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NUS fights back against government's 'chilling' counter-radicalisation strategy NUS fights back against government's 'chilling' counter-radicalisation strategy
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The National Union of Students is calling for a boycott of the government’s counter-radicalisation strategy to monitor students and has launched a national tour in five major cities to oppose it. The National Union of Students is calling for a boycott of the government’s counter-radicalisation strategy to monitor students and has launched a national tour in five cities to oppose it.
The Students not Suspects tour – which will take in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Swansea – is backed by the University and College Union (UCU), the largest trade union for lecturers and academics in further education. The Students not Suspects tour – which will take in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Swansea – is backed by the University and College Union (UCU), the largest trade union for lecturers and academics in further and higher education.
The UCU has expressed concern over what it described as the “chilling effect” that Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 has had on academic freedom and debate, as well as its “vague and not achievable” legal duty on institutions and staff. It has issued guidance to members, saying it will support boycotts of the legislation.The UCU has expressed concern over what it described as the “chilling effect” that Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 has had on academic freedom and debate, as well as its “vague and not achievable” legal duty on institutions and staff. It has issued guidance to members, saying it will support boycotts of the legislation.
The legal duties the act heaped on public bodies, including further education establishments, include recognising, sharing information about and reporting students suspected of being “at risk of being drawn into terrorism”, according to guidance published on 16 July. The legal duties the act heaped on public bodies, including higher education establishments, include recognising, sharing information about and reporting students suspected of being “at risk of being drawn into terrorism”, according to guidance published on 16 July.
Shelly Asquith, NUS vice president, said that while the legislative changes apply to universities and not student unions it has created a “level of expectation that student unions will sign up to whatever colleges or universities say”. Shelly Asquith, NUS vice-president, said that although the legislative changes apply to universities and not student unions they have created a “level of expectation that student unions will sign up to whatever colleges or universities say”.
The guidance says student unions are expected to work closely with their institutions, cooperate with their policies and consider Prevent awareness training.The guidance says student unions are expected to work closely with their institutions, cooperate with their policies and consider Prevent awareness training.
Asquith said the government’s flagship anti-radicalisation strategy has had a negative impact on freedom of expression on campuses. NUS members have reported being asked by police to get training so they can spot students at risk of radicalisation, and being asked for names of members of Islamic societies, she said. Asquith said Prevent – the government’s flagship anti-radicalisation strategy – has had a negative impact on freedom of expression on campuses. NUS members have reported being asked by police to get training so they can spot students at risk of radicalisation, and being asked for names of members of Islamic societies, she said.
In 2010, it emerged that University College London’s student union had handed over the names and contact details of Islamic society members to detectives investigating Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a former student who was later found guilty of trying to blow up a plane over Detroit.In 2010, it emerged that University College London’s student union had handed over the names and contact details of Islamic society members to detectives investigating Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a former student who was later found guilty of trying to blow up a plane over Detroit.
Asquith said she feared racial profiling and Islamophobia would get worse under the new rules.Asquith said she feared racial profiling and Islamophobia would get worse under the new rules.
Malia Bouattia, the NUS’s black students officer, said: “In bringing their battle ‘for hearts and minds’ – and against dissent – to spaces of education with the new act, the government is inviting to our campuses the same brutality that plagues black and Muslim people at the hands of the police and state in wider society.Malia Bouattia, the NUS’s black students officer, said: “In bringing their battle ‘for hearts and minds’ – and against dissent – to spaces of education with the new act, the government is inviting to our campuses the same brutality that plagues black and Muslim people at the hands of the police and state in wider society.
“After decades of racist laws and abuse, it is time students alongside their communities finally fought back.”“After decades of racist laws and abuse, it is time students alongside their communities finally fought back.”
A UCU spokesperson said it was “working closely with our student partners to protect the interests of staff and students and for the repeal of this iniquitous legislation”.A UCU spokesperson said it was “working closely with our student partners to protect the interests of staff and students and for the repeal of this iniquitous legislation”.
