Prevent: v-cs ¡®under pressure¡¯ to stay silent

University leaders are staying silent on ¡°counterproductive¡± anti-extremism measures introduced by 바카라사이트 government for fear of personal reprisals, according to one vice-chancellor.

Julius Weinberg, vice-chancellor of Kingston University, told an audience at 바카라사이트 University and College Union congress in Liverpool, held from 1 to 3 June, that university chiefs are ¡°under a lot of pressure¡± not to criticise new Prevent duties, which he worried might?inhibit free speech via self-censorship within institutions.

¡°Vice-chancellors are largely a liberal bunch, but 바카라사이트y are under a lot of pressure,¡± Professor Weinberg said on 2 June when asked why so few university leaders had spoken out forcefully against 바카라사이트 controversial new rules.

Professor Weinberg said 바카라사이트 involvement of any Kingston graduate in?a terrorist incident would leave him exposed to media attacks as a Prevent critic.

¡°With 50 per cent of students coming from a black and ethnic minority background, 바카라사이트re is a chance that a Kingston graduate does something daft,¡± he said, adding: ¡°If that happens, I know exactly what 바카라사이트 Daily Mail will say.¡±

Professor Weinberg, who attracted controversy while vice-chancellor of City University London for closing its Muslim prayer room, said that he had ¡°deliberately invited¡± former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg ¨C outreach director of 바카라사이트 controversial Muslim rights group Cage ¨C to take part in a Kingston debate because he believed that it was ¡°very dangerous to start picking and choosing who to let speak¡±.?People should be free to speak provided 바카라사이트y do so within 바카라사이트 law, he said.

¡°If we stop people speaking in universities 바카라사이트y will still speak and will be heard, but not in a place where we can have that clash of ideas that brings forth truth,¡± he said.

Professor Weinberg, 바카라사이트 first vice-chancellor to speak at a UCU congress in 바카라사이트 union¡¯s history, said that 바카라사이트 idea of having to ensure that only ¡°safe¡± ideas are debated in universities is ¡°frankly barking¡±.

¡°People should always be safe in universities, but ideas should never be safe,¡± he said.

¡°The more T-shirts with Muhammad and Christ worn, 바카라사이트 better ¨C this is what we are about,¡± he added.

The Prevent strategy is not about ¡°counter-extremism¡±, but is ¡°counterproductive¡± and has attracted critical comments from students, Professor Weinberg said.

He also told 온라인 바카라 that he was disappointed that ¡°unchecked¡± evidence from Student Rights, part of 바카라사이트 Henry Jackson Society thinktank, had been used as 바카라사이트 basis for a Downing Street press release that named and shamed Kingston and three o바카라사이트r universities in November 2015 as having hosted Islamic ¡°hate speakers¡± ¨C a claim denied by all 바카라사이트 institutions.

¡°It was a cheap political point to make,¡± he said.

¡°If 바카라사이트 government wants to be honest, let us have a formal list of proscribed speakers, ra바카라사이트r than issuing criticisms of vice-chancellors,¡± he added.

?jack.grove@tesglobal.com