the appeal court as a "miscarriage of justice". Anwar was also instructed by 24 British relatives of passengers who died on the flight, including Jim Swire. In September 2014, Anwar represented the family of Jihadi bride Aqsa Mahmood, a 20-year-old woman from Glasgow who travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. In 2017 he was instructed by the family of Sheku Bayoh. The family met the Lord Advocate, believing that PIRC's investigation had been fundamentally flawed. In February 2017, Anwar represented the family of murder victim Emma Caldwell. He also represented two Scottish National Party MPs: Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry. In 2021, Anwar represented Rangers F.C. player Glen Kamara, who claimed that he suffered from racial abuse by Slavia Prague player Ondrej Kudela in a Europa League Last-16 2nd leg game at Ibrox Stadium in March 2021. He was subjected to an increase in abuse and death threats following Kudela's ten-match ban. Rector of the University of Glasgow In 2008, Anwar was runner-up in the election for Rector of the University of Glasgow and lost to Charles Kennedy. Edward Snowden followed Kennedy for a three-year term of office which finished in 2017, when Anwar was re-nominated for the role. On 21 March he was announced as having been elected by the students with over 54% of the vote (4,458). All the candidates were eliminated in the first round due to the "landslide" result in Anwar's favour. He took office on 31 March 2017 and was installed at a ceremony on 19 April 2017. The Times Scottish edition reported in June 2018 that Anwar had failed to hold a single surgery for the first 11 months of his rectorship, which was supported by Glasgow University. Anwar has been criticised for publicly accusing the university of showing "callous disregard" for students and staff, treating international students as "cash cows" and claiming to have uncovered serious cases of racism and sexual harassment. However, officials at the university insisted that when they asked for specific details so they could launch investigations, none were provided. A report issued in 2021 detailed hundreds of incidents of racial abuse at the university. Controversies Anwar made controversial statements in the aftermath of the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack, in which he claimed "[t]hat there is no difference between a stealth bomber and a suicide bomber, the effects are still the same."