Universities are places of learning, not terror

January 16, 2010
By Sheeza Anjum

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.

We are moving towards a society, where we won’t just get prosecuted for our actions, our words but for our thoughts. These days, any type of information is easily available and accessible due to the internet and most authorities have realised that you really can’t stop someone with radical intentions, therefore you must stop those intentions being born by any way possible. Universities and their Islamic societies will no longer have the same freedom of expression as they used to have. We no longer have the luxury of reading Islamic literature on the tube without raising alarm or at least receiving scrutinising looks. In months to come, there will be lots of investigations and observations trying to determine what kind of Muslim you are. Which mosque do you pray in? What events are you attending? What kind of thoughts are you thinking? 2010 is the beginning of the era of “Trial by Thought”.

The investigations are not the only thing Muslim students will have to put up with. Around, two months ago there was an attack on the Muslim students of City University. A mob of 30 youths, screaming “Paki” along with other offensive words, stabbed four Muslim students. This incident showed the spread of Islamophobia across the country. I don’t even want to imagine how far Umar Farouk’s action will fuel those attitudes.

But we are stronger than the cowardly actions of Umar Farouk or the gang which attacked City University’s students. We will rise above this and prove University is a place of learning and enhancing yourself and Islam is a religion of Peace.

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Related posts:

  1. Detroit bomber was president of UCL’s Islamic Society
  2. UCL student accused of plane bomb plot in the USA
  3. Are universities open to all?

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