The spokesperson added that the UCU was working “to monitor the implementation of Prevent in all further education and higher education institutions and we will support any branch that decides to formally boycott the process”.The spokesperson added that the UCU was working “to monitor the implementation of Prevent in all further education and higher education institutions and we will support any branch that decides to formally boycott the process”.
The NUS will run a series of workshops and actions in the five cities next month. It is also backed by the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, the Black Students’ Campaign and civil rights group Defend the Right to Protest. The NUS will run a series of workshops and actions in the five cities next month. It is also backed by the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (Fosis), the Black Students’ Campaign and civil rights group Defend the Right to Protest.
Yusuf Hassan, the vice president of student affairs at Fosis, the umbrella group representing 130,000 Muslim students at further education institutions in the UK and Ireland, said that student unions are being placed in a difficult position. Yusuf Hassan, the vice-president of student affairs at Fosis, the umbrella group representing 130,000 Muslim students at higher and further education institutions in the UK and Ireland, said student unions are being placed in a difficult position.
“Terms such as radicalisation have not been defined or quantified. It is open to interpretation, leaving us in a difficult situation,” Hassan said. “It is not, nor should it be within the ability of a student or lecturer to report on extremism or people showing signs of it.“Terms such as radicalisation have not been defined or quantified. It is open to interpretation, leaving us in a difficult situation,” Hassan said. “It is not, nor should it be within the ability of a student or lecturer to report on extremism or people showing signs of it.
“It is not just about suspects for the police but suspects to your friends because of this dynamic.”“It is not just about suspects for the police but suspects to your friends because of this dynamic.”
Related: How do you spot a student extremist in a university?Related: How do you spot a student extremist in a university?
In a speech in Birmingham in July in which he challenged universities to crack down on extremist speakers on campuses, David Cameron castigated the NUS for “choosing to ally yourselves with an organisation like Cage, which called Jihadi John a ‘beautiful young man’ and told people to support the jihad in Iraq and Afghanistan”.In a speech in Birmingham in July in which he challenged universities to crack down on extremist speakers on campuses, David Cameron castigated the NUS for “choosing to ally yourselves with an organisation like Cage, which called Jihadi John a ‘beautiful young man’ and told people to support the jihad in Iraq and Afghanistan”.
The NUS described the prime minister’s comments as “misleading” and said it did not have any relationship with Cage.The NUS described the prime minister’s comments as “misleading” and said it did not have any relationship with Cage.
Former student Dr Rizwaan Sabir was held for seven days without charge while studying terrorist tactics at the University of Nottingham in 2008. He was accused of downloading an al-Qaida training manual for terrorist purposes, but later released without charge. Sabir was later awarded £20,000 by police after it emerged that officers fabricated key elements of the case against him. Former student Dr Rizwaan Sabir was held for seven days without charge while studying terrorist tactics at the University of Nottingham in 2008. He was accused of downloading an al-Qaida training manual for terrorist purposes, but was later released without charge. Sabir was later awarded £20,000 by police after it emerged that officers fabricated key elements of the case against him.
Now a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, where he specialises in counter-terrorism, Sabir said the act creates a climate of fear, self-censorship and a danger that innocent people may be seen as future terrorists. He said: “The problems with the Prevent strategy are endless and any campaign to raise awareness of these problems in a democratic way is important.”Now a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, where he specialises in counter-terrorism, Sabir said the act creates a climate of fear, self-censorship and a danger that innocent people may be seen as future terrorists. He said: “The problems with the Prevent strategy are endless and any campaign to raise awareness of these problems in a democratic way is important.”
He cited the British library’s recent refusal to hold a code of documents produced by the Taliban for fear staff might be arrested or prosecuted for terrorism as a signal that the law has already impacted the ability of academics to understand important issues. He cited the British library’s recent refusal to hold an archive of documents produced by the Taliban for fear staff might be arrested or prosecuted for terrorism as a signal that the law has already affected academics’ ability to understand important issues.
“The danger is that it will close down free discussion of ideas and it will not allow students to become critical thinkers, whether they become activists or members of corporations.”“The danger is that it will close down free discussion of ideas and it will not allow students to become critical thinkers, whether they become activists or members of corporations.”