THE founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map) gave a speech outside a British Medical Association (BMA) conference today after her speaking invitation was cancelled.

The union said withdrew Dr Swee Chai Ang’s engagement at the annual Medical Students Conference in London after becoming aware of her allegedly sharing anti-semitic material.

A BMA spokeswoman added that it was “disappointed” that she held a protest over the decision. 

Dr Ang, who gave her prepared speech at the rally outside BMA House in central London today, criticised the union’s “paltry response” to her request for further clarity behind its decision.

She said that the BMA only wrote back two days before the event saying that the new agenda had already been finalised, and it would not be feasible for her to speak.

The orthopaedic surgeon survived the Sabra-Shatila massacre in 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and has volunteered for Map alongside her 48-year career as a regular NHS doctor.

She said: “I was invited to speak to medical students — after all, they are the doctors of the future.

“And yet, the institution that claims to represent them is shutting down free speech and ignoring their wishes on who they wish to hear from.
 
“My message is one of peace and humanity, not divisiveness. I am committed to my British patients in the NHS and my Palestinian patients through Map for the same reasons: a duty of care towards their wellbeing.

“What sort of example is an organisation setting when it lets pernicious politics interfere with a message of caring for one’s patients?”

The BMA said: “We are sorry that Dr Ang is disappointed about not being able to speak at the Medical Students Conference, but disappointed by her decision to hold a protest about it.

“In December of last year, we wrote to Dr Ang advising her that we were withdrawing the invitation to speak and in that correspondence to Dr Ang, we carefully and clearly outlined the reasons for our decision.

“We advised her that our decision to withdraw the invitation was made after we became aware of reports that Dr Ang had previously shared material, that she did not author, which was anti-semitic.

“When the invitation to speak was made we were not aware of these reports.

“The BMA is happy to release full information if invited to do so by Dr Ang.”