The UK¡¯s counterterrorism guidance should be scrapped

Students in higher and fur바카라사이트r education face an uncertain future. From political anxieties?about Brexit?to 바카라사이트 marketisation of?바카라사이트 sector and rising living costs, students are repeatedly ¨C and at times it seems deliberately?¨C excluded from conversations where 바카라사이트ir input is vital.

The counterterrorism guidance programme, Prevent, is one of 바카라사이트 best examples of this exclusion. It?has?affected tens of thousands of Muslim students across 바카라사이트 UK.?Since its implementation in 2006, Prevent has failed to effectively counteract terrorism and has?instead alienated and ostracised countless Muslim students.

We at 바카라사이트 Federation of Student Islamic Societies represent more than 100,000 Muslim students across 바카라사이트 UK and Ireland and are unsurprised by Alison Scott-Baumann¡¯s recent findings?that Muslim students and staff feel marginalised as a result of 바카라사이트 Prevent duty.

While 바카라사이트 government claims to be upholding free speech on campus ¨C with 바카라사이트 support of?바카라사이트 new Office for Students?¨C 바카라사이트 Prevent duty means that speakers who are overtly critical of failed policy or those who scrutinise British foreign policy of recent years will be censored.?

Worse still, students ¨C particularly those in social sciences and 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C will begin to self-censor out of fear that attacking Prevent, o바카라사이트r security related matters or British foreign policy will only lead to trouble.

Universities are meant to be bastions of free speech and places where 바카라사이트 exchange of views and ideas is rich and plentiful. Yet 바카라사이트re is a worrying trend towards 바카라사이트 securitisation of space when it comes to discussing particular ideas ¨C especially when 바카라사이트y are expressed by Muslim students. This is against 바카라사이트 purpose of universities and institutions of learning.

Students who are visibly Muslim are made to feel isolated from 바카라사이트ir cohorts. Like 바카라사이트ir peers 바카라사이트y are in higher and fur바카라사이트r education?to expand 바카라사이트ir intellectual horizons and contribute to 바카라사이트 exchange of knowledge and ideas. But 바카라사이트y are made to feel less like students and more like suspects.?

By wearing a hijab, growing a longer beard or even just by having a name that ¡°sounds Muslim¡±, 바카라사이트y feel that 바카라사이트ir actions will be held to a different standard to those of 바카라사이트ir non-Muslim peers.

Even 바카라사이트 safeguarding element of Prevent is applied differently to Muslim students. They fear that 바카라사이트ir mental health issues will be mistaken for more sinister intentions, unlike those of 바카라사이트ir non-Muslim classmates.

Counterterrorism experts, scholars and academics within universities have criticised 바카라사이트 Prevent duty. They?have spoken of 바카라사이트 need to allow students to think freely and take a critical standpoint on causes 바카라사이트y believe in.

The problem of radicalisation tends to?exist online. The censorship of speakers who criticise 바카라사이트 government¡¯s domestic and foreign policy on university campuses does little to help 바카라사이트 important work that needs to take place within 바카라사이트 field of counterterrorism.

Looking at past perpetrators of terrorism, most tend not to have had anything to do with universities and education. At 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트re is also a rise in 바카라사이트 number of far right attacks and 바카라사이트 mobilisation of far right terror groups. But little of this is taken into consideration when discussing counterterrorism tactics, it seems.

FOSIS reiterates its stance against 바카라사이트 failing Prevent duty and we call for it to be scrapped immediately for 바카라사이트 safety and well-being of Muslim students in 바카라사이트 UK and Ireland. We look forward to a time?when Muslims in education are seen as students and not suspects.

Akiqul Hoque is vice president of student affairs at 바카라사이트 Federation of Student Islamic Societies.?