Neo-Labour's assault on universities

Neo-Labour's attempt to turn universities into an arm of the security services is both racist and an assault on the one place where you should be able to air views, no matter how controversial. They're asking lecturers to 'spy' on "Asian-looking" students (were Richard Reid or Jermaine Lindsay "Asian-looking"?) who might be involved in terrorist activities and keep a watch out for 'extremist' speakers. If you've been to university in Britain it is quite clear that there are some Muslims with, let's say, 'controversial' views beyond the usual limits of controversy. But this is university, and as a friend remarks after watching university students (of any stripe) marching, protesting and sloganeering: "At university, everyone is right." In other words, students are always convinced of the certainity of their beliefs, but eventually they grow up.

Rather than stamp out dissenting views, I would rather Muslims or others challenge them in a debate -- this is university we're talking about afterall. The funny thing is that all the Hizb al-Tahrir and al-Muhajiroun members (the organisations were officialy banned) I came across at university were convinced of the correctness of their beliefs on 'intellectual' grounds. Few individuals ever challenged them on that basis, and banning them or stamping their views out merely convinced them they were right. Besides, the very idea of spying on certain people because of the way they look or what they might believe is counter-productive.

I wish I could share AC Grayling's optimism that all the government was doing was asking universities to report to the police any serious activities that may lead to harm.

Comments

[Yakoub/Julaybib]

The idea of 'Asian looking' Muslims being the subject surveilance perhaps needs to be considered in the light of this article by Yahya Birt, "We Muslim converts are not traitors in your midst":

http://yahyabirt.com/?page_id=13

Wasalaam

TMA

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