My head hurts. I just spent 20 minutes reading the comments in this article and I need to lie down. It’s by Rizwaan Sabir, a PhD student who was arrested for downloading an Al-Qaeda manual (and being a bit brown). That seems fair enough, you might think: surely someone who downloads such a manual deserves it? Except Sabir was studying for a PhD in terrorism. He was thus arrested for doing a fundamental part of his degree.

In his piece, Sabir points out that this is a bit silly. People need to be able to study terrorism to understand why it happens and even work out ways to stop it. This point was sadly missed by hordes of commentators, who left missive after missive declaring:

Y R THEY TEAHCIHING TERRORISM AT UNIVIERSTY?!?@!

Or something along those lines. CJCJC said:
Beyond parody.
This sums up the current academic mindset in a nutshell.
Teaching “terrorism” as an academic subject while turning a blind eye, indeed actively refusing to co-operate with the police, to the radicalisation taking place right under you noses.

It’s political correctness gone literally mad. polishsupporter said:
I mean what does studying terrorism teach. There a lots of angry people in the world and lots of martyrs who are prepared to blow themselves in the name of some bogus interpretation of religion.

Innit. Except for the terrorists who aren’t religious. Or those who don’t commit suicide. Hang on, this terrorism thing is slightly more complicated than it looks. kevwell was more suspicious:
One does have to wonder why there are those who are so interested in Islamic extremism & terrorism, that they wish to study it at university.

Yes, bit funny that. And all those historians interested Fascism. And what about Chemists? They like chemicals. What are explosives made out of: chemicals! QED.

Anyway, head over to The Guardian and give yourself a giggle.

No, I have no intention of strapping myself to a bomb. And, no, I am not an extremist and during my time at University haven’t come across anyone that is. “But you’re a Muslim Student! Not just any Muslim Student but one who studies in London!” Yes, I am. But I shouldn’t be defined by the actions of a disturbed man.

Over the past few weeks, we have been pelted with chunks of information about the Detroit terror attacker, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. What family was he from? Where was he studying? What countries did he visit? Tons of news about him has hit us from all directions. This has made it a little hard for the public to put things into perspective, but the media has had no problem at all. As soon as news of Umar Farouk’s connection to UCL and its Islamic societies broke, leading newspapers have made it look like British Universities are breeding grounds for terrorists. Meanwhile, the majority of Muslim students clutch their hearts and try to convince themselves that all is well.

But the truth is all isn’t well. It’s been days since the attempted attack but my friends and I are still scared to talk about it, or discuss surrounding issues openly. The UCL’s Islamic society have disabled their website and gone completely under the radar, while dozens of UCL’s Muslim students refuse to comment on this story. Muslim students across Britain realise that they must bear with the consequences of Umar Farouk’s actions, when they still haven’t recovered from the scrutinising aftermath of 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings. (more)

Suspected Detroit terror attacker was head of UCL’s Islamic Society, it has been revealed.

According to the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, who graduated from UCL with a degree in Engineering and Business Finance, served as the President of the University’s Islamic Society between 2006 and 2007.

In a recent press release, Faisal Hanjra, spokesman for FOSIS said: “There was nothing in his behaviour during this time that would indicate that he would commit these alleged acts. During his tenure as President, the Islamic Society forged closer relationships between other student groups, of all faiths.”

Faisla Hanjra went onto say that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab’s fellow students and staff were shocked and horrified by his alleged actions and that the purpose of Islamic Societies in Universities is to build positive cross-campus relations.

Scotland Yard and MI5 are currently investigating whether the 23 year old, was radicalised during his three years at University. The FOSIS claim that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab has ceased contact with friends and colleagues in London, after graduating in 2008. The Federation also urges all those who can help to come forward and cooperate with the relevant authorities.

Yesterday, I wrote: “Following Mutallab’s alleged actions, there will probably be a purported crackdown on ‘extremism’ within universities.”

Today, as predicted, the Daily Telegraph contains an editorial jumping on this bandwagon, pointing the finger at universities for failing to fight Islamism. Its headline is the completely reasonable: “Academic liberalism is a danger to life”.

The editorial states that “institutes of higher education in London have consistently provided sanctuary for Islamist students who parrot the hate-filled rhetoric of al-Qaeda and its allies.” The editorial also blasts “liberal British academics” for their “habit of diverting any discussion of terrorism away from Islamism towards the evils of Anglo-American foreign policy”.

“Again and again, speakers have been invited and rooms provided so that, in the name of free speech, vulnerable students can be indoctrinated,” the editorial continues. The Telegraph, however, is being misleading – as many of its education news stories are. Universities are not designed to fight extremism. They are there to teach and facilitate learning. They are not there to censor. (more)

A student at University College, London is in custody after reportedly attempting to blow up a plane in the USA. Thankfully Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was studying engineering and not pyrotechnics: his explosives failed to go off and he ended up burning just his own legs. More here.

Following Mutallab’s alleged actions, there will probably be a purported crackdown on ‘extremism’ within universities. Since 2006, universities have been regarded as ‘fertile recruiting grounds‘ for extremists. (more)

After months of  incompetence and thousands of students stranded at university without any money, two members of the Student Loans Company have resigned. The man who oversaw the entire sorry operation remains, however.

The two who took the buck were Wallace Gray, the SLC’s ICT director, and Martin Herbert, the marketing and customer services director. But Ralph Seymour-Jackson, the Chief Executive – who described 50,000 students being without any funding as ‘reasonable’ – is still in charge. (more)