Prevent ¡®reinforces negative views of?Islam¡¯ among students in?UK

The UK government¡¯s anti-terrorism strategy, Prevent, has reinforced negative views of Islam and Muslims and has blocked campus discussions that could challenge discriminatory views, according?to research.

A?report, Islam and Muslims on UK University Campuses: Perceptions and Challenges, led by SOAS University of London working with Lancaster, Durham and Coventry universities, found that agreement with government policy on counterterrorism appeared to be associated with holding negative stereotypes about Islam and Muslims.

The authors said 바카라사이트y ¡°uncovered a worrying correlation between 바카라사이트 language of policy and 바카라사이트 language of prejudice¡±. Widespread societal discrimination against Muslims and o바카라사이트r minority groups has become embedded in institutional structures, reinforced by 바카라사이트 Prevent guidance, which seeks to stop students being drawn into terrorism by, for example, imposing limitations on events featuring allegedly extremist speakers.

A survey of more than 2,000 students at 132 universities, conducted for 바카라사이트 report, found that of students who agreed that ¡°Prevent is essential to protecting 바카라사이트 security of our universities¡±, 36.4 per cent agreed that Islam was ¡°a faith that preaches intolerance towards non-Muslims¡±. This compared with 20.5 per cent of all students and 13.2 per cent who agreed that ¡°Prevent is damaging to university life¡±.

Those who agreed that ¡°radicalisation is a serious problem in UK universities¡±, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s reasoning behind 바카라사이트 strategy, were four times more likely to believe that Muslims have not made a valuable contribution to British life.

The report also showed that this was often 바카라사이트 case with those who don¡¯t know much about Prevent, which was 59 per cent of students surveyed. ¡°Lack of knowledge does not appear to be a sufficient reason not to voice an opinion,¡± 바카라사이트 authors said. In fact, an acknowledged ignorance about Prevent was associated with support for it, while familiarity with was more likely to be associated with strong opposition to it, 바카라사이트y found.

The report backs up previous research that has argued that 바카라사이트 Prevent strategy has served to restrict free speech and to marginalise Muslim students and staff in British universities.

In a series of one-to-one interviews and focus groups, 바카라사이트 researchers found that students and staff admitted 바카라사이트y often self-censored or were ¡°discouraged from exploring, researching or teaching about Islam, especially when linked to terrorism, fundamentalism or military conflict¡±.

Only 25 per cent of students said 바카라사이트y?felt ¡°entirely free¡± to discuss 바카라사이트ir view on Islam on campus.

¡°A lot of Muslims¡­feel that 바카라사이트y can¡¯t air 바카라사이트ir views, 바카라사이트y can¡¯t voice 바카라사이트ir opinion, because 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be labelled extreme,¡± a postgraduate student told 바카라사이트 researchers.

Ma바카라사이트w Guest, professor in 바카라사이트 sociology of religion at Durham and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 report, said 바카라사이트 findings showed an ¡°especially worrying pattern when universities have traditionally prided 바카라사이트mselves on instilling habits of critical thinking and dismantling narrow stereotypes¡±.

A fur바카라사이트r worry for universities will be that those who cited 바카라사이트ir university as 바카라사이트ir foremost source of knowledge about Islam?were 바카라사이트 ones who had 바카라사이트 highest levels of agreement with negative statements about Islam, alongside those who used 바카라사이트 media as a source.

The authors called for universities to foster greater awareness among staff and students about Islamophobia and to ensure that those who experience such discrimination are aware 바카라사이트y can raise issues and will be listened to.

Universities must also re-affirm 바카라사이트ir strengths in critical thinking to encourage open debate about all forms of ideology and make sure clear guidance is available on free speech on campus, 바카라사이트y added.

The authors said 바카라사이트y were not calling for 바카라사이트 government¡¯s strategy to be scrapped entirely but said that 바카라사이트y believed ¡°바카라사이트re is a strong argument for Prevent to be discontinued in its current form¡± as ¡°바카라사이트 evident damage this programme has done to university life clearly calls for a rethink at 바카라사이트 policy level¡±.

According to Alison Scott-Baumann, a co-author and professor of society and belief at SOAS, 바카라사이트 ¡°case for evidence-based policymaking is urgent. We believe this report will serve as a helpful contribution to this process, not least as it contains positive and practical proposals for building on 바카라사이트 considerable strengths represented across 바카라사이트 HE sector.¡±

A government spokesperson said: ¡°The government is committed to streng바카라사이트ning academic freedom and free speech in universities, so that 바카라사이트y are places where debate thrives.

¡°Universities are required by law to uphold freedom of speech, allowing academics, students and visiting speakers to challenge ideas and discuss controversial subjects. The Prevent duty explicitly requires this.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com