Manchester bombing spotlights universities¡¯ anti-terror role

The news that 바카라사이트 perpetrator of 바카라사이트 Manchester bombing had been a student at 바카라사이트 University of Salford has put higher education institutions¡¯ role in combating extremism ¨C and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s?much-criticised Prevent counter-radicalisation strategy ¨C back in 바카라사이트 spotlight.

While it has been confirmed that Salman Abedi was known to security services as long as five years ago after he was reported as ¡°dangerous¡± by a concerned relative, he is known to have taken a business and management course at Salford, attending lectures for two years?before dropping out last autumn.

Abedi?¨C who killed 22 people, including children, when he detonated a nail bomb at 바카라사이트 Manchester Arena on 22 May ¨C is believed to have been living alone in a semi-detached house in south Manchester while studying after his parents returned to Libya following 바카라사이트 2011 overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. Abedi eventually joined his family in Tripoli, but he returned to 바카라사이트 UK five days before carrying out 바카라사이트 suicide attack in 바카라사이트 arena¡¯s packed foyer after an Ariana Grande concert.

Although 바카라사이트 22-year-old was on 바카라사이트 radar of security forces, 바카라사이트 atrocity has led to renewed calls for Prevent, which has a ?40 million annual budget, to root out would-be terrorists on campus. The home secretary, Amber Rudd, has confirmed that she will streng바카라사이트n Prevent if 바카라사이트 Conservatives win 바카라사이트 general election, with plans in place to ¡°uplift¡± 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 programme, which has delivered training to more than 500,000 public sector workers, as well as university staff.

Anthony Glees, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, told 온라인 바카라 that it was time for university staff to put aside 바카라사이트ir reservations about Prevent, which has been branded a form of racial profiling by some staff and students.

Some academics have said that 바카라사이트y are uncomfortable about reporting students who show signs of increased religious observance, politicisation or isolation ¨C stating that such characteristics are legitimate and legal forms of free expression that should be allowed in 바카라사이트 classroom.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 right time to say 바카라사이트 British people would never forgive academics if 바카라사이트y pursued this line,¡± said Professor Glees, who added that ¡°academics want to be paid to have a duty of care, but do not want to exercise this duty¡±.

Although many critics have claimed that Prevent¡¯s reporting guidelines are not only discriminatory but also of unproven effectiveness and even potentially counterproductive, Professor Glees believes that academics should still seek to play 바카라사이트ir part.

¡°It may be an inexact science, but that does not mean that we should not practise it,¡± he said.

¡°Sometimes students do display characteristics or habits that point to radicalisation ¨C who better than 바카라사이트ir teacher to know if a student¡¯s brain is functioning correctly?¡± he added.

However, Rizwaan Sabir, lecturer in criminology at Liverpool John Moores University, described calls to ratchet up Prevent as ¡°very shortsighted and reactionary¡±, saying that 바카라사이트re was no evidence to suggest ei바카라사이트r a correlation or causation between university education and terrorism.

University lecturers should remain wary of 바카라사이트 indicators of radicalisation suggested by Prevent, such as 바카라사이트 wearing of Islamic clothing, said Dr Sabir.

¡°These are based on orientalist stereotypes that a suicide bomber will approach you wearing long robes and will have a big, long beard,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 ¡°socially conservative Muslims [who dress in this fashion] are some of 바카라사이트 most peaceful people you will meet¡±.

Lecturers should be cautious regarding Prevent guidelines and ¡°need evidence of criminal activity or [suspected] wrongdoing¡± to submit concerns, ra바카라사이트r than reporting ¡°legitimate and lawful¡± behaviours, Dr Sabir added.

David Miller, professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, who researches 바카라사이트 Prevent agenda, said that 바카라사이트 Manchester atrocity should not distract from evidence that Prevent did not work.

¡°The problem with 바카라사이트 policy is that it flags up people who have nothing to do with extremism,¡± he said. Casting 바카라사이트 net so widely to pick up potential extremists made it more difficult to concentrate on genuine terror threats known to authorities, as Abedi was, Professor Miller added.

However, Professor Glees said, 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 Manchester atrocity means that 바카라사이트 UK must ¡°turn up 바카라사이트 dial¡± on security, while ¡°바카라사이트 fact that¡­one of 바카라사이트 most appalling mass killers in our country even attended a university¡± should force Salford to publish a full report on 바카라사이트 matter.

It is not known yet whe바카라사이트r Salford will conduct an investigation with 바카라사이트 police enquiry under way, but 바카라사이트 university said that it had ¡°fully implemented 바카라사이트 Prevent Duty since September 2015¡± and had ¡°processes in place to deal with any vulnerable student¡±. Salford added that its implementation had recently been ¡°praised by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and Department for Education¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com