by CHRIS BRADY

Ismail Patel was just two weeks into a tourism course at Manchester College of Arts and Technology (MANCAT) when the alleged incident took place on 11 September, but speaking exclusively to Asian Leader, he now says that he will not be returning to continue his studies.
He said: "I was really looking forward to it. I want to work in the customer service sector helping people and the course seemed like a great way to get things rolling, but I won't be going back now.
"It all happened during a morning lesson and we were having a class discussion about the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Then one girl started saying she thought there would be a bomb at the event and I started to feel everyone was looking at me.
"She then said that Islam was a bad religion, insulted the Prophet and questioned why people follow my religion. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was the only Asian person in the room and as a Muslim man it felt like a very personal attack on me."
Ismail then claims that following the class discussion, the girl, who he says was sat a few feet away, called him a 'terrorist' within hearing distance of three or four other students.
The college has investigated the incident and Betsy Sara, Assistant Principal for Student Support Services at MANCAT, said: "We are very satisfied that the matter was professionally and appropriately handled by our tutor.
"He sat both students down and tried to resolve this and both students seemed to be satisfied at the end of the meeting. Unfortunately, since then Ismail has not raised this as a complaint and has not accessed any of the extensive support mechanisms available to all of our students.
"Should Ismail wish to do so, we would be delighted to hear from him."
However, Ismail hit back, saying: "I went up to the tutor at the end of the lesson and told him I thought that the girl's comments were out of order and also told him about the insult which he wouldn't have heard.
"He did not sit both me and the girl concerned down together, that never happened. He told me that it was just her personal opinion and that as a bright young lad I shouldn't let it bother me. I don't think he did anything anywhere near enough."
Ismail then says that he left the meeting and went straight to the reception area and asked to be removed from the course, although the College has since said that they have no official records to confirm this.
Even though Ismail says he is upset by the experience, he intends to continue his education. He added: "I'm gutted because that course could have really helped me, but I'm already looking at other colleges I could go to."