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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Campus extremists under scrutiny | Campus extremists under scrutiny |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Special Branch officers are being deployed in universities particularly at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremists, the BBC has been told. | Special Branch officers are being deployed in universities particularly at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremists, the BBC has been told. |
| Higher Education Minister David Lammy said the government was concerned about a number of institutions. | Higher Education Minister David Lammy said the government was concerned about a number of institutions. |
| Speculation that alleged bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised at University College London has raised concerns about campus extremism. | Speculation that alleged bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised at University College London has raised concerns about campus extremism. |
| But UCL's provost said universities cannot be a bulwark against terrorism. | But UCL's provost said universities cannot be a bulwark against terrorism. |
| Mr Lammy told BBC Radio 4's The Report, "We have identified universities for whom the risk is greater and they have to work closely with Special Branch, and so I think it is a partnership between leadership at universities and the police." | Mr Lammy told BBC Radio 4's The Report, "We have identified universities for whom the risk is greater and they have to work closely with Special Branch, and so I think it is a partnership between leadership at universities and the police." |
| He added, "We do not recognise a caricature of a significant risk across Britain. | He added, "We do not recognise a caricature of a significant risk across Britain. |
| "But we do recognise that threat levels have been raised and that this is an extremely serious issue and that there are particular institutions - and those institutions are aware of this because we have brought it to their attention - where the risk is greater and those institutions are working very closely with the police and are working closely with Special Branch and those institutions [police and Special Branch] are present on campus." | "But we do recognise that threat levels have been raised and that this is an extremely serious issue and that there are particular institutions - and those institutions are aware of this because we have brought it to their attention - where the risk is greater and those institutions are working very closely with the police and are working closely with Special Branch and those institutions [police and Special Branch] are present on campus." |
| Mr Lammy declined to name the institutions in question, saying he did not think that would be "helpful". | |
| He also refused to be drawn on whether university Islamic societies should be monitored more closely. | |
| "Universities are autonomous," he said. "They work closely with the police and the intelligence services, and I'm not going to comment further than that." | "Universities are autonomous," he said. "They work closely with the police and the intelligence services, and I'm not going to comment further than that." |
| Terror link denied | Terror link denied |
| The arrest of Mr Abdulmutallab, a former president of the Islamic Society at University College London (UCL), for allegedly trying to blow up a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day, meant he was the sixth member of a UK student Islamic Society to be arrested for suspected terrorism offences. | The arrest of Mr Abdulmutallab, a former president of the Islamic Society at University College London (UCL), for allegedly trying to blow up a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day, meant he was the sixth member of a UK student Islamic Society to be arrested for suspected terrorism offences. |
| LISTEN TO THE REPORT BBC Radio 4, Thursday 21 January at 2000 GMTOr listen via the BBC iPlayer Or download the podcast. | LISTEN TO THE REPORT BBC Radio 4, Thursday 21 January at 2000 GMTOr listen via the BBC iPlayer Or download the podcast. |
| However, the body representing Islamic Societies in universities denied there was any link between student groups and terror plots. | However, the body representing Islamic Societies in universities denied there was any link between student groups and terror plots. |
| Qasim Rafiq, of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (Fosis) told the BBC: "There is no evidence or no substantial evidence to suggest there is a radicalisation of extremism taking place on campus, as people have suggested." | Qasim Rafiq, of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (Fosis) told the BBC: "There is no evidence or no substantial evidence to suggest there is a radicalisation of extremism taking place on campus, as people have suggested." |
| He said students were more likely to be radicalised by watching the "bombs fall on Iraq". | He said students were more likely to be radicalised by watching the "bombs fall on Iraq". |
| But Ed Husain, a former member of banned extremist group Hizb-ut Tahrir, who now runs the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, said he was concerned at the hard-line mindset in many campus Islamic societies. | But Ed Husain, a former member of banned extremist group Hizb-ut Tahrir, who now runs the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, said he was concerned at the hard-line mindset in many campus Islamic societies. |
| He said: "In some university campuses on Friday prayers and most university campuses with their prayer rooms - and I have visited several of those - you see the literature that is stocked, the level of discussion that is happening, I am not saying it supports terrorism but it clearly does provide extremist mood music to which suicide bombers dance." | He said: "In some university campuses on Friday prayers and most university campuses with their prayer rooms - and I have visited several of those - you see the literature that is stocked, the level of discussion that is happening, I am not saying it supports terrorism but it clearly does provide extremist mood music to which suicide bombers dance." |
| 'Challenge students' | 'Challenge students' |
| Prof Anthony Glees who wrote a 2005 report warning that campuses had become a safe haven for extremists said many universities were in denial. | Prof Anthony Glees who wrote a 2005 report warning that campuses had become a safe haven for extremists said many universities were in denial. |
| One vice chancellor had told him to stop this research in the name of free speech but Prof Glees told the BBC academics should "challenge their students" about extremist views. | One vice chancellor had told him to stop this research in the name of free speech but Prof Glees told the BBC academics should "challenge their students" about extremist views. |
| He added that universities should not be used as venues for extremist propaganda. | He added that universities should not be used as venues for extremist propaganda. |
| "Universities should be about rational debate and balance," he added. | "Universities should be about rational debate and balance," he added. |
| Prof Malcolm Grant, Provost of UCL, said universities had a responsibility to work closely with security services but "not as policemen". | Prof Malcolm Grant, Provost of UCL, said universities had a responsibility to work closely with security services but "not as policemen". |
| He added, "I would not ever want anybody to believe that we can be the bulwark against terrorism. | He added, "I would not ever want anybody to believe that we can be the bulwark against terrorism. |
| "I'm deeply concerned that there's an assumption that simply by installing simple measures of preventing, shall we say, radical speakers from coming onto campus, we're going to make a ha'p'orth of difference to this issue. | "I'm deeply concerned that there's an assumption that simply by installing simple measures of preventing, shall we say, radical speakers from coming onto campus, we're going to make a ha'p'orth of difference to this issue. |
| "Now let's be real about this. The influences on young minds are many and various." | "Now let's be real about this. The influences on young minds are many and various." |
| The Report is on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, 4 February at 2000 GMT. You can also listen via the BBC iPlayer after broadcast or download the podcast. | The Report is on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, 4 February at 2000 GMT. You can also listen via the BBC iPlayer after broadcast or download the podcast. |