But campuses in the UK are not what they were even eight years ago. Jewish and Israeli groups in particular find themselves besieged. Attempts are even made to close them down as "racist" organisations. Islamic societies, meanwhile, try to claim that their own record is above reproach even after the London School of Economics produced the murderer of Daniel Pearl and King's College, London, the bombers of Mike's Place in Tel Aviv, not to mention many other British students who have been charged with and convicted of plotting Islamist terrorist acts.

A student in Ireland - claiming to speak for the Palestinian people - recently arrived late and for once tried to denounce me to my face. "Can you imagine him even speaking to a Muslim?" he screamed. Listening to this student's histrionics, I thought of one much-loved Muslim friend in particular, who died earlier this year. Not for the first time, I found myself wishing that the religion that she and so many other friends believed in had not become represented by a younger generation of loudmouths trampling on a faith they barely know at seats of learning whose purpose they don't seem to understand.