the seminar organised by the Royal United Services Institute think tank.

Head of student affairs Faisal Hanjra said this would have endorsed an event which failed to tackle the issue "fairly, academically or objectively".

The institute described it as a forum to raise issues and reach a consensus.

'Misrepresentation'

The Islamic student group (Fosis) said it believed the workshop had been designed to promote a particular perspective on the issue, which in essence was inaccurate and a misrepresentation of facts.

Speakers include Prof Anthony Glees, author of When Students Turn to Terror.

Another is Michael Whine of the Community Security Trust, a defence organisation for the Jewish community.

Prof Glees' report, published in September, said extremists were operating on UK university campuses, threatening national security.

It said they included Islamist Jihadists, animal rights activists and the British National Party.

University leaders dismissed the report as "largely anecdotal" and said they took the issue seriously - he accused them of ignoring the problem.

'Token'

Mr Hanjra said his initial feeling had been that it would be better to take part in the seminar, to give a different perspective.

"But it became more and more clear I would be just, if you like, a token speaker."

He was not arguing for extremists to be represented.

But he felt other relevant academics and commentators could have contributed to a more rounded and informed debate.

A spokesman for the institute (Rusi) said it strived to provide an intellectual forum where contentious and controversial viewpoints and arguments could be discussed.

"As an independent and objective research establishment it would be inappropriate for Rusi to promote a single viewpoint at the expense of any other," he said.

"The institute understands that some of the proposed participants at the Education and Extremism event were not fully aware of these facts and the true nature of this workshop and hence decided to withdraw.

"Rusi regrets that they took this decision and would welcome opportunities in the future to work together to understand these and other pertinent issues."